Symbol & Sign Names
Most of us type symbols every day without knowing their proper names. The & is an ampersand, the # an octothorpe, the paragraph mark a pilcrow, and the combined question-and-exclamation mark an interrobang.
This guide gives the correct name of each common symbol and sign, explains what it means and shows it in use. Entries are grouped into everyday symbols, keyboard and computing characters, maths and science signs, and publishing and legal marks.
30 entries in this category
Everyday Symbols
8Means "and". The name comes from "and per se and", once recited at the end of the alphabet.
"Marks & Spencer; rock & roll."
Used in email addresses and social handles; also means "at a rate of".
"Email me at [email protected]."
Also called the octothorpe, number sign or (in the US) pound sign; used for hashtags.
"Search #GrammarTips for more posts."
From Greek for "little star"; marks footnotes or hidden letters.
"Prices start at $10.*"
A dot used to mark items in a list.
"• Eggs • Milk • Bread"
Three dots showing omitted words or a trailing thought.
"I was going to tell you, but…"
A combined question mark and exclamation mark, invented in 1962.
"You did what‽"
Opens a question in Spanish.
"¿Dónde está la biblioteca?"
Keyboard & Computing
8A wavy line meaning "approximately"; also an accent in Spanish (n with tilde).
"The trip takes ~3 hours."
An upward wedge used for exponents in computing and to mark insertions when editing.
"2^3 means 2 to the power of 3."
Also called the pipe; used as a separator and in programming.
"Home | About | Contact"
Leans left; used in Windows file paths and code.
"C:\Users\Documents"
Also called the solidus or virgule; used in web addresses, dates and "or".
"Bring a pen/pencil."
A low line used in usernames and file names in place of spaces.
"my_holiday_photos.zip"
Also called braces; group items in maths and code.
"The set {1, 2, 3}."
Also called chevrons; used in maths for less/greater than and in HTML tags.
"5 < 7 and 9 > 4."
Maths & Science
8Means "per hundred".
"Only 40% of the class finished."
Means "per thousand".
"The sea's salinity is about 35‰."
Used for temperature, angles and coordinates.
"It reached 30°C today."
Shows a value can be higher or lower by a given amount.
"The result was 50 ± 2."
The division sign.
"12 ÷ 4 = 3"
Two wavy lines meaning "roughly equal to".
"π ≈ 3.14"
A sideways figure eight meaning endless or unlimited.
"The number line extends to ∞."
The square root sign.
"√16 = 4"
Publishing & Legal
6The paragraph mark, often shown in word processors.
"Click ¶ to show hidden formatting."
Refers to a numbered section of a legal document.
"See § 4.2 of the contract."
Also called an obelisk; marks a second footnote or a date of death.
"John Smith † 1901"
Shows a work is protected by copyright.
"© 2026 MyProGrammar"
Shows a trademark has been officially registered.
"Brand®"
Claims a trademark that may not yet be registered.
"SuperSnack™"