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Windows Reference Verified for Windows 11, Windows 10, and Microsoft 365

Windows Keyboard Shortcuts for Special Characters

Find verified ways to type symbols and special characters in Windows using Alt codes, the emoji and symbol panel, Character Map, and supported application-specific Unicode input.

5 Ways to Type Special Characters in Windows

Choose the input method that matches your hardware and software environment.

OS_WIDE No Numpad Needed

Classic Alt Codes

Hold the Alt key and enter a 3 or 4-digit code on the physical numeric keypad.

Key Steps:
  1. Make sure Num Lock is turned on.
  2. Hold Alt and type the code on the numeric keypad.
  3. Release Alt to insert the character.
Read full guide
OS_WIDE No Numpad Needed

Windows Emoji & Symbol Panel

Press Win + . (period) or Win + ; (semicolon) to open the built-in symbol picker.

Key Steps:
  1. Press Win + . to open the emoji and symbol panel.
  2. Browse the categories or search by name.
  3. Click a symbol to insert it at the cursor.
Read full guide
MICROSOFT_OFFICE No Numpad Needed

Office Alt+X Unicode Conversion

Type the hexadecimal Unicode codepoint and press Alt + X to convert to a character.

Key Steps:
  1. Type the hexadecimal codepoint, for example 00e9.
  2. Press Alt + X immediately after the digits.
  3. The code swaps to the character, and back again if repeated.
Read full guide
SYSTEM_UTILITY No Numpad Needed

Windows Character Map

Launch charmap.exe to inspect installed font glyphs, find Alt codes, and copy symbols.

Key Steps:
  1. Press Win + R, type charmap, and press Enter.
  2. Pick a font and select the glyphs you need.
  3. Copy them, then paste into your document.
Read full guide
OS_WIDE No Numpad Needed

US-International Keyboard Layout

Use dead keys (', \", ^, ~) and AltGr (Right Alt) for fast typing of accented Latin characters.

Key Steps:
  1. Add the layout under Time & language in Settings.
  2. Switch layouts at any time with Win + Space.
  3. Use dead keys and AltGr to type accented characters.
Read full guide
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Quick searches:

Comprehensive Windows Alt Code Directory

Browse complete, verified Alt codes organized by functional category. Includes leading-zero rules for modern Windows encoding.

The Leading Zero Rule: ANSI (Windows-1252) vs OEM (Code Page 437)

In Windows, typing an Alt code with a leading zero (e.g. Alt + 0169) references the Windows-1252 (ANSI) character set, producing ©. Typing without the leading zero (e.g. Alt + 169) invokes the legacy MS-DOS Code Page 437 (OEM) character set, which maps to ®. For modern applications, web browsers, and word processors, always use the 4-digit code with the leading zero.

Currency Symbols

Euro, Pound, Yen, Cent, and global currency sign shortcuts.

Symbol Name & Meaning Alt Code Sequence Codepoint Action
£ Pound Sign
Hold Alt and type zero one six three on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 6 3
U+00A3
€ Euro Sign
Hold Alt and type zero one two eight on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 2 8
U+20AC
¥ Yen Sign
Hold Alt and type zero one six five on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 6 5
U+00A5
₿ Bitcoin Sign
Type two zero B F and press Alt plus X in Word, or pick via Win + .
2 0 B F Alt X
U+20BF
¢ Cent Sign
Hold Alt and type zero one six two on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 6 2
U+00A2

Punctuation & Typography

Em dashes, en dashes, bullets, smart quotes, and ellipses.

Symbol Name & Meaning Alt Code Sequence Codepoint Action
• Bullet
Hold Alt and type zero one four nine on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 4 9
U+2022
Pilcrow Sign
Hold Alt and type zero one eight two on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 8 2
U+00B6
– En Dash
Hold Alt and type zero one five zero on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 5 0
U+2013
— Em Dash
Hold Alt and type zero one five one on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 5 1
U+2014
𝄞 Musical Symbol G Clef
Type one D one one E and press Alt plus X in Word, or copy directly.
1 D 1 1 E Alt X
U+1D11E
… Horizontal Ellipsis
Hold Alt and type zero one three three on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 3 3
U+2026
“ Left Double Quotation Mark
Hold Alt and type zero one four seven on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 4 7
U+201C
” Right Double Quotation Mark
Hold Alt and type zero one four eight on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 4 8
U+201D

Math & Science

Degree, plus-minus, square root, division, and infinity signs.

