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Other special characters

The following tables list other searchable special characters used in the OED.

Punctuation

Name Description Appearance
amp ampersand &
astm asterism (cluster of three asterisks) {astm}
at at-sign @
bigobl oversize slash {bigobl}
bslash backslash \
bullet bullet point {bullet}
cab closing angle bracket >
caret caret ^
cb closing brace }
cbigb closing oversize brace {cbigb}
cbigpren closing oversize parentheses {cbigpren}
cbigsb closing oversize square bracket {cbigsb}
cdsb closing double square bracket {cdsb}
cq closing single quotation mark ’
cqq closing double quotation marks ”
csb closing square bracket ]
dag dagger (obsolete status marker) {dag}
dd two-dot ellipsis {dd}
ddag double dagger {ddag}
ddd three-dot ellipsis {ddd}
deg degree sign {deg}
ditto ditto mark {ditto}
em em-dash {em}
emem double em-dash {emem}
en en-dash {en}
fatpara paragraph 6 {fatpara}
hash hash #
lhalfbr left square half-bracket {lhalfbr}
nfacu free-standing acute accent {nfacu}
nfasper free-standing asper accent {nfasper}
nfbreve free-standing breve accent {nfbreve}
nfced free-standing cedilla {nfced}
nfcirc free-standing circumflex {nfcirc}
nffrown free-standing rounded circumflex {nffrown}
nfgra free-standing grave accent {nfgra}
nfhacek free-standing hacek {nfhacek}
nfmac free-standing macron {nfmac}
nftilde free-standing tilde {nftilde}
nfuml free-standing umlaut {nfuml}
oab opening angle bracket <
ob opening brace {
obigb opening oversize brace {obigb}
obigpren opening oversize parentheses {obigpren}
obigsb opening oversize square bracket {obigsb}
odsb opening double square bracket {odsb}
oeamp Tironian et (Old English) {oeamp}
oq opening single quotation mark ‘
oqq opening double quotation marks “
osb opening square bracket [
p prime (feet, minutes of arc) {p}
page page sign {page}
para paragraph sign (erroneous status marker) {para}
para2 paragraph 2 {para2}
para3 paragraph 3 {para3}
para4 paragraph 4 {para4}
para5 paragraph 5 {para5}
pcnt per cent %
pmil per mille {pmil}
pp double prime (inches, seconds of arc) {pp}
ppp triple prime {ppp}
rdot raised dot {rdot}
revsc punctus elevatus {revsc}
rhalfbr right square half-bracket {rhalfbr}
sect section marker {sect}
thinqm narrow question mark {thinqm}
trli tramlines (alien status marker) {trli}
udexcl inverted exclamation mark {udexcl}
udqm inverted question mark {udqm}
vb vertical bar (‘pipe’) |

Alphabetic characters in some special typefaces

Name Description Appearance
blb black letter b {blb}
blC black letter C {blC}
blJ black letter J {blJ}
blU black letter U {blU}
bly black letter y {bly}
frakB Fraktur B {frakB}
frakE Fraktur E {frE}
frakF Fraktur F {frakF}
frakG Fraktur G {frakG}
frakg Fraktur g {frakg}
frakH Fraktur H {frakH}
frakh Fraktur h {frakh}
frakI Fraktur I {frakI}
frakK Fraktur K {frakK}
frakL Fraktur L {frL}
frakM Fraktur M {frakM}
frakP Fraktur P {frakP}
frakp Fraktur p {frakp}
frakR Fraktur R {frakR}
frakU Fraktur U {frakU}
frakX Fraktur X {frakX}
frakY Fraktur Y {frakY}
scrA script A {scrA}
scrb script b {scrb}
scrC script C {scrC}
scrD script D {scrD}
scrE script E {scrE}
scrF script F {scrF}
scrG script G {scrG}
scrh script h {scrh}
scrI script I {scrI}
scrJ script J {scrJ}
scrK script K {scrK}
scrL script L {scrL}
scrM script M {scrM}
scrQ script Q {scrQ}
scrR script R {scrR}
scrS script S {scrS}
scrT script T {scrT}
scrU script U {scrU}

