One half fraction (½)
U+00BD · VULGAR FRACTION ONE HALF · Unicode 1.1 (1993)
How to type ½
Windows
Alt code (numeric keypad)
Alt+0189
Turn on Num Lock, hold the Alt key, type 0189 on the numeric keypad and let go of Alt: ½ appears.
The shorter code Alt+171 works too in most programs.
Word and Outlook: Alt + X
00BD Alt+X
Type 00BD and press Alt+X right after it: Word turns the code into ½. Press Alt+X again to turn it back into the code.
Emoji and symbols panel (Windows 10 and 11)
Win+.
Press Win + full stop (.) to open the panel, go to the Symbols tab (Ω) and pick ½.
No numeric keypad on your laptop? See the other ways in our Alt codes guide.
Mac
Character Viewer
Ctrl+⌘ Cmd+Space
Press Ctrl+⌘+Space (or the Globe key + E), search for “one half fraction” and click ½ to insert it.
iPhone
Make a shortcut (Text Replacement)
Turn a short word into ½ once and type it in any app:
- Copy ½ from this page.
- Open Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement and tap +.
- Paste ½ as the Phrase and type a Shortcut, for example ;onehal.
- Now type ;onehal anywhere: the keyboard suggests ½.
Android
Make a shortcut (Gboard personal dictionary)
Teach your keyboard a short word that turns into ½:
- Copy ½ from this page.
- Open Gboard settings › Dictionary › Personal dictionary, choose your language and tap +.
- Paste ½ as the word and type a shortcut, for example ;onehal.
- Type ;onehal in any app and tap ½ in the suggestions.
Linux
Unicode input
Ctrl+Shift+U 00bd Enter
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 00bd and press Enter or Space. Works in GTK apps and with IBus (GNOME, Ubuntu, Fedora).
What ½ means and how it is used
½ (U+00BD) is the precomposed fraction one half, part of Latin-1 together with ¼ and ¾, so it works on every device. Recipes, measurements and sports scores use it: 1½ cups, 2½ km. For fractions without their own character, combine digits with the fraction slash ⁄ (3⁄8). On a Turkish Q keyboard ½ is AltGr+5.
In Unicode, ½ is code point U+00BD with the official name VULGAR FRACTION ONE HALF. It belongs to the Latin-1 Supplement block and arrived with Unicode 1.1 in 1993.
You will find it in our fraction symbols, 22 symbols in all, together with ¼ ¾ ⅓.
Codes for HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Tap Copy next to the code you need.
| HTML entity | ½ | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML decimal | ½ | |
| HTML hex | ½ | |
| CSS | content: "\00BD"; | |
| JavaScript | \u00BD | |
| URL | %C2%BD | |
| UTF-8 bytes | C2 BD | |
| Unicode | U+00BD |
Will it show on my friend's phone?
Very likely yes: ½ dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.
Checking your device…
Names in other languages
What ½ is called in the 12 languages of this site (Unicode CLDR and our editors). Tap a name to open that language's page.
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | One half fraction |
| Português | Fração um meio |
| Español | Fracción un medio |
| Italiano | Frazione un mezzo |
| Français | Fraction un demi |
| Deutsch | Bruch ein halb |
| Türkçe | Yarım kesri (bir bölü iki) |
| Bahasa Indonesia | Pecahan setengah |
| Polski | Ułamek jedna druga |
| Русский | Дробь одна вторая |
| 日本語 | 2分の1 |
| 한국어 | 2분의 1 |
Related symbols
All Fractions →Questions people ask
How do I type ½ on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
On Windows press Win + full stop (.) and pick ½ in the Symbols tab, or in Word type 00BD and press Alt+X.
How do I type ½ on an iPhone?
The iPhone keyboard has no key for ½. Copy it here, then add it in Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement with a shortcut like ;onehal.
What is the HTML code for the one half fraction?
Use the entity ½ or the numeric code ½ (hex ½). In CSS write \00BD, in JavaScript \u00BD.
Will ½ show on every phone?
Very likely yes: ½ dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.