Keyboard Symbols: Names of Every Key Symbol and How to Type Them
Quick answer: every symbol printed on a standard keyboard has a name, and most are typed with Shift plus a number or punctuation key. Their positions depend on your keyboard layout: the table below shows the US layout and notes where the UK layout differs. If a symbol is missing, Windows Alt codes from 33 to 126 type every one of them (for example Alt+64 = @).
The number row
| Symbol | Name | US keys | UK keys | Alt code |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ~ | tilde | Shift + ` | Shift + # (next to Enter) | Alt+126 |
| ` | backtick, grave accent | ` (left of 1) | ` (left of 1) | Alt+96 |
| ! | exclamation mark | Shift + 1 | Shift + 1 | Alt+33 |
| @ | at sign | Shift + 2 | Shift + ' | Alt+64 |
| # | hash, number sign, pound sign (US), octothorpe | Shift + 3 | # key next to Enter | Alt+35 |
| $ | dollar sign | Shift + 4 | Shift + 4 | Alt+36 |
| % | percent | Shift + 5 | Shift + 5 | Alt+37 |
| ^ | caret, circumflex, hat | Shift + 6 | Shift + 6 | Alt+94 |
| & | ampersand | Shift + 7 | Shift + 7 | Alt+38 |
| * | asterisk, star | Shift + 8 | Shift + 8 | Alt+42 |
| ( ) | parentheses, round brackets | Shift + 9 / 0 | Shift + 9 / 0 | Alt+40 / 41 |
| _ | underscore, low line | Shift + - | Shift + - | Alt+95 |
| + = | plus, equals | Shift + = / = | Shift + = / = | Alt+43 / 61 |
On a UK keyboard, Shift + 2 types " and Shift + 3 types £. For more on these, see the @ sign and the # sign.
Brackets, slashes and punctuation
| Symbol | Name | US keys | Alt code |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ ] | square brackets | [ and ] keys | Alt+91 / 93 |
| { } | curly brackets, braces | Shift + [ / ] | Alt+123 / 125 |
| \ | backslash | \ key above Enter (UK: left of Z) | Alt+92 |
| | | pipe, vertical bar | Shift + \ | Alt+124 |
| / | slash, forward slash | / key | Alt+47 |
| ; : | semicolon, colon | ; and Shift + ; | Alt+59 / 58 |
| ' " | apostrophe, quotation mark | ' and Shift + ' (UK: Shift + 2 for ") | Alt+39 / 34 |
| < > | less than, greater than (angle brackets) | Shift + , / . | Alt+60 / 62 |
| ? | question mark | Shift + / | Alt+63 |
Guides for the trickier ones: tilde ~, backslash \ and pipe |.
Caret ^ and ampersand &
The caret (^) marks exponents in plain text and spreadsheets (=2^3 gives 8), and is the "beginning of line" anchor in regular expressions. On many European layouts it is a dead key that waits for a vowel to make â, ê and so on; press it and then Space to get ^ on its own. The ampersand (&) is a stylised "et", Latin for "and". In HTML it starts every entity, so a literal & is written &.
Why symbols move between layouts
The characters a key types are set by the keyboard layout chosen in your system, not by what is printed on the key. That is why a UK layout on a US keyboard (or the other way round) puts @, ", # and \ in "wrong" places. Check the layout in Windows with the language indicator on the taskbar (switch with Win+Space), or on a Mac in the input menu in the menu bar.
Symbols that are not on the keyboard
Everything else, such as ©, €, ° and ✓, is typed with Alt codes where they exist, the emoji and symbol panel (Win+.), Mac Option keys or the Character Viewer, or by copying. Start with our Alt codes finder or symbols page, and see the Basic Latin page for every keyboard character.
Frequently asked questions
What is the ^ symbol called?
The caret, also called a circumflex or hat. On US and UK keyboards it is Shift + 6. In maths and spreadsheets it often means "to the power of", as in 2^3.
What is the & symbol called?
The ampersand. It means "and" and is Shift + 7 on US and UK keyboards. On Windows, Alt+38 also types it.
Why does Shift + 2 type " instead of @?
Your computer is set to the UK (or another European) keyboard layout, where @ and " swap places. Either use Shift + ' for @, or switch the layout to US if your keyboard is a US one.
How do I type a symbol my keyboard does not have?
On Windows, hold Alt and type its code on the numeric keypad (for example Alt+64 for @), or press Win + . for the symbol panel. On a Mac, use the Character Viewer. You can also copy it from our symbols page.
Looking for something else? Browse 1,000+ copy-paste symbols, the full Alt Codes finder, or the emoji picker.