Have to type a copyright symbol ©, euro sign €, degree symbol °, or em dash —? Windows offers multiple ways to type special characters and symbols that don’t appear on your keyboard. Whether you need mathematical symbols, currency signs, punctuation marks, or accented letters, this guide covers every method for typing special characters on Windows.
From quick Alt code shortcuts to built-in character pickers, you’ll learn the fastest ways to access any special character you need.
Quick Methods Overview
Windows provides several ways to type special characters:
Alt Codes – Hold Alt and type a numeric code (fastest when memorized)
Character Map – Browse and copy any character (built into Windows)
Windows Key + Period – Emoji and symbol picker (Windows 10/11)
US International Keyboard – Type accent marks naturally
Touch Keyboard – On-screen keyboard with symbols
AutoCorrect – Create custom shortcuts in applications
Each method has its advantages. We’ll cover all of them so you can choose what works best for your workflow.
Method 1: Alt Codes (Fastest for Frequent Use)
Alt codes let you type special characters by holding Alt and typing a numeric sequence on your number pad.
How to Use Alt Codes
- Hold down the Alt key
- Type the numeric code on your number pad (not the top row numbers)
- Release Alt – the character appears
Important: Alt codes require a numeric keypad. Laptop users may need to enable Fn to access the embedded number pad.
Essential Special Characters Alt Codes
Currency Symbols:
- € (euro) = Alt + 0128
- £ (pound) = Alt + 0163
- ¥ (yen) = Alt + 0165
- ¢ (cent) = Alt + 0162
Copyright & Trademark:
- © (copyright) = Alt + 0169
- ® (registered) = Alt + 0174
- ™ (trademark) = Alt + 0153
Mathematical Symbols:
- ° (degree) = Alt + 0176
- ± (plus-minus) = Alt + 0177
- ÷ (division) = Alt + 0247
- × (multiplication) = Alt + 0215
- ² (squared) = Alt + 0178
- ³ (cubed) = Alt + 0179
- ½ (one half) = Alt + 0189
- ¼ (one quarter) = Alt + 0188
- ¾ (three quarters) = Alt + 0190
Punctuation:
- – (en dash) = Alt + 0150
- — (em dash) = Alt + 0151
- … (ellipsis) = Alt + 0133
- « (left guillemet) = Alt + 0171
- » (right guillemet) = Alt + 0187
- • (bullet) = Alt + 0149
- § (section) = Alt + 0167
- ¶ (paragraph) = Alt + 0182
Accented Letters:
- é = Alt + 130
- á = Alt + 160
- ñ = Alt + 164
- ü = Alt + 129
For a complete list of accented characters, see our Alt Codes reference chart.
Alt Codes Tips
NumLock must be on – Verify your number pad is active
Use the number pad only – Top row numbers don’t work
Leading zeros matter – Alt + 0169 is different from Alt + 169
Create a cheat sheet – Keep frequently used codes handy
Method 2: Windows Character Picker (Emoji Picker)
Windows 10 and 11 include a built-in character picker that’s incredibly convenient.
How to Use It
- Press Windows key + Period (.) or Windows key + Semicolon (;)
- A popup appears with emojis and symbols
- Click the Ω (Omega) icon at the top to access symbols
- Browse categories or search for what you need
- Click the character to insert it
What’s Available
The character picker includes:
- Currency symbols (€, £, ¥, ₹)
- Mathematical symbols (°, ±, ×, ÷, ≈, ≠)
- Punctuation (—, –, …, «, »)
- Arrows (→, ←, ↑, ↓, ⇒)
- Common symbols (©, ®, ™, §, ¶)
- Latin letters with accents
- Greek letters (α, β, γ, π, Σ)
- Technical symbols
Advantages:
- Visual browsing – see what’s available
- No codes to memorize
- Works in any application
- Quick search function
Limitations:
- Requires Windows 10 or newer
- Not as fast as Alt codes once you know them
- Limited character selection compared to Character Map
Method 3: Character Map (Complete Access)
Character Map is Windows’ comprehensive special character tool, available in all Windows versions.
