How to Type the Tilde (~) on Any Keyboard, Plus ñ and ã
Quick answer: on a US keyboard press Shift and the ` key (left of 1). On a UK keyboard press Shift and the # key next to Enter. On any Windows PC, Alt+126 on the numeric keypad types ~. If ~ waits for the next letter, press Space after it.
Where ~ is
| Keyboard / layout | Keys |
|---|---|
| US (Windows and Mac) | Shift + ` (top-left, left of 1) |
| UK Windows PC | Shift + # (key left of Enter) |
| US-International, Portuguese and some others | Dead key: ~ then Space |
| Any Windows PC | Alt+126 (numeric keypad) |
On compact and 60% keyboards the backtick/tilde key is often combined with Esc; check the small legend (often Fn + Esc, or Shift + Fn + Esc). If you can't find it, use the Windows symbol panel (Win+.) or copy ~ from this page.
The dead-key behaviour
On layouts built for languages with ñ, ã or õ, the ~ key is a dead key: it types nothing until you press the next key. ~ then n gives ñ, ~ then a gives ã, and ~ then Space gives a plain ~. This is how Portuguese is typed on US-International. Spanish layouts usually have a separate ñ key instead; see Spanish accents.
Mac
On the US and British Mac layouts, ~ is Shift + ` like on a US PC. Option+N is the tilde accent dead key: Option+N then n gives ñ.
Phones
iPhone: tap 123, then #+=. Gboard: tap ?123, then =\<.
What ~ means
- Approximately: ~50 people. In maths the proper sign is ≈ (see ≈ and ≠), and "similar to" is ∼.
- Home folder in macOS and Linux terminals:
cd ~. - Strikethrough in Markdown and many chat apps:
~~text~~. - Accent on letters: ñ, ã, õ.
The spacing tilde ~ (U+007E) is different from the small raised tilde ˜ (U+02DC) and the maths tilde operator ∼. See all of them on our tilde page and keyboard symbols.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type ~ on a US keyboard?
Press Shift and the key left of 1 (the backtick key `).
How do I type ~ on a UK keyboard?
Press Shift and the # key next to Enter.
Why does ~ wait for the next letter?
Your layout uses ~ as a dead key for letters such as ñ and ã (for example US-International or Portuguese). Press ~ and then Space to get the tilde on its own.
What is the Alt code for the tilde?
Alt+126 on the numeric keypad. It works on any keyboard layout.
Looking for something else? Browse 1,000+ copy-paste symbols, the full Alt Codes finder, or the emoji picker.