Modified, stylized, and rotated single letters of the roman alphabet

Name Description Appearance
A Abarab upper-case A with bar above (palaeographic) {Abarab}
C cent cent sign ¢
cprt copyright symbol ©
revC inverted upper-case C (roman numerals) {revC}
D cursived cursive (curved) lower-case d {cursived}
E horizE horizontal upper-case E {horizE}
I dlessi dotless lower-case i {dlessi}
J dlessj1 dotless lower-case j, tailless {dlessj1}
dlessj2 dotless lower-case j, italic {dlessj2}
dlessj3 dotless lower-case j {dlessj3}
plantinJ upper-case J, Plantin italic {plantinJ}
L pstlg pound sign £
N Naira naira (barred N) {Naira}
P horizP horizontal upper-case P {horizP}
per per symbol {per}
R ragr ragged lower-case r, black letter {ragr}
recipe recipe symbol (apothecaries') {recipe}
reg registered trade mark ®
S dollar dollar sign $
horizS horizontal upper-case S {horizS}
longs long lower-case s {longs}
T horizT horizontal upper-case T {horizT}
Tbarab upper-case T with bar above
(palaeographic, representing 160,000)		 {Tbarab}
udT inverted upper-case T {udT}
U huncU half-uncial upper-case U {huncU}
uncU uncial upper-case U {uncU}
V italU lower-case v, enlarged, italic {italU}
versicle1 versicle (liturgical) {versicle1}
versicle2 versicle (liturgical) {versicle2}
Z hgz Old High German lower-case z {hgz}

Ligature digraphs

Name Description Appearance
Ae upper-case ae ligature digraph Æ
ae lower-case ae ligature digraph æ
Oe upper-case oe ligature digraph {Oe}
oe lower-case oe ligature digraph {oe}

Other modified and stylized groups of letters

Name Description Appearance
aonq lower-case q, superscript a {aonq}
ctlig ct ligature {ctlig}
eszett eszett (German double s) {eszett}
ffilig ffi ligature, roman {ffilig}
ffllig ffl ligature, roman {ffllig}
fllig fl ligature, roman {fllig}
ifflig ff ligature, italic {ifflig}
ifilig fi ligature, italic {ifilig}
istlig long s + t ligature, italic {istlig}
lbbar lb with bar {lbbar}
llswing double l with ligature {llswing}
nono lower-case o, superscript n {nono}
stlig long s + t ligature, roman {stlig}
ye lower-case y, superscript e {ye}
yt lower-case y, superscript t {yt}

Phonetic symbols

Name Description Appearance
aepr low front vowel æ
aclick apical alveolar click !
ccedpr voiceless palatal fricative ç
dclick dental click {dclick}
edhpr voiced dental fricative ð
fata low back vowel {fata}
fatatilde nasal low back vowel {fatatilde}
glots glottal plosive {glots}
lclick lateral click {lclick}
lm length mark (indicates a long vowel) {lm}
msyllab syllabic m (m with syllabicity diacritic) {msyllab}
ng voiced velar nasal {ng}
obarpr high-mid front rounded vowel ø
oepr low-mid front rounded vowel {oepr}
oetilde nasal low-mid front rounded vowel {oetilde}
ope low-mid front vowel {ope}
opetilde nasal low-mid front vowel {opetilde}
pall voiced palatal lateral approximant {pall}
paln voiced palatal nasal {paln}
pharyng pharyngeal fricative {pharyng}
reva unrounded back vowel
(In Murray's system)		 {reva}
revabreve reva with breve accent {revabreve}
revamac reva with macron accent {revamac}
revc mid-low back vowel {revc}
revctilde nasal mid-low back vowel {revctilde}
revope half close central vowel {revope}
revr voiced alveolar frictionless continuant {revr}
revrmac inverted r with macron above {revrmac}
revv unrounded back vowel {revv}
revvmac inverted v with macron above {revvmac}
revvtilde nasal unrounded back vowel (inverted v with tilde above) {revvtilde}
rfa low back rounded vowel {rfa}
rglots reversed glottal plosive symbol {rglots}
rsyllab syllabic r (r with syllabicity diacritic) {rsyllab}
rvow raised vowel marker {rvow}
schwa schwa, neutral vowel {schwa}
schwaacu schwa with acute accent {schwaacu}
schwabreve schwa with breve accent {schwabreve}
schwafrbl schwa with rounded circumflex below {schwafrbl}
schwamac schwa with macron above {schwamac}
schwatilde nasal schwa (inverted e with tilde above) {schwatilde}
sh voiceless palato-alveolar fricative {sh}
shti open high front vowel {shti}
shtu open high back vowel {shtu}
sm (or smpr) primary stress mark {sm}
smm (or smmpr) secondary stress mark {smm}
smR uvular r R
smY open high front rounded vowel Y
uda low-mid central vowel {uda}
udatilde nasal low-mid central vowel (inverted a with tilde above) {udatilde}
udh voiced rounded palatal approximant {udh}
udw breathed w {udw}
vdftheta voiced dental fricative {vdftheta}
vpal voiced palatal plosive {vpal}
vlf voiceless lateral fricative {vlf}
vvf voiced velar fricative {vvf}
zh voiced palatal fricative {zh}

