Short answer: On a US keyboard, press Shift + ` — the backtick key at the top-left, just below Esc. On a UK keyboard, it’s Shift + # (next to Enter). On Spanish/Portuguese layouts the tilde is a dead key for ñ/ã — press it then space for a standalone ~. On Windows you can also hold Alt and type 126.
The tilde is one of many special keys — see the full set with names in the keyboard symbols guide, or grab any character from the Alt Code Finder.
The tilde, ~, is the little wave at the top-left of the keyboard, and it wears more hats than almost any other key: your home folder on a Mac or Linux box, “approximately” in casual writing, an operator in code, and — its oldest job — an accent mark. First, where it lives.
Where the tilde lives (and the dead-key catch)
The tilde’s spot depends on your layout:
- US: Shift + ` — the backtick key, top-left, just left of the 1.
- UK: Shift + # — the key beside Enter.
- Spanish / Portuguese: the tilde is a dead key (it makes ñ, ã, õ). Press it before a vowel and it lands on that letter; press it then space for a standalone ~.
- German: AltGr + + (the + key).
If Shift + ` gives something else (like ¬, £ or §), your layout doesn’t match your keyboard — check your settings, or just use Alt + 126.
Quick reference
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| US / Mac (US) | Shift + ` (backtick key) |
| UK | Shift + # |
| Spanish / Portuguese | dead key → then space for standalone ~ |
| Windows Alt code | Alt + 126 |
| Word | 007E then Alt + X |
| HTML | ~ or ~ |
| Unicode | U+007E (TILDE) |
Type ~ on Windows
- US: Shift + `; UK: Shift + #.
- Spanish/Portuguese: dead key → then space for a plain tilde. German: AltGr + +.
- Alt code: hold Alt, type 126 on the numeric keypad, release.
- Word:
007E+ Alt + X, or Insert → Symbol; Win + . and Character Map also work.
Type ~ on Mac
On a US Mac layout, press Shift + **. Note that **Option + N** is the tilde *dead key* for accents (Option + N then n = ñ), and **Option + N then space gives ˜** — the small raised tilde (U+02DC), **not** the keyboard tilde. For the real ~, use **Shift + , enable Unicode Hex Input (Option + 007E), or copy it from above.
The tilde on the command line and in code
- Home directory — in a Unix, Linux or macOS shell, ~ is your home folder, so
~/Documentsis the Documents folder inside it, and~namepoints at another user’s home. - Bitwise NOT — in C, C++, Java and JavaScript,
~xflips every bit (one’s complement). - Markdown strikethrough —
~~text~~renderslike thison GitHub and many editors. - Windows short names — the old 8.3 filename form uses it, e.g.
PROGRA~1for “Program Files.” - Also: Perl’s bind operator
=~, and regex matching in databases like PostgreSQL.
The tilde in maths
In everyday writing, ~ means “approximately” or “around” — ~100 is about a hundred, and 3 ~ 8 marks a range. In maths it reads as “is similar to” or “same order of magnitude” (X ~ Y). But the formal signs are their own characters — ≈ (“approximately equal to”), ∼ (“similar to”), ≃ (“asymptotically equal”) — not the ASCII ~ people usually type in their place. Grab the proper ones from the widget above when precision matters.
The tilde as an accent
Long before computing, the tilde was a diacritic: a wavy mark over a letter. It survives in Spanish ñ and Portuguese ã / õ (marking a nasal sound), and it began with medieval scribes, who drew a small ~ above a letter to stand for an omitted “n” or “m” and save precious vellum. To type these letters, use the dead-key method above or see ñ and ç and accents on a US keyboard. The combining tilde is U+0303.
~ vs ˜ — two different tildes
Watch out for a look-alike: the keyboard tilde ~ (U+007E) sits on the baseline, while the small tilde ˜ (U+02DC) is raised and meant as an accent. In HTML, ˜ gives the raised ˜, not the keyboard ~ — for the normal tilde, write ~ or ~. In a CSS content value, the tilde is \007E.
Type ~ on Linux, ChromeOS & phone
- Linux / ChromeOS: **Shift +
** (US); or **Ctrl + Shift + U**, type007e`, Enter. - Phone: tap the 123 / symbols key — ~ is on the symbols page (its exact spot varies by keyboard app).
What the tilde is
The name tilde comes from Spanish tilde, from Latin titulus (“title”). Programmers nickname it the “twiddle,” and it’s also called a squiggle or swung dash. Its home-directory role has a charming origin: the 1970s Lear-Siegler ADM-3A terminal printed ~ and the word “Home” on the very same key, and the association stuck.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Pressing ~ then a vowel gives ñ/ã | Your layout treats ~ as a dead key — press ~ then space for a plain tilde. |
| Shift + ` gives ¬, £ or § | Wrong layout — switch to match your keyboard, or use Alt + 126. |
My ˜ looks raised/wrong | That’s the small tilde ˜ (U+02DC). Use ~ or ~ for the keyboard tilde. |
| Can’t find ~ on a UK keyboard | It’s Shift + #, next to Enter — not on the top-left key. |
| ~ shows as a box ▯ | Very rare for ~ — switch to any standard font. See symbol showing as a box. |
Recap
- Type it → US Shift + `; UK Shift + #; Spanish/Portuguese dead key → space; Alt + 126 on Windows.
- Tech → home folder
~/, bitwise NOT~x, Markdown~~strikethrough~~. - Maths/text → “approximately” (~100); the formal signs are ≈, ∼, ≃.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type the tilde (~)?
On a US keyboard, press Shift + ` (the backtick key at the top-left). On a UK keyboard, press Shift + # next to Enter. On Spanish and Portuguese layouts the tilde is a dead key for ñ and ã, so press it then the space bar for a standalone ~. On Windows you can also hold Alt and type 126, or copy it from this page.
Where is the tilde key on the keyboard?
On a US layout it’s the top-left key, just left of the 1 and below Esc, shared with the backtick — press Shift to get the tilde. On a UK layout it’s Shift + #, the key beside Enter. On Spanish and Portuguese keyboards the tilde is a dead key used to make ñ, ã and õ.
Why does pressing ~ then a letter give ñ or ã?
On Spanish, Portuguese and some other layouts the tilde is a dead key: it adds the tilde accent to the next letter instead of printing on its own, which is how you get ñ, ã and õ. To type a plain tilde, press the tilde key and then the space bar.
What does ~ mean on Mac or Linux?
In a Unix, Linux or macOS shell, the tilde is shorthand for your home directory. So ~ on its own is your home folder, ~/Documents is the Documents folder inside it, and ~name refers to another user’s home directory.
What does the tilde mean in maths or text?
In casual writing, ~ means “approximately” or “around” — ~100 means about a hundred. In maths it reads as “is similar to” or “same order of magnitude.” The formal “approximately equal to” sign is a separate character, ≈, rather than the plain keyboard tilde.
What does text do?
In Markdown, wrapping text in double tildes creates strikethrough — the text is rendered with a line through it. It works on GitHub and in many Markdown editors and chat apps.
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.