Alt Utilities

Alt Codes

Complete reference of Windows Alt codes: special symbols, accented letters, currencies, math symbols, Greek letters and more. Copy any character with one click.

Char	Alt Code	Unicode	HTML	Description	Action

How to use Alt Codes on Windows

Make sure Num Lock is on.
Press and hold the Alt key.
Type the numeric code on the numeric keypad (numpad).
Release the Alt key.

Type a leading zero (Alt+0128) and Windows reads the number through Windows-1252 encoding. Drop the zero (Alt+128) and the old DOS OEM table takes over, which can hand you a different character.

Does it work on Mac and Linux?

Keep in mind that Alt codes only work on Windows. On macOS, the <kbd class="bg-gray-100 border border-gray-300 px-2 py-0.5 rounded text-sm font-mono">Option</kbd> key fills that role when paired with other keys (Option+2 gives you ™, for instance). Over on Linux/Ubuntu, press <kbd class="bg-gray-100 border border-gray-300 px-2 py-0.5 rounded text-sm font-mono">Ctrl+Shift+U</kbd> and then type the Unicode code in hexadecimal.

There is one shortcut that works everywhere: click a row in this table and the character lands on your clipboard, ready to paste wherever you need it.

Windows Alt codes gathered together

On Windows, holding the Alt key while you type a sequence on the numeric keypad spits out characters that aren't on display, like the degree sign, an uppercase "Ç" or the euro symbol. The annoying part is memorising them all. This reference gathers the most-used codes, sorted by type, with each number kept close by.

There are special symbols, accented letters, currencies, math signs, Greek letters and a good deal more, grouped so you find things fast. And when the keyboard won't allow the shortcut, one click copies the character so you can paste it wherever it's needed.

The reference runs entirely in the browser, with nothing to install. It suits both those who want to memorise the Alt codes and pick up speed and those who just need that one specific character right away.

Frequently asked questions

My laptop has no numeric keypad. How do I type these characters?

Alt codes need the numeric keypad with Num Lock on; the number row above the letters will not do it. Without a keypad, use the copy button in the table, the Windows Character Map (charmap) or, in Word, type the value from the Unicode column and press Alt+X. On macOS the system does not exist at all: special characters there come from the Option key instead.

What is the difference between Alt+0169 and Alt+169?

The leading zero switches which table Windows reads. With the zero, the number is looked up in code page 1252, the one that carries the accented Latin letters. Without it, the old DOS code page 437 answers instead and a different glyph appears: Alt+0169 gives the copyright sign, Alt+169 gives the reversed not sign. That is why the table always prints the full code, zero included when it matters.

Why do large codes such as Alt+8721 fail in Notepad?

Numbers above 255 do not come from the 8-bit code pages, so they only work in programs that accept Unicode input through Alt, which in practice means Word and WordPad. In Notepad and in browser fields the shortcut usually fails or returns a different symbol. There the dependable route is the copy button on any of the 227 rows, or Word with Alt+X.

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