Other philological symbols

Name Description Appearance
ayin ‘ain (in Semitic phonetic transcriptions; untranscribed version is #arain#) {ayin}
ayinold alternative ‘ain symbol {ayinold}
Bantuo upper-case omega-like vowel alternative (in African languages) {Bantuo}
bantuo lower-case omega-like vowel alternative (in African languages) {bantuo}
burman Burmese stop {burman}
click click consonant {click}
egy3 Egyptian aleph (transcription) {egy3}
egyasper Egyptian ayin (transcription) {egyasper}
hamza hamza {hamza}
invpri inverted prime {invpri}
kra kra (Greenlandic) {kra}
mbwvow Visible Speech, mid-back-wide-vowel {mbwvow}
ohgcirc Old High German, free-standing circumflex {ohgcirc}
ormg velar g symbol (Ormulum) {ormg}
syllab NED symbol for syllable division {syllab}
tcomma `turned comma' (in non-Semitic phonetic transcriptions) ‘

Etymological symbols

Name Description Appearance
from `from' sign <
goesto `goes to' sign >

Numeric symbols

Name Description Appearance
half fraction: 1/2 {half}
oneon3 fraction: 1/3 {oneon3}
sixon2 musical: 6/2 time signature {sixon2}
sixon4 musical: 6/4 time signature {sixon4}
sixon8 musical: 6/8 time signature {sixon8}
threeon16 fraction: 3/16 {threeon16}
threeon2 musical: 3/2 time signature {threeon2}
threeon4 musical: 3/4 time signature {threeon4}
threeon8 musical: 3/8 time signature {threeon8}
two2n two to the two to the n {two2n}
twoon4 musical: 2/4 time signature {twoon4}
twothird fraction: 2/3 {twothird}

