What is the Unicode code point for one half?

The one half symbol is U+00BD, officially named VULGAR FRACTION ONE HALF. It is part of the Latin-1 Supplement block.

What is the HTML entity for ½?

Use ½ or the numeric entity ½ in HTML. Both render as ½.

How do I type ½ on Windows?

Hold Alt and type 0189 on the numeric keypad (Alt+0189). Num Lock must be on.

How do I type ½ on a Mac?

Enable the Unicode Hex Input source in Keyboard settings, switch to it, then hold Option and type 00BD.

Is ½ the same as writing "1/2"?

They look similar but are different characters. "1/2" is three separate characters (digit, slash, digit), while ½ is a single precomposed Unicode character that some fonts render with a true fraction glyph.

Will ½ display correctly everywhere?

Almost all modern fonts and browsers support this character since it has been in Unicode since version 1.0. Very old or limited fonts may fall back to a generic box or missing-glyph marker.

One Half Symbol

Name: One Half Symbol
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Copy the ½ symbol and find its Unicode code point, HTML entity, decimal/hex codes, and keyboard alt code.

One Half Symbol

Click the symbol to copy it

Formats

Character ½

Unicode U+00BD

HTML entity ½

HTML decimal ½

HTML hex ½

CSS escape \00BD

JS / JSON escape ½

Click any row to copy that exact string.

Keyboard Shortcuts

System	Shortcut	Notes
Windows		Hold Alt, type 0189 on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on.
Mac		Enable Unicode Hex Input, then hold Option and type 00BD.
Linux (GTK)		Type the hex code, then press Enter or Space.
Microsoft Word		Type 00BD then press Alt+X to convert it.

Other Vulgar Fraction Symbols

One half belongs to a family of precomposed fraction characters. Here are the other common ones.

Symbol	Code point	HTML entity	Name
¼	U+00BC	¼	Vulgar Fraction One Quarter
⅓	U+2153	⅓	Vulgar Fraction One Third
⅔	U+2154	⅔	Vulgar Fraction Two Thirds
¾	U+00BE	¾	Vulgar Fraction Three Quarters

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Summary

Copy the ½ symbol and find its Unicode code point, HTML entity, decimal/hex codes, and keyboard alt code.

How it works

Click the large ½ symbol to copy it to your clipboard.
Or click any row in the format list (Unicode, HTML entity, CSS escape) to copy that exact string.
Use the shortcut table to type the symbol directly from your keyboard on Windows, Mac, or Linux.
Check the related fractions table to find other vulgar fraction characters.
Paste the symbol anywhere: documents, spreadsheets, code, or chat.

Use cases

Show a fraction in a recipe, measurement, or spec sheet without HTML markup.
Insert a properly formatted ½ instead of typing "1/2" as three separate characters.
Type the alt code or Unicode escape when the character key is not on your keyboard.
Drop the symbol into a title, product name, or size label.
Add the character to code, CSS content, or JSON without breaking encoding.

Frequently Asked Questions

Last updated: 2026-07-22 · Reviewed by Nham Vu