Symbols

Copy the backslash \, or type it on Windows, Mac, iPhone and UK keyboards. Plus backslash vs forward slash, escape sequences, and its HTML and URL codes.

Copy the pi symbol π or type it: Alt+227 on Windows, Option+P on Mac. Plus π symbol vs the number, capital Π the product operator, the pi vs tau debate, and how many digits you really need.

Copy the underscore _, or type it on Windows and Mac (Shift+hyphen). Plus underscores vs hyphens in URLs, snake_case, the typewriter origin, and its HTML and URL codes.

Copy the squared symbol ² or type it: Alt+0178 on Windows, 00B2 then Alt+X in Word. Plus the ² character vs superscript formatting, why m² and m2 differ to a computer, and how to square in code.

Copy the @ sign, or type it on Windows (Shift+2), Mac, iPhone and UK keyboards. Plus what @ is called around the world, its history, and its HTML and URL codes.

The yen sign, ¥, is a letter Y with two strokes through it, and it does something no other currency symbol does: it stands for two currencies at once, the Japanese yen and the Chinese yuan. It also has a strange habit of showing up where a backslash should be. If you just need the…

Copy the pipe | (vertical bar), or type it on Windows and Mac (Shift+backslash). Plus the command-line pipe, | vs ¦, code and regex uses, and its HTML and URL codes.

How to type a fraction symbol in Word: let 1/2 become ½ automatically, or use the equation editor for any fraction like 7/16. Plus why some fractions convert and others do not, and the Excel gotcha.

Keyboard shortcuts for symbols on Windows, Mac, Chromebook, and phones: © ™ € £ ° — • → ± and more. Plus the symbol picker, custom text-replacement shortcuts, and per-platform tables.

Copy the pound sign £, or type it on Windows (Alt 0163), Mac, iPhone and Word. Plus £ vs # (the other pound sign), the encoding fix, and HTML codes.