Mathematical and logical symbols

Name Description Appearance
aleph aleph {aleph}
appreq approximately equal to {appreq}
assert assertion sign {assert}
circle circle {circle}
circplus circled plus sign {circplus}
circtimes circled times sign {circtimes}
congr congruent to (equals sign with swung dash above) {congr}
Csub is a subset of or equal to {Csub}
dblgt much greater than {dblgt}
dbllt much less than {dbllt}
decr decreases (downward-pointing arrow) {decr}
div division operator ÷
elem is an element of {elem}
ergo therefore {ergo}
expon exponentiation operator (upward-pointing arrow) {expon}
fac factorial symbol (L-shaped) {fac}
fact factorial symbol (L-shaped, large) {fact}
ge greater than or equal to {ge}
gt greater than >
ident identical to {ident}
implies implies {implies}
infin infinity symbol {infin}
Integ integral symbol (large) {Integ}
integ integral symbol {integ}
intsec intersection {intsec}
intset set of integers (Z) {intset}
lambdabar lower-case Greek letter lambda with bar {lambdabar}
lar left-pointing arrow {lar}
le less than or equal to {le}
lhshoe contains as a subset {lhshoe}
logicand logical ‘and’ {logicand}
logicor logical ‘or’ {logicor}
lrar double-headed arrow {lrar}
lt less than <
ltappr less than about {ltappr}
ltflat less than (with flat base) {ltflat}
ltlt much less than {ltlt}
min minus sign -
minpl minus or plus {minpl}
multimap multimap {multimap}
neq not equal to {neq}
not logical ‘not’ {not}
notelem is not an element of {notelem}
pa partial derivative symbol {pa}
pm plus or minus ±
precedes precedes {precedes}
prop proportional to {prop}
rar right-pointing arrow {rar}
rarlbar right-pointing arrow with bar at left {rarlbar}
real set of real numbers (R) {real}
rhshoe is a subset of {rhshoe}
semE there exists (reversed E) {semE}
sidetri sideways-pointing triangle {sidetri}
since since {since}
slge greater than or equal to {slge}
slle less than or equal to {slle}
sqrt square root symbol {sqrt}
Summ summation symbol {Summ}
supgt superior ‘greater than’ symbol {supgt}
suplt superior ‘less than’ symbol {suplt}
swing of the order of {swing}
times multiplication operator {times}
tri triangle {tri}
trli double vertical bar {trli}
udA for all (inverted A) {udA}
udtr inverted triangle {udtr}
union union {union}
vb vertical bar {vb}
vinc vinculum {vinc}
wavyeq almost equal {wavyeq}

Chemical symbols

Name Description Appearance
b1 single bond {b1}
b2 double bond {b2}
b3 triple bond {b3}
bbc1 bottom centre single vertical bond {bbc1}
bbc2 bottom centre double vertical bond {bbc2}
bbl1 bottom left single diagonal bond {bbl1}
bbr1 bottom right single diagonal bond {bbr1}
bbr2 bottom right double diagonal bond {bbr2}
btc1 top centre single vertical bond {btc1}
btc2 top centre double vertical bond {btc2}
btl1 top left single diagonal bond {btl1}
btr1 top right single diagonal bond {btr1}
btr2 top right double diagonal bond {btr2}
Car C with curved arrow above {Car}
equil equilibrium {equil}
Nplus N with plus sign above {Nplus}
vddd triple bond (vertical row of dots) {vddd}

Astronomical and astrological symbols

Name Description Appearance
aquar Aquarius {aquar}
aries Aries {aries}
canc Cancer {canc}
capr Capricorn {capr}
circle full moon {circle}
conj conjunction {conj}
descnode descending node {descnode}
earth Earth {earth}
female Venus (female symbol) {female}
jup Jupiter {jup}
leo Leo (ascending node) {leo}
libra Libra {libra}
male Mars (male symbol) {male}
merc Mercury {merc}
moonfq moon's first quarter {moonfq}
moonlq moon's last quarter {moonlq}
opp opposition {opp}
pisces Pisces {pisces}
sagit Sagittarius {sagit}
saturn Saturn {saturn}
scorpio Scorpio {scorpio}
star fixed star {star}
sun sun {sun}
taur Taurus {taur}
virgo Virgo {virgo}

Other scientific symbols

Name Description Appearance
bra bra vector symbol <|
female female symbol (Venus) {female}
male male symbol (Mars) {male}
planck Planck's constant/2{pi} (barred lower-case h) {planck}
scitilde tilde ~

Musical symbols

Name Description Appearance
albrtime allabreve time {albrtime}
comtime common time {comtime}
crotchet crotchet {crotchet}
duplong1 duplex long 1 {duplong1}
duplong2 duplex long 2 {duplong2}
flat flat {flat}
longmord long mordent {longmord}
minim minim {minim}
mord short mordent {mord}
mostra mostra {mostra}
natural natural {natural}
oldsemibr1 older 6-beat semibreve {oldsemibr1}
oldsemibr2 older 4-beat semibreve {oldsemibr2}
pauseo pause {pauseo}
pauseu pause (inverted) {pauseu}
quaver quaver {quaver}
repetn double repetition {repetn}
segno segno {segno}
semibr semibreve {semibr}
sharp sharp {sharp}
sqbreve breve {sqbreve}
sqquav square-headed quaver {sqquav}
squaver semiquaver {squaver}
tie tie {tie}

