gizmobench

Special Characters

Find any of the 159,801 named characters in Unicode 17.0.0 by name, by code point such as U+00B6, or by pasting the character itself, browse them by general category or by script and symbol groups read from their names, and build a string one character at a time to copy. Unlike a grid of symbols, every character you add is listed with its code point, name and UTF-8 bytes, invisible ones such as a zero width space appear as a labelled box so you can see them before you copy, combining marks stay in the order you picked them, and the text can be copied as it is or as JavaScript, Python, HTML, CSS, URL, UTF-8 or UTF-16 escapes. Common symbols work straight away; the 2.2 MB names file loads from this site the first time you search or browse, and is checked against its pinned SHA-256 fingerprint before it is used.

searchcommon characters

Common characters are below. To search all 159,801 named characters, type above: the Unicode 17.0.0 names file, 2.2 MB, loads from this site when you do.

Favorites, 0 of 24, kept in this browser

Select a character and use Add to favorites to keep it here.

Symbols

Currency

Quotes and dashes

Arrows and math

Marks and shapes

Spaces and invisible characters

your text0 code points

Your text, with invisible characters labelled: Pick characters on the left, or type or paste below.

Or start from an example, added to your text as it is:

Selected
none yet
Code points
0 of 1,000
UTF-8
0 bytes
UTF-16
0 units
Unicode
17.0.0

Your text in other forms

  • JavaScriptstring literal, \u and \u{...}
    add characters to see this form
  • Pythonstring literal, \u and \U
    add characters to see this form
  • HTMLnumeric character references
    add characters to see this form
  • CSSstring, for content: and selectors
    add characters to see this form
  • URLpercent-encoded UTF-8
    add characters to see this form
  • Code pointsU+ notation
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  • UTF-8 byteshex, one byte each
    add characters to see this form
  • UTF-16 unitshex, surrogate pairs shown as two
    add characters to see this form
Source. Names, code points and categories: Unicode Character Database 17.0.0, UnicodeData.txt, a copy served from this site (2.2 MB) and checked against its SHA-256 fingerprint before use. Distributed under the Unicode License v3; see also the Unicode 17.0.0 release. Script groups are read from character names, not from Unicode's Script property.
Unicode License v3, full text
UNICODE LICENSE V3

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Files or Software, or (b) this copyright and permission notice appear in
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Common questions

How do I type special characters that are not on my keyboard?
Find the character here and copy it: type part of its name, such as pilcrow or arrow, type its code point, such as U+00B6, or click it in the grid of common symbols. It is added to your text, and Copy puts the exact characters on your clipboard to paste anywhere. This page does not list keyboard Alt codes, because they depend on your operating system, keyboard layout and app.
What is a Unicode code point?
A code point is the number Unicode gives a character, written U+ and hexadecimal digits: the pilcrow ¶ is U+00B6 and the G clef 𝄞 is U+1D11E. Here every character in your text is listed with its code point, its name from the Unicode Character Database 17.0.0 and the bytes it takes in UTF-8, and the whole text can be copied as code points, UTF-8 bytes, UTF-16 units or escapes for JavaScript, Python, HTML, CSS and URLs.
Why do I see an empty box instead of a character?
The box means the fonts on your device have no drawing for that character, not that the character is missing. The name, code point and bytes shown here come from Unicode's own data, and what you copy is the real character, so it shows up wherever a font that covers it is installed.
How do I copy an invisible character such as a zero width space?
Search for its name, for example zero width space, or pick it from Spaces and invisible characters in the common grid. Invisible characters, which include controls, format characters, every space except the ordinary one, line and paragraph separators and private-use code points, are shown as a dashed label such as [U+200B] so you can see where they are. The label is only on screen: Copy puts the character itself on the clipboard.
Can I delete half of a character above U+FFFF by mistake?
No. Characters above U+FFFF, such as U+1D11E MUSICAL SYMBOL G CLEF, take two UTF-16 units, and this tool keeps your text as a list of whole code points, so adding, removing and copying always handle both units together. Pasted text that already holds half of such a pair is refused, with the position named.
Does it change the characters I pick?
No. The text is copied exactly as the list shows it: e followed by U+0301 COMBINING ACUTE ACCENT stays two code points and is not merged into é, and two combining marks keep the order you added them in.
Where do the names come from, and are they up to date?
From UnicodeData.txt in the Unicode Character Database 17.0.0, a copy served from this site under the Unicode License v3, whose full text is on this page. It is a fixed snapshot: characters added in later Unicode versions are not in it, and a code point that is unassigned in 17.0.0 is reported as not assigned. Script groups are read from the start of each name, such as LATIN or GREEK, because Unicode's separate Script data is not part of the snapshot.
How many characters can I build and save?
Your text holds up to 1,000 code points and the favorites list up to 24 characters. Both stay in this browser's local storage, so they are still here when you come back, and nothing you type or pick is sent anywhere. Start over clears them.

Names, code points and categories come from the Unicode Character Database 17.0.0, served from this site under the Unicode License v3, and the text you copy holds exactly the code points listed, with characters above U+FFFF kept whole. How a character looks depends on the fonts on your device, so an empty box can mean a missing font rather than a missing character, and invisible characters are labelled because they cannot be seen. Keyboard Alt codes are not listed, since they differ by system and layout.