Symbol Name & Meaning Alt Code Sequence Codepoint Action
° Degree Sign
Hold Alt and type zero one seven six on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 7 6
U+00B0
± Plus-Minus Sign
Hold Alt and type zero one seven seven on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 7 7
U+00B1
÷ Division Sign
Hold Alt and type zero two four seven on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 2 4 7
U+00F7
√ Square Root
Hold Alt and type two five one on the numeric keypad.
Alt 2 5 1
U+221A
∞ Infinity
Hold Alt and type two three six on the numeric keypad.
Alt 2 3 6
U+221E
× Multiplication Sign
Hold Alt and type zero two one five on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 2 1 5
U+00D7
≠ Not Equal To
Type two two six zero and press Alt plus X in Word, or pick via Win + .
2 2 6 0 Alt X
U+2260

Accented Letters

Common accented Latin vowels and letters (acute, tilde, umlaut, grave).

Symbol Name & Meaning Alt Code Sequence Codepoint Action
é Latin Small Letter E with Acute
Hold Alt and type zero two three three on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 2 3 3
U+00E9
ñ Latin Small Letter N with Tilde
Hold Alt and type zero two four one on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 2 4 1
U+00F1
ü Latin Small Letter U with Diaeresis
Hold Alt and type zero two five two on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 2 5 2
U+00FC
¿ Inverted Question Mark
Hold Alt and type zero one nine one on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 9 1
U+00BF
¡ Inverted Exclamation Mark
Hold Alt and type zero one six one on the numeric keypad.
Alt 0 1 6 1
U+00A1
Modern Windows 10 & 11 Method

The Windows Emoji & Symbol Panel (Win + .)

The fastest, most reliable way to insert special characters, math symbols, and foreign currency on laptops without a numeric keypad.

Step-by-Step Instructions

  1. Place your text cursor: Click into any text field, word processor, web browser, or chat window where you want the character to appear.
  2. Press the shortcut: Hold down the Windows Key and press . (Period) or ; (Semicolon).
  3. Switch to the Symbols Tab: Click the Symbols icon (Ω) at the top or bottom navigation bar of the pop-up panel.
  4. Pick your category or type to search: Select from General Punctuation, Currency, Latin Symbols, Geometric, or Math Symbols. Alternatively, simply start typing the symbol name (e.g. type "degree" or "euro") to filter instantly.
  5. Insert and close: Click your symbol to insert it. Press Esc to dismiss the panel.
Pro-Tip: The panel remembers your most recently used symbols in the clock tab (Most Recently Used), so frequent characters like ©, °, or € are 1 click away next time.
Windows Symbol Panel Preview
😀 Emoji ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Kaomoji Ω Symbols
General Punctuation Currency Latin Math
– — • © ® ™ ° ± € £ ¥ ¢ § ∞ ÷
Win + . Works anywhere in Windows 10 & 11
Microsoft 365 & Word Specific

Microsoft Word Unicode Input: Alt + X & Accent Chords

Fast hexadecimal conversion and native two-step chord shortcuts built into Microsoft Word, WordPad, and Outlook.

Application Scope Boundary

Important: The Alt + X shortcut is an application-level feature of Microsoft Word, WordPad, and Microsoft Outlook. It does not function in web browsers (Chrome, Edge), Windows Notepad, code editors (VS Code), or Excel cells. For system-wide input, use Alt codes or the Win + . panel.

How the Alt + X Toggle Works

Every Unicode character has a hexadecimal value. In Microsoft Word, you can type any character's hex code and immediately convert it:

  1. Type the hexadecimal codepoint without the "U+" prefix (for example, type 20AC for Euro, or 00A9 for Copyright).
  2. With your cursor directly behind the last digit, press Alt + X.
  3. Word instantly transforms the digits into the symbol (e.g. 20AC becomes €).
  4. Two-way toggle: If you position your cursor directly after any character and press Alt + X again, Word reveals the character's hex codepoint!

