Trademark Symbol (™): How to Type, Copy, and Use It
The trademark symbol, ™, is the small raised TM you put after a brand name or logo to claim it as a trademark. It sits next to its cousins ® and ℠, and none of them are on a standard keyboard, so most people copy them or use a shortcut. This page has both, plus the part that really matters: when you’re allowed to use ™ versus ®, because getting that wrong can actually be against the law.
If you just need the mark, copy ™ (or ®, ℠, ©) from the grid below. If you want the shortcuts and the rules for using it, the sections below cover both.
In a hurry?
- Copy it: click ™ in the grid below.
- On Windows: hold Alt and type 0153.
- On a Mac: press Option + 2.
- In Word or many apps: type (tm) and autocorrect turns it into ™.
- In HTML: write ™ (or ™).
Table of Contents
Copy and paste the trademark symbol
The trademark mark and its relatives, with the codes you’re likely to need. Use the grid above to copy with one click; this table is the reference.
| Symbol | Name | Unicode | Windows | Mac | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ™ | trademark | U+2122 | Alt + 0153 | Option + 2 | ™ |
| ® | registered | U+00AE | Alt + 0174 | Option + R | ® |
| ℠ | service mark | U+2120 | Alt + 8480 | — | ℠ |
| © | copyright | U+00A9 | Alt + 0169 | Option + G | © |
None of these are on a standard keyboard, so each takes a shortcut, a code, or a copy. The sections below cover each device, then the rules that matter more than the typing.
How to type the trademark symbol on any device
The ™ isn’t on the keys, so here’s the quickest way to make one on each system.
Type ™ on Windows
Use the Alt code: turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type 0153 on the numeric keypad for ™. Faster in most apps: type (tm) and autocorrect turns it into ™. If that’s off, Windows + . opens the emoji panel — search “trademark.”
Type ™ on Mac
On a Mac, press Option + 2 for ™. It’s a single shortcut with no dead-key step. For ® it’s Option + R, so the two most-used marks are each one keystroke away; the service mark ℠ isn’t on a shortcut, so copy it from the grid above.
Type ™ on iPhone and Android
Open the emoji keyboard and search “trademark” to find ™ (and ® nearby). Many keyboards also convert (tm) as you type. On iPhone the marks are in the emoji symbols section; on Android they’re in the emoji picker or symbols keyboard.
Type ™ in Microsoft Word
The easy way: type (tm) and Word’s AutoCorrect turns it into ™ (the same trick gives (r) → ® and (c) → ©). You can also type 2122 then Alt + X, or use the Windows Alt code, Alt + 0153.
Type ™ on Linux
Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2122, then Enter. With a Compose key, Compose then t then m also makes ™.
Add ™ in HTML and CSS
In HTML, the mark is ™ or the numeric ™ (® is ®). In CSS, a ™ in a content value is the escaped code point \2122.
™ vs ®: which one you’re allowed to use
This is the distinction that most guides skip and that genuinely matters. ™ and ® are not interchangeable, and the difference is about registration, not style.
You can put ™ after any brand name or logo you’re claiming as a trademark, right now, with no paperwork — it simply announces “we treat this as our trademark.” The ® is different: it may only be used once the mark has been officially registered with a trademark office (in the US, the USPTO). Using ® on an unregistered mark is false marking and is illegal in many countries — it can even jeopardise a later registration. So the safe rule is simple: ™ before registration, ® only after.
| Mark | Use it when | Registration needed? |
|---|---|---|
| ™ | claiming an unregistered trademark | no |
| ® | the mark is officially registered | yes — required |
| ℠ | claiming a mark for a service | no |
So a startup uses ™ on its brand from day one, applies to register, and only switches to ® once registration is granted — often a year or more later.
℠, the service mark almost nobody uses
There’s a third symbol in this family that most people have never seen: the service mark ℠ (U+2120), a small raised SM. It does the same job as ™ but for a service rather than a physical product — a consultancy, a cleaning company, an app that’s really a service.
In practice, ™ has largely absorbed ℠: most businesses just use ™ for both goods and services, and it’s widely accepted. The service mark still exists and is technically the more precise choice for a pure service, but it’s rare enough that many keyboards and font pickers bury it. If you want to be exact, ℠ is there in the grid above; if you want to be understood, ™ is fine for services too.
