Alt Codes Finder
341 characters with their Windows Alt code, Mac route and HTML entity. 149 of these codes work on any Windows keyboard with a numeric keypad. The other 191 are numbers above 255, which Windows will not accept without a registry change: those are marked in the readout rather than printed as if they worked.
symbols
92 19 with a Windows shortcut that worksmath
75 20 with a Windows shortcut that worksaccents
43 43 with a Windows shortcut that worksgreek
35 15 with a Windows shortcut that workspunctuation
41 35 with a Windows shortcut that worksarrows
20 6 with a Windows shortcut that workscurrency
16 6 with a Windows shortcut that worksfractions
15 3 with a Windows shortcut that workslegal
4 4 with a Windows shortcut that worksWhich of these Alt codes actually work
Windows reads a numeric-keypad Alt sequence in three different ways, and only two of them are reachable on a machine you have not modified.
| Form | Example | Count here | Works as printed |
|---|---|---|---|
| Four digits led by a zero | Alt 0169 gives © | 149 between them | Yes, on any keyboard with a numeric keypad |
| A number under 256 | Alt 26 gives an arrow | see above | Yes, through the OEM code page |
| A number above 255 | Alt 8658 | 191 | No. Windows takes it modulo 256 and gives you a different character |
To reach an arbitrary character by number you have to switch on hex input first: set EnableHexNumpad to 1 under HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Control Panel\Input Method, sign out and back in, then hold Alt, press the + on the numeric keypad and type the hex codepoint.
Rather than print all 340 numbers as though they were equivalent, this page marks the difference. A wide compartment in the case above means the code beside it can be typed today. Everything else is copy and paste, which works everywhere.
Every character here is a Latin letter with a mark on it, which is why a dead key can reach them all without changing your keyboard. An alphabet that replaces the keyboard instead, Greek or Cyrillic, needs its own layout: the key maps are here.
Most Used Alt Codes
Click any symbol to copy it, or open its guide for the full set of shortcuts.
How to Use Alt Codes
An Alt code types a character that has no key. Hold the Alt key, type a number on the numeric keypad, then release Alt and the character appears. It works in almost every Windows application, from Notepad to Word to a browser text box.
The catch is the numeric keypad. The number row along the top of the keyboard does not work for this, which is why Alt codes appear broken on most laptops. Where there is no keypad, use the Mac shortcut, the HTML entity, or simply copy the character.
Three-digit and four-digit codes are not the same
Codes with a leading zero, such as Alt + 0169, read from Windows-1252. Codes without one, such as Alt + 169, read from Code Page 437, the original IBM PC character set. They produce different characters from the same digits: Alt + 0169 is the copyright sign, Alt + 169 is a reversed-not sign.
Use the four-digit form with the leading zero. It covers the accented letters, currency signs, quotation marks and dashes that people actually need, and it is what every code on this page uses.
Codes above 255 use a third mechanism again and depend on a registry setting being enabled, which is why some higher codes work on one machine and not another. Where a symbol has no dependable Alt code, this page says so rather than printing one that fails.
Categories explained
Symbols (92)
General symbols with Alt codes: legal marks, reference marks, technical signs and typographic characters.
Math (75)
Mathematical operators and relations with Windows Alt codes, from the basic plus-minus, multiplication and division signs through to comparison and set notation.
Accents (43)
Accented Latin letters with their four-digit Alt codes, covering French, Spanish, German, Portuguese, Italian and the Nordic languages.
Greek (35)
Greek letters with Alt codes, in upper and lower case, for mathematical and scientific notation.
Punctuation (41)
Dashes, quotation marks, the ellipsis, dagger, pilcrow and section sign, each with its Alt code, Mac shortcut and HTML entity.
Arrows (20)
Arrow characters with Alt codes, in the four cardinal directions plus double and combined forms.
Currency (16)
Currency signs with Alt codes: euro, pound, yen, cent, and the generic currency sign, plus the codepoints for the rest.
