Short answer: Every special character on your keyboard has a name and a spot — most sit on the number row with Shift (Shift + 3 = #) or around the brackets. Tap any symbol below to copy it, or use the tables to find what a symbol is called and how to type it.
Need a symbol that isn’t on the keyboard (©, €, →, °)? The Alt Code Finder has every one, with its Windows, Mac and HTML method.
Most “what is this symbol called?” questions are about the same handful of keys — the tilde, the caret, the backtick, the pipe. Here’s the full set: each symbol, its name (or names), where it lives on a US keyboard, and what it’s for.
The number row (Shift + a digit)
| Symbol | Name(s) | US key | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ~ | Tilde | Shift + ` | “approximately,” home folder (~), diacritic |
| ! | Exclamation mark / bang | Shift + 1 | emphasis; “not” in code (!=) |
| @ | At sign | Shift + 2 | email, handles & mentions |
| # | Hash / pound / number sign / octothorpe | Shift + 3 | hashtags, numbers, comments in code |
| $ | Dollar sign | Shift + 4 | currency; variables in code |
| % | Percent sign | Shift + 5 | percentages; modulo in code |
| ^ | Caret / circumflex / hat | Shift + 6 | exponent, XOR, regex “start of line” |
| & | Ampersand | Shift + 7 | “and”; & in HTML |
| * | Asterisk / star | Shift + 8 | multiply, wildcard, footnote |
| ( ) | Parentheses / round brackets | Shift + 9 / 0 | grouping |
| _ | Underscore | Shift + – | spaces in names/handles, code |
| + | Plus sign | Shift + = | addition, “and” |
The backtick ` and hyphen – are the unshifted versions of the ~ and _ keys.
Brackets, slashes & punctuation
| Symbol | Name(s) | US key | Common use |
|---|---|---|---|
| [ ] | Square brackets | [ ] | arrays, references |
| { } | Curly braces / curly brackets | Shift + [ / ] | code blocks |
| \ | Backslash (reverse solidus) | \ | Windows file paths, escape characters |
| | | Pipe / vertical bar | Shift + \ | “or,” Markdown tables, shell commands |
| ; | Semicolon | ; | separates clauses; ends statements in code |
| : | Colon | Shift + ; | lists, ratios, time |
| ‘ | Apostrophe / single quote | ' | contractions, quotes, code strings |
| “ | Quotation mark / double quote | Shift + ‘ | quotes, code strings |
| , | Comma | , | lists, decimals (some locales) |
| . | Period / full stop / dot | . | sentences, decimals, file extensions |
| < > | Angle brackets (less-than / greater-than) | Shift + , / . | comparisons, HTML tags |
| / | Forward slash / slash (solidus) | / | URLs, dates, division |
| ? | Question mark | Shift + / | questions; wildcard/optional in code |
Symbols with more than one name
Several keys are genuinely called different things depending on who’s talking:
- # — hash, pound sign, number sign, or octothorpe. “Hash(tag)” online, “pound” on a US phone, “number sign” in print.
- ^ — caret, circumflex, or “hat.” Strictly, the ASCII/Unicode name is circumflex; “caret” is the common computing name.
- ` — backtick, backquote, or grave (accent). Used in code and Markdown; as a diacritic it’s the grave accent.
- | — pipe or vertical bar (also vertical line/slash). “Pipe” comes from chaining commands in a terminal.
- * — asterisk, informally “star” (or “splat” among programmers).
- _ — underscore (once called the “underline”).
In-depth guides for the tricky ones
Some keyboard symbols need more than a row in a table — layout differences, HTML rules, code meanings. We cover those in full:
- At sign (@) — where it hides on UK and European layouts, and the “Shift + 2 gives a quote” fix.
- Ampersand (&) — the
&HTML rule, URLs, Excel and code. - More on the way: pipe (|), backslash (\), caret (^) and tilde (~).
Keyboard layouts move symbols around
Where a symbol sits depends on your keyboard layout, not the letters printed on the keys. The clearest example: on a US layout Shift + 2 is @, but on a UK layout it’s a quotation mark and @ moves to Shift + ‘. On French (AZERTY), the digits themselves need Shift, so symbols like & sit unshifted. If a key types the wrong symbol, your layout probably doesn’t match your keyboard — check Settings → Time & language (Windows) or System Settings → Keyboard (Mac). See the @ and & guides for the per-layout details.
Typing symbols that aren’t on your keyboard
For characters with no key — ©, €, →, °, — — you have options:
- Windows Alt codes: hold Alt and type a number on the numeric keypad (see the Alt code chart, and why Alt codes don’t work if they misbehave).
- Pickers: Win + . on Windows, Control + Command + Space on Mac.
- Copy them: grab any symbol from the Alt Code Finder or the full symbol tool.
- Accents on letters: see accents on a US keyboard.
Frequently asked questions
What are the symbols on a keyboard called?
The number-row symbols are the exclamation mark (!), at sign (@), hash (#), dollar sign ($), percent (%), caret (^), ampersand (&), asterisk (*), and parentheses. Around them you’ll find the tilde (~), backtick (`), underscore (_), pipe (|), backslash (), square brackets, curly braces, and the usual punctuation. Several have more than one name — see the list above.
What is the # symbol called?
The # symbol has several names depending on context: hash or hashtag (online), pound sign (on US phones), number sign (in print), and octothorpe (its playful formal name). You type it with Shift + 3 on a US keyboard.
What is the ^ symbol called?
The ^ symbol is called a caret, and also a circumflex (its formal ASCII/Unicode name) or informally a “hat.” You type it with Shift + 6. It’s used for exponents in plain-text maths, as the bitwise XOR operator in code, and for “start of line” in regular expressions.
What’s the difference between the slash and the backslash?
The forward slash (/) leans right and is used in web addresses, dates and division; it’s the unshifted / key. The backslash () leans left and is used mainly in Windows file paths and as an escape character in code; it has its own key, usually above or next to Enter.
How do I type a keyboard symbol that isn’t on my keyboard?
Use a Windows Alt code (hold Alt and type the number on the numeric keypad), a symbol picker (Win + . on Windows, Control + Command + Space on Mac), or copy the character from a chart or symbol tool. These cover symbols like ©, €, → and ° that have no dedicated key.
Why are some symbols in different places on my keyboard?
Because the keyboard layout — not the printed keys — decides where each symbol goes. US, UK and European layouts place several symbols differently: for example, @ and the double quote are swapped between US and UK, and on French AZERTY the digits require Shift. Matching your layout to your physical keyboard fixes most surprises.
Written by Igor R.. Tested on Windows 11, macOS and US, UK and European keyboard layouts. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard. Last updated July 2026.