Do you actually need to use the ™ symbol?
Like copyright, trademark protection doesn’t switch on because of the symbol. In many countries, including the US, you gain some rights simply by using a distinctive name in trade — so-called common-law trademark rights — and the ™ is a way of announcing that claim rather than creating it. You’re not legally required to display ™ at all.
So why bother? Because it’s a cheap, clear signal. A ™ tells competitors and customers that you consider the name your brand, which can deter others from adopting something similar and strengthens your position if a dispute arises. The ®, by contrast, is worth switching to as soon as you can, because a registered mark carries far stronger protections. Rules differ from country to country, so treat this as general information rather than legal advice, and check with a trademark attorney for anything that matters.
Where to put the ™ (placement and spacing)
The convention is tighter than people realise. The symbol goes immediately after the mark, in the upper-right, with no space before it: BrandName™, not BrandName ™. Because ™ is already a small raised character, you don’t need to add superscript formatting — the glyph is designed to sit high on the line by itself.
You also don’t have to stamp it on every appearance. The usual practice is to mark the first or most prominent use of the brand on a page — a heading, or the first mention in the body — and then drop it for the rest, which keeps the text readable. Over-marking every instance looks cluttered and isn’t required. And attach the symbol to the brand name itself, not to the generic product word after it (so Kleenex™ tissues, with the ™ on the brand).
™ in code and HTML
On the web, write the trademark mark as the entity ™ (or the numeric ™) rather than pasting the raw character, so it survives any encoding. Because ™ is already a raised, small glyph, you should not also wrap it in <sup> — doing so shrinks it twice and it ends up tiny.
In a URL, ™ is percent-encoded as %E2%84%A2, and in code the escape is \u2122. As always, if the mark shows up as â„¢ or a box, the page is being read in the wrong encoding — serve it as UTF-8 and it renders correctly.
Copy-paste HTML codes
Every code for the trademark family in one place. Click a cell and copy.
| Symbol | Named entity | Numeric entity | URL (percent) code |
|---|---|---|---|
| ™ | ™ | ™ | %E2%84%A2 |
| ® | ® | ® | %C2%AE |
| ℠ | — | ℠ | %E2%84%A0 |
| © | © | © | %C2%A9 |
In a CSS content value, use \2122 for ™. For the copyright side of things, see the [copyright symbol](/copyright-symbol/) guide, and for typing marks across platforms, the [keyboard shortcuts for symbols](/keyboard-shortcuts-for-symbols/) hub and the full [symbol Alt codes list](/symbol-alt-codes-list/).
Troubleshooting
My ™ shows as â„¢ or a box
That’s an encoding mismatch: the UTF-8 bytes for ™ are being read as an older encoding. Set the file, database, and page charset to UTF-8 and ™ displays correctly.
My ™ won’t turn into ™
Autocorrect is off or unsupported in that app. Turn on AutoCorrect in Word, or use Alt + 0153 on Windows, Option + 2 on a Mac, or copy ™ from the grid above.
My ™ looks tiny
You’ve probably wrapped the character in superscript on top of its already-raised design. Remove the <sup> or superscript formatting and use the plain ™ character.
FAQ
How do I type the trademark symbol?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0153. On a Mac, press Option + 2. In Word or many apps, type ™ and it becomes ™. In HTML, write ™. Or click ™ in the grid above.
What’s the difference between ™ and ®?
™ can be used on any mark you’re claiming as a trademark, with no registration. ® may only be used after the mark is officially registered, and using it on an unregistered mark is illegal in many countries. So: ™ before registration, ® after.
What is the ℠ symbol?
℠ is the service mark, the equivalent of ™ but for a service rather than a product. In practice most businesses just use ™ for both, and it’s widely accepted, but ℠ is the precise choice for a pure service.
Do I have to use the ™ symbol?
No. Trademark rights can arise from using a name in trade, and the symbol only announces the claim rather than creating it. Displaying ™ is optional but useful. This is general information, not legal advice.
Should I put a space before ™?
No. The symbol goes immediately after the mark with no space, in the upper right, as in BrandName™. You also don’t need to add superscript formatting, since the character is already raised and small.