Fractions (15)
Precomposed fractions with Alt codes, including the halves, quarters and eighths present in Windows-1252.
Legal (4)
The copyright, registered trademark and trademark signs, plus the related legal and reference marks.
When an Alt code will not work
Alt codes in specific applications
Microsoft Word accepts Alt codes and adds a second method of its own: type the hexadecimal codepoint and press Alt+X, and Word converts the digits in place. Typing 20AC then Alt+X gives the euro sign. It works in reverse too, so putting the cursor after a character and pressing Alt+X shows you its codepoint.
Excel has no Alt+X. Alt codes themselves work while a cell is in edit mode, but the more reliable route in a formula is UNICHAR with the decimal codepoint: =UNICHAR(8364) returns the euro sign. UNICODE does the reverse and returns the number for a character.
Google Docs has neither Alt codes nor Alt+X, because it runs in a browser. Use Insert then Special characters, which has a search box and a draw-the-shape panel, or paste the character from this page.
In a browser text field the operating system handles the Alt code, so it behaves exactly as it would in Notepad. The exception is a page that intercepts Alt for its own shortcuts, in which case nothing is inserted.
Reading the Unicode codepoint
Every guide page here lists a codepoint in U+ form, such as U+20AC for the euro sign. That is the character's permanent identity in the Unicode Standard: unlike an Alt code it does not depend on your operating system, your keyboard, or which of the two code pages your machine reaches for.
It is also what the other input methods want. Linux takes it after Ctrl+Shift+U. Word takes the same digits before Alt+X. Most programming languages take it as an escape, written \u20AC or \N{EURO SIGN}. Where an Alt code fails or does not exist, the codepoint always works.
The number after U+ is hexadecimal, which is why it does not match the decimal Alt code. The euro sign is U+20AC in hex and 8364 in decimal, and Alt + 0128 is neither: 128 is its position in Windows-1252, a legacy 256-character set that predates Unicode.
References
The character sets these codes come from are documented here:
- Alt code — how the mechanism works
- Windows-1252 — the set behind the four-digit codes
- Code Page 437 — the set behind the three-digit codes
- Unicode Character Charts — the codepoints all of these map to
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does my Alt code do nothing?
Nine times out of ten you are typing on the number row rather than the numeric keypad, or Num Lock is off. Alt codes read the keypad only. If your keyboard has no keypad, the code cannot be entered at all and you should use the Mac shortcut, the HTML entity, or copy the character.
Do I need the leading zero?
Yes, and it changes the result rather than being ignored. Alt + 0169 gives the copyright sign from Windows-1252. Alt + 169 gives a different character entirely from Code Page 437. Every code on this page includes the zero.
Do Alt codes work on a Mac?
No. Mac has its own system built on the Option key, so the euro sign is Option+Shift+2 rather than Alt + 0128. Every entry here lists the Mac shortcut next to the Windows code.
How do I type these on Linux?
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type the hexadecimal codepoint, then press Enter or space. Each guide page on this site lists the codepoint in U+ form, which is exactly what that method wants.
What is the HTML column for?
It is the character entity for use in HTML source, such as © for the copyright sign. It matters when a page is not served as UTF-8, or when you want the source to stay readable in plain ASCII. In a UTF-8 document you can paste the character itself.
Why do some symbols say there is no Alt code?
Not every Unicode character has one. Alt codes address a 256-character set plus a less dependable extension; Unicode has over 149,000 characters. Where no reliable code exists we say so instead of printing one that will not work.
Can I use Alt codes in Word and Excel?
Yes, and Word adds a second method: type the hex codepoint and press Alt+X to convert it in place. Excel has no equivalent, so use the Alt code, paste the character, or use the UNICHAR function with the decimal codepoint.
Is there a full list of Alt codes?
This page is one: 312 symbols, each with its Windows code, Mac shortcut, HTML entity and Unicode codepoint. Filter by category or search by name, symbol or number.
Related Tools
1,164 symbols. 341 Windows alt codes. 424 accented characters. 102 characters are drawn by your own system emoji font.
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