JSFiddle - React, Tailwind, and code Playground

HTML

On Github <a href="http://github.com/arbelh/HalfStyle">http://github.com/arbelh/HalfStyle</a>
<hr/>
<p>Single Characters:</p>
<span class="halfStyle" data-content="X">X</span>

<span class="halfStyle" data-content="Y">Y</span>

<span class="halfStyle" data-content="Z">Z</span>

<span class="halfStyle" data-content="A">A</span>

<hr/>
<p>Automated on any text:</p>
<span class="textToHalfStyle">Half-style, please.</span>
<hr/>
On Github <a href="http://github.com/arbelh/HalfStyle">http://github.com/arbelh/HalfStyle</a>

CSS

/*!
 * HalfStyle
 * Copyright 2014 Arbel Hakopian
 * Licensed under MIT (https://github.com/arbelh/HalfStyle/blob/master/license.md)
 */
.halfStyle { /* base char and also the bottom 1/3 */
    position:relative;
    display:inline-block;
    font-size:80px; /* or any font size will work */
    color: transparent;
    overflow:hidden;
    white-space: pre; /* to preserve the spaces from collapsing */
    color: #f0f;
    text-shadow: 2px 2px 0px #0af; /* for demo purposes */
}
.halfStyle:before { /* creates the top 1/3 */
    display:block;
    z-index:2;
    position:absolute;
    top:0;
    height: 33.33%;
    content: attr(data-content); /* dynamic content for the pseudo element */
    overflow:hidden;
    pointer-events: none; /* so the base char is selectable by mouse */
    color: #f00; /* for demo purposes */
    text-shadow: 2px -2px 0px #fa0; /* for demo purposes */
}
.halfStyle:after { /* creates the middle 1/3 */
    display:block;
    position:absolute;
    z-index:1;
    top:0;
    height: 66.66%;
    content: attr(data-content); /* dynamic content for the pseudo element */
    overflow:hidden;
    pointer-events: none; /* so the base char is selectable by mouse */
    color: #000; /* for demo purposes */
    text-shadow: 2px 2px 0px #af0; /* for demo purposes */
}

JavaScript

/*!
 * HalfStyle
 * Copyright 2014 Arbel Hakopian
 * Licensed under MIT (https://github.com/arbelh/HalfStyle/blob/master/license.md)
 */
jQuery(function($) {
    var text, chars, $el, i, output;

    // Iterate over all class occurences
    $('.textToHalfStyle').each(function(idx, el) {
        $el = $(el);
        text = $el.text();
        chars = text.split('');

        // Set the screen-reader text
        $el.html('<span style="position: absolute !important;clip: rect(1px 1px 1px 1px);clip: rect(1px, 1px, 1px, 1px);">' + text + '</span>');

        // Reset output for appending
        output = '';

        // Iterate over all chars in the text
        for (i = 0; i < chars.length; i++) {
            // Create a styled element for each character and append to container
            output += '<span aria-hidden="true" class="halfStyle" data-content="' + chars[i] + '">' + chars[i] + '</span>';
        }

        // Write to DOM only once
        $el.append(output);
    });
});