How to Type Fraction Symbols (½ ¼ ¾ ⅓ ⅛)

How-To Guides · 4 min read · Published August 27, 2026

A proper fraction character like ½ looks far cleaner than typing "1/2" in a recipe or measurement. The three most common ones — ½, ¼ and ¾ — have real Windows Alt codes because they belong to the Windows-1252 code page.

½ = Alt+0189, ¼ = Alt+0188, ¾ = Alt+0190. The rest of the fractions need a different approach.

Quick reference: every method

Every Alt code below is verified against the real Windows code pages — where none exists we say so, rather than list one that won’t work.

The common three

Use the leading-zero Alt codes above on Windows. In HTML they have named entities: ½ (½), ¼ (¼), ¾ (¾). In Word, the hex + Alt+X method works too (00BD for ½).

Thirds, fifths, eighths and beyond

Unicode also has precomposed characters for ⅓ (one third), ⅔, ⅛ (one eighth) and more — but these sit above codepoint 255, so they have no Alt code. Copy them from our Number Forms category, or type their hex (2153 for ⅓) then Alt+X in Word.

Building any fraction

For a fraction with no ready-made character (like 7/16), you can combine a superscript numerator, the fraction slash ⁄, and a subscript denominator. It’s fiddly — for most purposes the plain "7/16" or a ready-made character is clearer.

Handy tips

• Word and Google Docs auto-format 1/2, 1/4 and 3/4 into ½ ¼ ¾ as you type — often the fastest route.
• In spreadsheets, a fraction character is text, not a number — don’t use ½ in a cell you plan to calculate with.
• The three Windows-1252 fractions are the most universally supported; exotic ones may not render in every font.

Frequently asked questions

Related symbols