How to Access Character Map
Method 1: Search
- Press Windows key
- Type “Character Map”
- Click the app to open
Method 2: Run Command
- Press Windows + R
- Type
charmap - Press Enter
Using Character Map
- Browse or search for the character you need
- Click the character to select it
- Click “Select” to add it to the “Characters to copy” field
- Click “Copy”
- Paste (Ctrl + V) into your document
Advanced Character Map Features
Font selection:
Different fonts contain different characters. Try Arial Unicode MS or Segoe UI Symbol for maximum character availability.
Advanced view:
Check “Advanced view” to search by:
- Character name
- Unicode value
- Unicode subset (grouping similar characters)
Character details:
Hover over any character to see its Unicode name and value.
What Character Map Offers
Character Map provides access to:
- Every character in any installed font
- Thousands of symbols and special characters
- Multiple languages and scripts
- Mathematical and technical notation
- Dingbats and decorative characters
- Historical and rare symbols
Method 4: US International Keyboard
The US International keyboard layout makes typing accents and special characters much easier without memorizing codes.
Setting It Up
- Settings → Time & Language → Language
- Add a keyboard → US International
- Switch keyboards with Windows + Spacebar
How It Works
Type an accent key followed by a letter:
Acute accent (´):
Apostrophe (‘) + letter = á, é, í, ó, ú
**Grave accent ():** Backtick () + letter = à, è, ì, ò, ù
Circumflex (^):
Shift + 6 (^) + letter = â, ê, î, ô, û
Tilde (~):
Shift + ` (~) + letter = ã, ñ, õ
Umlaut (¨):
Shift + ‘ (“) + letter = ä, ë, ï, ö, ü
Advantages:
- More intuitive than Alt codes
- No number pad required
- Works on laptops easily
- Natural typing flow once learned
Considerations:
- Takes getting used to
- Some common keys behave differently
- Must switch between keyboards
Method 5: Touch Keyboard (On-Screen Keyboard)
Windows includes an on-screen keyboard with special character access.
Enabling Touch Keyboard
- Right-click the taskbar
- Select “Show touch keyboard button”
- Click the keyboard icon in the system tray
Or press Windows + Ctrl + O
Accessing Special Characters
- Open the touch keyboard
- Look for &123 or Ω button
- Browse symbols and special characters
- Click to insert
Benefits:
- Visual interface
- No codes to remember
- Good for occasional use
- Accessible for tablets
Method 6: AutoCorrect and Text Replacement
Create custom shortcuts that automatically expand to special characters.
Microsoft Word AutoCorrect
- File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options
- Add entries:
- Replace:
(c)→ With:© - Replace:
(r)→ With:® - Replace:
(tm)→ With:™
- Replace:
- Click Add for each entry
Windows Text Replacement
For system-wide shortcuts:
- Settings → Time & Language → Typing
- Hardware keyboard → Text replacement
- Create shortcuts that work everywhere
Example shortcuts:
- Type
deg→ automatically becomes° - Type
euro→ automatically becomes€ - Type
arrow→ automatically becomes→
Common Special Characters and Their Uses
Currency Symbols
€ (Euro) – European currency
Used in: Financial documents, pricing, European business
£ (Pound Sterling) – British currency
Used in: UK business, financial reports, pricing
¥ (Yen) – Japanese/Chinese currency
Used in: Asian business, financial documents
¢ (Cent) – Fraction of dollar
Used in: Pricing, financial notation
Mathematical Symbols
° (Degree) – Temperature, angles
Used in: Weather, geometry, cooking, science
± (Plus-Minus) – Tolerance, variance
Used in: Statistics, measurements, engineering
× (Multiplication) – Better than “x” for math
Used in: Equations, dimensions (8×10 photo)
÷ (Division) – Division operations
Used in: Mathematical expressions
² ³ (Superscripts) – Exponents
Used in: Area (m²), volume (ft³), mathematical notation
Punctuation and Typography
— (Em Dash) – Long dash for breaks in thought
Used in: Professional writing, publishing
– (En Dash) – Range indicator
Used in: Date ranges (2020–2025), page numbers (pp. 45–67)
… (Ellipsis) – Omission, trailing off
