⌘ Mac Keyboard Symbols
Complete guide to typing special characters and symbols on Mac. Option key shortcuts, accent marks, and Character Viewer guide.
How to Type Symbols on Mac
- Hold the Option key (⌥) and press the indicated letter or number key.
- For shortcuts with ⇧, hold both Option and Shift, then press the key.
- For accented characters, press the dead key combination first (like ⌥+e), release, then type the letter to accent.
- Most shortcuts work in any application on macOS.
Using the Character Viewer
- Press ⌃+⌘+Space (Control+Command+Space) to open the Character Viewer.
- Or go to Edit > Emoji & Symbols in the menu bar.
- Search for any character by name or browse by category.
- Click a character to insert it at your cursor position.
- Click the icon in the top-right corner to expand the full Character Viewer with more options.
Currency Symbols
| Shortcut | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ⌥+3 | £ | British Pound |
| ⌥+4 | ¢ | Cent sign |
| ⌥+y | ¥ | Yen sign |
| ⌥+⇧+2 | € | Euro sign |
| ⌥+⇧+9 | · | Middle dot |
Math Symbols
| Shortcut | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ⌥+⇧+= | ± | Plus-minus |
| ⌥+= | ≠ | Not equal |
| ⌥+, | ≤ | Less than or equal |
| ⌥+. | ≥ | Greater than or equal |
| ⌥+/ | ÷ | Division |
| ⌥+v | √ | Square root |
| ⌥+5 | ∞ | Infinity |
| ⌥+p | π | Pi |
| ⌥+w | ∑ | Summation |
| ⌥+x | ≈ | Approximately equal |
| ⌥+b | ∫ | Integral |
| ⌥+j | ∆ | Delta / Increment |
| ⌥+⇧+o | Ø | O with stroke / Empty set |
| ⌥+o | ø | o with stroke |
| ⌥+⇧+d | Î | I circumflex |
Accented Letters
| Shortcut | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ⌥+` then a | à | a grave |
| ⌥+e then e | é | e acute |
| ⌥+i then o | ô | o circumflex |
| ⌥+n then n | ñ | n tilde |
| ⌥+u then u | ü | u umlaut |
| ⌥+` then e | è | e grave |
| ⌥+e then a | á | a acute |
| ⌥+i then a | â | a circumflex |
| ⌥+u then o | ö | o umlaut |
Punctuation & Typography
| Shortcut | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ⌥+[ | “ | Left double quote |
| ⌥+⇧+[ | ” | Right double quote |
| ⌥+] | ‘ | Left single quote |
| ⌥+⇧+] | ’ | Right single quote |
| ⌥+\ | « | Left guillemet |
| ⌥+⇧+\ | » | Right guillemet |
| ⌥+- | – | En dash |
| ⌥+⇧+- | — | Em dash |
| ⌥+; | … | Ellipsis |
| ⌥+1 | ¡ | Inverted exclamation |
| ⌥+⇧+/ | ¿ | Inverted question mark |
Special Symbols
| Shortcut | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| ⌥+g | © | Copyright |
| ⌥+r | ® | Registered |
| ⌥+2 | ™ | Trademark |
| ⌥+⇧+8 | ° | Degree |
| ⌥+8 | • | Bullet |
| ⌥+6 | § | Section |
| ⌥+7 | ¶ | Pilcrow / Paragraph |
| ⌥+⇧+k | | Apple logo |
| ⌥+⇧+7 | ‡ | Double dagger |
| ⌥+t | † | Dagger |
Mac Modifier Key Symbols
| Shortcut | Character | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Reference only | ⌘ | Command key |
| Reference only | ⌥ | Option / Alt key |
| Reference only | ⇧ | Shift key |
| Reference only | ⌃ | Control key |
| Reference only | ↩ | Return key |
| Reference only | ⎋ | Escape key |
| Reference only | ⌫ | Delete key |
| Reference only | ⇥ | Tab key |
| Reference only | ␣ | Space key |
| Reference only | ⏏ | Eject key |
FAQ
How do I find the Option key on my Mac keyboard?
The Option key (⌥) is located between the Control and Command keys on both sides of the spacebar on most Mac keyboards. On some keyboards, it may also be labeled "Alt". The symbol ⌥ represents the Option key in Mac documentation and menus.
Why are some symbols not showing up when I type them?
Some Option key shortcuts may vary depending on your keyboard layout and input source. If you are using a non-US keyboard layout, the shortcuts may be different. You can check your current keyboard layout in System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources. Alternatively, use the Character Viewer (⌃+⌘+Space) which works with any keyboard layout.
How do I type emoji on Mac?
Press ⌃+⌘+Space (Control+Command+Space) to open the Emoji & Symbols panel. You can search for emoji by name, browse by category, or use the recently used section. You can also access it from the menu bar via Edit > Emoji & Symbols.
Can I customize keyboard shortcuts for symbols?
While you cannot change the built-in Option key shortcuts, you can create custom text replacements in System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements. For example, you could set up a shortcut where typing "copyr" automatically replaces with the copyright symbol. For more advanced customization, third-party apps like Karabiner-Elements can remap keys.