Alt codes let you type symbols that are not on your keyboard, like ©, °, é or ™, by holding Alt and typing a number on the numeric keypad. This is the full reference of the most useful alt codes. Codes with a leading zero (Alt+0169) use the Windows-1252 character set; codes without a zero (Alt+3) use the older extended-ASCII set.
📄 Download the printable alt codes cheat sheet (PDF)
A one-page printable list of the most useful alt codes. → Download the alt codes cheat sheet (PDF)
Common alt codes
| Symbol | Alt code | Name |
|---|---|---|
© |
Alt+0169 |
Copyright |
® |
Alt+0174 |
Registered trademark |
™ |
Alt+0153 |
Trademark |
° |
Alt+0176 |
Degree |
€ |
Alt+0128 |
Euro |
£ |
Alt+0163 |
Pound sterling |
¢ |
Alt+0162 |
Cent |
¥ |
Alt+0165 |
Yen |
§ |
Alt+0167 |
Section |
¶ |
Alt+0182 |
Pilcrow (paragraph) |
• |
Alt+0149 |
Bullet |
– |
Alt+0150 |
En dash |
— |
Alt+0151 |
Em dash |
… |
Alt+0133 |
Ellipsis |
‘ |
Alt+0145 |
Left single quote |
’ |
Alt+0146 |
Right single quote / apostrophe |
“ |
Alt+0147 |
Left double quote |
” |
Alt+0148 |
Right double quote |
« |
Alt+0171 |
Left angle quote |
» |
Alt+0187 |
Right angle quote |
± |
Alt+0177 |
Plus-minus |
× |
Alt+0215 |
Multiplication |
÷ |
Alt+0247 |
Division |
¼ |
Alt+0188 |
One quarter |
½ |
Alt+0189 |
One half |
¾ |
Alt+0190 |
Three quarters |
¹ |
Alt+0185 |
Superscript 1 |
² |
Alt+0178 |
Superscript 2 |
³ |
Alt+0179 |
Superscript 3 |
µ |
Alt+0181 |
Micro |
‰ |
Alt+0137 |
Per mille |
† |
Alt+0134 |
Dagger |
‡ |
Alt+0135 |
Double dagger |
¿ |
Alt+0191 |
Inverted question mark |
¡ |
Alt+0161 |
Inverted exclamation mark |
é |
Alt+0233 |
e acute |
è |
Alt+0232 |
e grave |
ñ |
Alt+0241 |
n tilde |
ç |
Alt+0231 |
c cedilla |
ü |
Alt+0252 |
u umlaut |
ö |
Alt+0246 |
o umlaut |
ä |
Alt+0228 |
a umlaut |
æ |
Alt+0230 |
ae ligature |
☺ |
Alt+1 |
White smiley |
☻ |
Alt+2 |
Black smiley |
♥ |
Alt+3 |
Heart |
♦ |
Alt+4 |
Diamond |
♣ |
Alt+5 |
Club |
♠ |
Alt+6 |
Spade |
♪ |
Alt+13 |
Eighth note |
♫ |
Alt+14 |
Beamed notes |
→ |
Alt+26 |
Right arrow |
← |
Alt+27 |
Left arrow |
↑ |
Alt+24 |
Up arrow |
↓ |
Alt+25 |
Down arrow |
π |
Alt+227 |
Pi |
Σ |
Alt+228 |
Sigma |
√ |
Alt+251 |
Square root |
∞ |
Alt+236 |
Infinity |
How to type an alt code
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold the Alt key.
- Type the number on the numeric keypad (not the row of numbers above the letters).
- Release Alt, and the symbol appears.
On laptops without a numeric keypad, enable the on-screen keyboard or use the Fn + a number-pad overlay. On a Mac, alt codes do not work the same way; use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) or Option-key shortcuts instead.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type an alt code? Turn on Num Lock, hold the Alt key, type the number on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. For example, Alt+0169 types the copyright symbol ©.
Why do some alt codes have a leading zero? Codes with a leading zero (like Alt+0176 for °) use the Windows-1252 character set; codes without a zero (like Alt+3 for ♥) use the older extended-ASCII (OEM) set. They can produce different symbols.
Why is my alt code not working? You must use the numeric keypad, not the number row above the letters, and Num Lock must be on. On laptops without a keypad, use the on-screen keyboard or the Fn overlay.
Do alt codes work on a Mac? Not the same way. On macOS, use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) or Option-key combinations to insert special characters.