Used in: Quotes, dramatic pauses, trailing sentences
« » (Guillemets) – Quotation marks in some languages
Used in: French, Spanish, Portuguese, Italian typography
• (Bullet) – List marker
Used in: Lists, presentations, documents
Legal and Copyright
© (Copyright) – Copyright protection
Used in: Website footers, publications, creative works
® (Registered Trademark) – Registered trademark
Used in: Brand names, product names
™ (Trademark) – Unregistered trademark
Used in: Brand names, product names, services
§ (Section) – Legal sections
Used in: Legal documents, contracts, citations
Troubleshooting Common Issues
Alt Codes Not Working
NumLock is off:
Press NumLock key to enable number pad
Using wrong keys:
Use number pad only, not top row numbers
Laptop without number pad:
Enable Fn key + embedded number pad
Try four-digit codes:
Add leading zero (Alt + 0169 instead of Alt + 169)
Character Map Opens But Crashes
Update Windows:
Install latest Windows updates
Try different font:
Switch to Arial or Segoe UI
Run as administrator:
Right-click Character Map → Run as administrator
Characters Display as Boxes
Font doesn’t support character:
Switch to Arial Unicode MS, Segoe UI Symbol, or Cambria Math
Encoding issues:
Save document as UTF-8 encoding
Wrong Character Appears
Verify NumLock:
Make sure NumLock is on
Check Alt code:
Confirm you’re using the correct code
Font-specific codes:
Some Alt codes work differently in different fonts
Special Characters by Category
Arrows and Directions
→ (Alt + 26), ← (Alt + 27), ↑ (Alt + 24), ↓ (Alt + 25)
⇒ (Alt + 219), ⇐ (Alt + 220)
Greek Letters
α (Alt + 224), β (Alt + 225), γ (Alt + 226), δ (Alt + 235), π (Alt + 227), Σ (Alt + 228), Ω (Alt + 234)
Fractions
½ (Alt + 0189), ¼ (Alt + 0188), ¾ (Alt + 0190)
Card Suits
♠ (Alt + 6), ♣ (Alt + 5), ♥ (Alt + 3), ♦ (Alt + 4)
Musical Notes
♪ (Alt + 13), ♫ (Alt + 14)
Accented Letters
For complete accented character codes, see our specialized guides:
Platform-Specific Guides
Need special characters on other platforms?
Mac Users:
See our Mac keyboard shortcuts guide
iPhone/iPad:
See our iOS guide
Android:
See our Android guide
Chromebook:
See our Chromebook guide
Quick Reference
Top 20 Most-Used Special Characters
| Character | Alt Code | Common Use |
|---|---|---|
| © | Alt + 0169 | Copyright |
| ® | Alt + 0174 | Registered trademark |
| ™ | Alt + 0153 | Trademark |
| € | Alt + 0128 | Euro currency |
| £ | Alt + 0163 | Pound sterling |
| ° | Alt + 0176 | Degree |
| — | Alt + 0151 | Em dash |
| – | Alt + 0150 | En dash |
| … | Alt + 0133 | Ellipsis |
| • | Alt + 0149 | Bullet point |
| ± | Alt + 0177 | Plus-minus |
| ÷ | Alt + 0247 | Division |
| × | Alt + 0215 | Multiplication |
| ² | Alt + 0178 | Squared |
| ³ | Alt + 0179 | Cubed |
| ½ | Alt + 0189 | One half |
| ¼ | Alt + 0188 | One quarter |
| « | Alt + 0171 | Left guillemet |
| » | Alt + 0187 | Right guillemet |
| § | Alt + 0167 | Section mark |
For a printable reference of all Alt codes, see our Alt Codes Quick Reference Chart.
Tips for Faster Typing
Memorize your favorites:
Learn Alt codes for characters you use frequently
Create AutoCorrect entries:
Set up shortcuts in Word and other applications
Use keyboard shortcuts:
Windows + Period for quick symbol access
Keep a cheat sheet:
Print our Alt Codes chart and keep it nearby
Learn the US International keyboard:
Faster for frequent accent typing
Conclusion
Windows offers multiple ways to type special characters, from quick Alt code shortcuts to visual browsing with Character Map and the emoji picker. Choose the method that fits your workflow:
- Alt codes – Fastest for frequent users
- Windows + Period – Best for occasional use
- Character Map – Most comprehensive
- US International keyboard – Best for accents
- AutoCorrect – Best for repeated use
Master these methods and you’ll never struggle with special characters again. Whether you need copyright symbols for professional documents, mathematical notation for technical writing, or currency symbols for financial reports, Windows has you covered.
For more specific guidance, explore our complete typing guides: