How to type ^ on Windows
The circumflex accent symbol has no short Alt code. The quickest option is to copy it from the top of this page and paste it with Ctrl+V.
No numeric keypad?
Press Win+. to open the emoji panel, choose the Symbols tab (Ω) and search for "circumflex accent". Or open Character Map from the Start menu, find ^, click Select, then Copy.
How to type ^ on a Mac
There is no direct keyboard shortcut for ^ on a Mac.
For any symbol, the Character Viewer works: press Control+⌘+Space, type "circumflex accent" in the search box and double-click the result. It will be remembered under Frequently Used.
How to type ^ on iPhone and iPad
The iOS keyboard does not include ^, so the reliable way is to copy it from this page, then press and hold in any text field and tap Paste.
If you use it often, create a shortcut: open Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement, paste ^ in the Phrase field and type a short code such as ;circumflex in the Shortcut field. Typing that code will then insert ^ anywhere.
How to type ^ on Android
Copy the symbol from this page, then long-press in a text field and choose Paste. Gboard also keeps a clipboard history: tap the clipboard icon on the toolbar to paste it again later.
For a permanent shortcut, open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary, add ^ as the word and a short code as the shortcut.
How to type ^ in Microsoft Word
- Type the Unicode hex code 005E where you want the symbol.
- Press Alt+X. Word converts the code into ^.
This works on Windows in Word, Outlook and OneNote and needs no numeric keypad. You can also go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set the font to a Unicode font and type 005E in the Character code box. In Excel, the formula =UNICHAR(94) returns the symbol.
How to type ^ in Google Docs
Open Insert → Special characters, then either search for "circumflex accent" or draw the symbol in the sketch box. Click the result to insert it. In Google Sheets, use =CHAR(94).
^ in HTML, CSS and code
| Format | Code |
|---|---|
| HTML entity | ^ |
| HTML decimal | ^ |
| HTML hex | ^ |
CSS content | "\005E" |
| JavaScript | "\u005E" |
| Python | "\u005E" |
| URL encoded | %5E |
Because ^ is a standard Unicode character (U+005E), you can also paste it directly into any UTF-8 file. The escaped forms above are only needed when the file encoding is uncertain or the symbol must be entered on a keyboard without it.
Where the circumflex accent symbol is used
In math and programming, it marks exponents, as in 2^3 for 2 cubed. It also appears in text to show accented letters like ê in French, and in notation for control keys, like ^C for Ctrl+C. It is sometimes confused with the tilde (~), which has a wavier shape and different uses.
Frequently asked questions
What does the circumflex mean in math? +
It usually denotes exponentiation, so 2^3 means 2 raised to the power of 3, especially in plain text or code where superscripts aren't available.
Why is the circumflex used in programming? +
It represents exponentiation in some languages, bitwise XOR in others like C and Python, and is used in shorthand like ^C to mean the Control key plus a letter.
What is the Alt code for the circumflex accent symbol? +
The circumflex accent symbol has no short Alt code. Copy it from this page, or in Word type 005E and press Alt + X.
How do I type ^ on a Mac? +
There is no dedicated Mac shortcut for ^. Open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space, search for "circumflex accent", and double-click it. Or copy it from this page.
How do I type the circumflex accent symbol on iPhone or Android? +
Phone keyboards do not include ^ by default. Copy it from this page and paste it, or add it as a text replacement shortcut in Settings so you can type it with a short abbreviation.
What is the HTML code for ^? +
Use ^ in HTML. The numeric form ^ works too. In CSS use content: "\005E" and in JavaScript use "\u005E".