Do you want to know what the symbols on your keyboard actually stand for?
Do you want to know their proper names?
If you answered yes to any of these questions, then you’ve come to the right place.
In this blog post, we’ll cover the names of some of the most commonly used keyboard symbols.
The keyboard symbols are a crucial aspect of modern computing and are an essential tool for effectively communicating and expressing ideas.
From the humble period and comma to the more elaborate symbols like the at sign and the dollar sign, these symbols serve a variety of functions and play a vital role in the language of computing.
Keyboard Symbols
| Symbol | Name |
|---|---|
| ! | Exclamation mark |
| @ | At sign |
| # | Hash |
| $ | Dollar sign |
| % | Percent sign |
| ^ | Caret |
| & | Ampersand |
| * | Asterisk |
| ( | Left parenthesis |
| ) | Right parenthesis |
| - | Dash |
| _ | Underscore |
| + | Plus sign |
| = | Equal sign |
| { | Left brace |
| } | Right brace |
| [ | Left bracket |
| ] | Right bracket |
| \ | Backslash |
| ` | ` |
| : | Colon |
| ; | Semicolon |
| " | Double quote |
| ' | Single quote |
| , | Comma |
| . | Period |
| < | Less than sign |
| > | Greater than sign |
| / | Forward slash |
| ? | Question mark |
| ~ | Tilde |
| `` ` | Grave accent |
The most commonly used keyboard symbols include the following:
- The period (.) – This symbol is used to indicate the end of a sentence and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The comma (,) – This symbol is used to separate items in a list and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The exclamation mark (!) – This symbol is used to indicate excitement or emphasis in a sentence and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The question mark (?) – This symbol is used to indicate a question and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The apostrophe (‘) – This symbol is used to indicate possession or to indicate a contraction and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The quotation mark (“) – This symbol is used to indicate a direct quotation and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The colon (:) – This symbol is used to introduce a list or to indicate a pause in a sentence and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The semicolon (;) – This symbol is used to separate clauses or phrases in a sentence and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The slash (/) – This symbol is used to indicate a division or to indicate the end of a line of poetry and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The at sign (@) – This symbol is used in email addresses and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The pound sign (#) – This symbol is used to indicate a number or to indicate a hashtag and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The dollar sign ($) – This symbol is used to indicate a currency and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The percent sign (%) – This symbol is used to indicate a percentage and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The ampersand (&) – This symbol is used to indicate a conjunction and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The asterisk (*) – This symbol is used to indicate a footnote or to indicate an asterisk and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The plus sign (+) – This symbol is used to indicate addition and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The minus sign (-) – This symbol is used to indicate subtraction and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The equal sign (=) – This symbol is used to indicate equality and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The greater than sign (>) – This symbol is used to indicate that one value is greater than another and is a crucial element in written communication.
- The less than sign (<) – This symbol is used to indicate that one value is less than another and is a crucial element in written communication.
Symbols with Windows and MAC shortcut
| Symbol | Name | Windows Key | Mac Key |
|---|---|---|---|
| ! | Exclamation mark | Alt + 0161 | Option + 1 |
| @ | At sign | Shift + 2 | Option + 2 |
| # | Hash | Shift + 3 | Option + 3 |
| $ | Dollar sign | Shift + 4 | Shift + 4 |
| % | Percent sign | Shift + 5 | Shift + 5 |
| ^ | Caret | Shift + 6 | Shift + 6 |
| & | Ampersand | Shift + 7 | Shift + 7 |
| * | Asterisk | Shift + 8 | Shift + 8 |
| ( | Left parenthesis | Shift + 9 | Shift + 9 |
| ) | Right parenthesis | Shift + 0 | Shift + 0 |
| - | Dash | Minus | Minus |
| _ | Underscore | Shift + Minus | Shift + Minus |
| + | Plus sign | Equal | Equal |
| = | Equal sign | Equal | Equal |
| { | Left brace | Shift + [ | Shift + [ |
| } | Right brace | Shift + ] | Shift + ] |
| [ | Left bracket | Shift + [ | Shift + [ |
| ] | Right bracket | Shift + ] | Shift + ] |
| \ | Backslash | Backslash | Backslash |
| ` | ` | Vertical bar | Shift + \ |
| : | Colon | Shift + ; | Shift + ; |
| ; | Semicolon | Shift + ; | Shift + ; |
| " | Double quote | Shift + ' | Shift + " |
Modifier Keys for Windows and MAC [Shortcuts]
| Symbol | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Bold | Ctrl + B | Cmd + B |
| Italic | Ctrl + I | Cmd + I |
| Underline | Ctrl + U | Cmd + U |
| Strikethrough | Ctrl + Shift + X | Cmd + Shift + X |
| Subscript | Ctrl + = | Cmd + Shift + + |
| Superscript | Ctrl + Shift + + | Cmd + Shift + = |
| Align Left | Ctrl + L | Cmd + Shift + L |
| Align Center | Ctrl + E | Cmd + Shift + C |
| Align Right | Ctrl + R | Cmd + Shift + R |
| Bulleted List | Ctrl + Shift + L | Cmd + Shift + L |
| Numbered List | Ctrl + Shift + N | Cmd + Shift + N |
| Increase Indent | Ctrl + ] | Cmd + ] |
| Decrease Indent | Ctrl + [ | Cmd + [ |
| Font Size Up | Ctrl + Shift + > | Cmd + Shift + > |
| Font Size Down | Ctrl + Shift + < | Cmd + Shift + < |
| Font Color | Ctrl + Shift + C | Cmd + Shift + C |
| Highlight Color | Ctrl + Shift + H | Cmd + Shift + H |
| Clear Formatting | Ctrl + Shift + Z | Cmd + Shift + Z |