Various graphic symbols (including arrows)

Name Description Appearance
angle angle-iron symbol {angle}
ankh ankh symbol {ankh}
bcop1 burnt copper symbol 1 {bcop1}
bcop2 burnt copper symbol 2 {bcop2}
benchm benchmark symbol {benchm}
blozenge black lozenge {blozenge}
bsquare black square {bsquare}
btril black triangle, left-pointing {btril}
btrir black triangle, right-pointing {btrir}
bullet bullet point
car right-pointing arrow, curved up at left-hand end {car}
Chirho chi-rho monogram {Chirho}
circle circle {circle}
circledot circle with dot inside (sun symbol) {circledot}
cross Maltese cross {cross}
dblar double arrow (chemical equilibrium symbol) {dblar}
dele deletion mark {dele}
diam diamond (Cards) {diam}
drachm drachm symbol (apothecaries') {drachm}
fourd four-dot folio signature {fourd}
halft Heraldic cramponee symbol {halft}
heart heart (Cards) {heart}
horizb horizontal brace {horizb}
hypolem hypolemniscus {hypolem}
index pointing finger {index}
lar left-pointing arrow {lar}
lrar double-headed arrow {lrar}
nowy straight line with curve {nowy}
ounce ounce symbol (apothecaries') {ounce}
ovparen horizontal parenthesis (arch) {ovparen}
rar right-pointing arrow {rar}
rarlbar right-pointing arrow with bar at left {rarlbar}
recipe recipe symbol (apothecaries') {recipe}
scruple scruple symbol (apothecaries') {scruple}
shtlong1 short syllable mark above long syllable mark (Prosody) {shtlong1}
shtlong2 short syllable mark below long syllable mark (Prosody) {shtlong2}
shtsyll short syllable (Prosody) {shtsyll}
shtsyllmac short syllable mark below long syllable mark (Prosody) {shtsyllmac}
spade spade (Cards) {spade}
square square (open box) {square}
swast gammadion (inverted swastika) {swast}
tittle tittle {tittle}
Ubox upper-case U in box {Ubox}
udpsi inverted Greek psi {udpsi}

Non-roman alphabets

See also the separate list of Greek characters.

Arabic

Name Description Appearance
arain ‘ayn {arain}
arainfull ‘ayn standing alone {arainfull}
aralif ’alif {aralif}
arba b{amac}’ {arba}
arDadfull d.{amac}d standing alone {arDadfull}
ardal d{amac}l {ardal}
arHa h.{amac}’ {arHa}
arha h{amac}’ {arha}
arnun n{umac}n {arnun}
arnunfull n{umac}n standing alone {arnunfull}
arpa p{amac}’ (Urdu and Persian) {arpa}
arqoph q{amac}f {arqoph}
arshinfull sh{imac}n standing alone {arshinfull}
arTa t.{amac}’ {arTa}
arta t{amac}’ {arta}
artafull t{amac}’ standing alone {artafull}
artha th{amac}’ {artha}
arwaw w{amac}w {arwaw}
arya y{amac}’ standing alone {arya}
aryafull y{amac}’ {aryafull}
arzero zero {arzero}
ayindotab ghayn {ayindotab}
hamza hamza {hamza}
shadda shadda {shadda}

Cyrillic

Name Description Appearance
cyra a (lower-case) {cyra}
cyrd d (lower-case) {cyrd}
cyre e (lower-case) {cyre}
cyrhard yer (hard sign) {cyrhard}
cyrjat yat' {cyrjat}
cyrm m (lower-case) {cyrm}
cyrn n (lower-case) {cyrn}
cyrO O (upper-case) {cyrO}
cyrP P (upper-case) {cyrP}
cyrr r (lower-case) {cyrr}
cyrsoft yer' (soft sign) {cyrsoft}
cyrt t (lower-case) {cyrt}
cyry yer{ymac} (lower-case) {cyry}
Tse ts {Tse}