Common Alt + X Hex Sequences

Symbol Character Name Hex to Type Keystroke Action Codepoint Action
€ Euro Sign 20AC
20AC then Alt+X
U+20AC
∞ Infinity 221E
221E then Alt+X
U+221E
√ Square Root 221A
221A then Alt+X
U+221A
𝄞 Musical G Clef 1D11E
1D11E then Alt+X
U+1D11E
© Copyright Sign 00A9
00A9 then Alt+X
U+00A9
® Registered Sign 00AE
00AE then Alt+X
U+00AE
™ Trademark Sign 2122
2122 then Alt+X
U+2122
° Degree Sign 00B0
00B0 then Alt+X
U+00B0

Microsoft Word Native Accent Chords (Two-Step Shortcuts)

For international languages and accents, Word features two-step chords: press the modifier key and punctuation mark simultaneously, release them, then press the letter you want accented:

Accent Type Step 1: Shortcut Chord Step 2: Press Letter Resulting Characters
Acute (á, é, í, ó, ú)
Ctrl '
Letter (a, e, i, o, u) Ctrl + ' then e → é
Grave (à, è, ì, ò, ù)
Ctrl `
Letter (a, e, i, o, u) Ctrl + ` then a → à
Tilde (ã, õ, ñ)
Ctrl Shift ~
Letter (a, o, n) Ctrl + Shift + ~ then n → ñ
Diaeresis / Umlaut (ä, ë, ï, ö, ü)
Ctrl Shift :
Letter (a, e, i, o, u) Ctrl + Shift + : then u → ü
Circumflex (â, ê, î, ô, û)
Ctrl Shift ^
Letter (a, e, i, o, u) Ctrl + Shift + ^ then o → ô
Cedilla (ç, Ç)
Ctrl ,
c or C Ctrl + , then c → ç
Built-In Windows Utility

Using the Windows Character Map (charmap.exe)

Windows includes a visual character browser that displays every glyph installed on your system along with its corresponding Alt code.

How to Launch and Use Character Map

  1. Open Run Dialog: Press Win + R on your keyboard.
  2. Launch the tool: Type charmap and hit Enter (or search for "Character Map" in the Windows Start menu).
  3. Select Font: Choose your target font from the dropdown (e.g. Segoe UI, Arial, or Times New Roman).
  4. Enable Advanced View: Check the Advanced view checkbox at the bottom. Set "Group by" to Unicode Subrange to filter by Currency, Arrows, Math Operators, or Box Drawing.
  5. Find Keystroke / Alt Code: Click any character. The status bar in the bottom right corner displays its exact code (e.g. Keystroke: Alt+0176).
  6. Copy: Click Select, then click Copy to place the character on your clipboard.
Prefer a browser-based version? Try our modern web-based Character Map Tool with instant search, category filters, and zero installation required.
charmap.exe Quick Specs
  • Status: Built-in Windows system utility
  • Executable: C:\Windows\System32\charmap.exe
  • Compatibility: Windows 11, 10, 8, 7, Vista, XP
  • Key Advantage: Shows exact font-specific glyph rendering
  • Status Bar: Displays Alt code at bottom right
High-Efficiency Typing

The US-International Layout: Dead Keys & AltGr

If you frequently type French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, or accented European languages, the built-in US-International layout is dramatically faster than entering Alt codes.

How to Enable in Windows

Settings (Win + I) → Time & Language → Language & Region → English (Options) → Add a keyboard: United States-International

Once added, switch between standard and US-International layout at any time by pressing Win + Space.

1. Dead Key Combinations

Press the accent key first, release it, then press the target letter.

Dead Key Followed By Resulting Characters
' (Apostrophe) vowel or c á, é, í, ó, ú, ç
" (Shift + ') vowel ä, ë, ï, ö, ü
` (Grave) vowel à, è, ì, ò, ù
~ (Shift + `) a, o, n ã, õ, ñ
^ (Shift + 6) vowel â, ê, î, ô, û
To type standalone quotes: Press the quote key, then press the Spacebar.

2. Right Alt (AltGr) Instant Shortcuts

Hold the Right Alt key and press the specified key simultaneously.

Right Alt + Key Result Symbol Name
Right Alt + 5 € Euro Symbol
Right Alt + C © Copyright Sign
Right Alt + R ® Registered Sign
Right Alt + S ß German Eszett (Sharp S)
Right Alt + ? ¿ Inverted Question Mark
Right Alt + ! ¡ Inverted Exclamation
Diagnostic & Fix Guide

Why Aren't My Alt Codes Working? (Troubleshooting)

Resolve the most common issues preventing Alt codes and keyboard shortcuts from typing symbols in Windows.

Common Questions

Frequently Asked Questions About Windows Shortcuts

Practical answers to technical questions about Alt codes, character sets, and keyboard input across Windows versions.