Devanagari

Name Description Appearance
devdh aspirated d {devdh}
devph aspirated p {devph}
devrfls retroflex s {devrfls}
devrt retroflex t {devrt}
devrth aspirated retroflex t {devrth}
devt t {devt}
devth aspirated t {devth}

Early Greek

Name Description Appearance
egchi chi {egchi}
eggamma1 gamma {eggamma1}
eggamma2 gamma {eggamma2}
egiota iota {egiota}
egkappa kappa {egkappa}
eglambda lambda {eglambda}
egmu1 mu {egmu1}
egmu2 mu {egmu2}
egnu1 nu {egnu1}
egnu2 nu {egnu2}
egpi1 pi {egpi1}
egpi2 pi {egpi2}
egpi3 pi {egpi3}
egrho1 rho {egrho1}
egrho2 rho {egrho2}
egsampi sampi {egsampi}
egsan san {egsan}
egsigma1 sigma {egsigma1}
egsigma2 sigma {egsigma2}
egxi1 xi {egxi1}
egxi2 xi {egxi2}
egxi3 xi {egxi3}

Early Latin and Etruscan

Name Description Appearance
cdot half Etruscan Theta {cdot}
echi Etruscan Chi {echi}
elatc1 early Latin C {elatc1}
elatc2 early Latin C {elatc2}
elatg1 early Latin G {elatg1}
elatg2 early Latin G {elatg2}
elatS early Latin S {elatS}
ol early Latin L (derived from Etruscan Chi) {ol}
om early Latin M {om}
otheta Etruscan Theta {otheta}

Glagolitic

Name Description Appearance
glagjat yat' {glagjat}
glagjeri yeri {glagjeri}
glagjeru yeru {glagjeru}

Hebrew

Name Description Appearance
hatpath hateph-pathah {hatpath}
hatqam hateph-qamets {hatqam}
hatseg hateph-segol {hatseg}
hebaleph aleph {hebaleph}
hebayin ‘ayin {hebayin}
hebbeth beth {hebbeth}
hebcheth h.eth {hebcheth}
hebdaleth daleth {hebdaleth}
hebgimel gimel {hebgimel}
hebhe he {hebhe}
hebkaph kaph {hebkaph}
heblamed lamedh {heblamed}
hebmem mem {hebmem}
hebnun nun {hebnun}
hebnunfin nun final {hebnunfin}
hebpe pe {hebpe}
hebpedag pe with dagesh {hebpedag}
hebqoph qoph {hebqoph}
hebresh resh {hebresh}
hebshin shin {hebshin}
hebtav taw {hebtav}
hebteth teth {hebteth}
hebtsade s.ade {hebtsade}
hebwaw waw {hebwaw}
hebyod yodh {hebyod}
hebzayin zayin {hebzayin}
hireq hireq {hireq}
qamets qamets {qamets}
segol segol {segol}
sheva shewa {sheva}
vavpath waw with pathah below {vavpath}
vavsheva waw over shewa {vavsheva}

Runic letters

Name Description Appearance
runash ash {runash}
runwyn wynn {runwyn}

Semitic

Name Description Appearance
semain1 ‘ain {semain1}
semain2 ’ain {semain2}
semhe he {semhe}
semheth h.eth {semheth}
semkaph kaph {semkaph}
semlamed1 lamedh {semlamed1}
semlamed2 lamedh {semlamed2}
semmem mem {semmem}
semnun nun {semnun}
sempe pe {sempe}
semqoph1 qoph {semqoph1}
semqoph2 qoph {semqoph2}
semqoph3 qoph {semqoph3}
semresh resh {semresh}
semtav1 taw {semtav1}
semtav2 taw {semtav2}
semtav3 taw {semtav3}
semtav4 taw {semtav4}
semyod yodh {semyod}
semzayin1 zayin {semzayin1}
semzayin2 zayin {semzayin2}
semzayin3 zayin {semzayin3}

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