Schwa (ə)
U+0259 · LATIN SMALL LETTER SCHWA · Unicode 1.1 (1993)
How to type ə
Windows
No Alt code
ə is not in the Windows code pages 1252 or 437, so it has no Alt code. Use one of the methods below or copy it from this page.
Word and Outlook: Alt + X
0259 Alt+X
Type 0259 and press Alt+X right after it: Word turns the code into ə. 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 ə.
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 “schwa” and click ə to insert it.
iPhone
Make a shortcut (Text Replacement)
Turn a short word into ə once and type it in any app:
- Copy ə from this page.
- Open Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement and tap +.
- Paste ə as the Phrase and type a Shortcut, for example ;schwa.
- Now type ;schwa anywhere: the keyboard suggests ə.
Android
Make a shortcut (Gboard personal dictionary)
Teach your keyboard a short word that turns into ə:
- Copy ə from this page.
- Open Gboard settings › Dictionary › Personal dictionary, choose your language and tap +.
- Paste ə as the word and type a shortcut, for example ;schwa.
- Type ;schwa in any app and tap ə in the suggestions.
Linux
Unicode input
Ctrl+Shift+U 0259 Enter
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 0259 and press Enter or Space. Works in GTK apps and with IBus (GNOME, Ubuntu, Fedora).
What ə means and how it is used
In Unicode, ə is code point U+0259 with the official name LATIN SMALL LETTER SCHWA. It belongs to the IPA Extensions block and arrived with Unicode 1.1 in 1993.
You will find it in our letters, 253 symbols in all, together with º ª Ø ß ñ.
Codes for HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Tap Copy next to the code you need.
| HTML decimal | ə | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML hex | ə | |
| CSS | content: "\0259"; | |
| JavaScript | \u0259 | |
| URL | %C9%99 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | C9 99 | |
| Unicode | U+0259 |
Will it show on my friend's phone?
Very likely yes: ə dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.
Checking your device…
Don't confuse ə with
These look alike but are different characters. Search, sorting and screen readers treat them differently, so copy the one you mean.
- əSchwaU+0259 · LATIN SMALL LETTER SCHWA
- Latin small letter turned eU+01DD · LATIN SMALL LETTER TURNED E · Latin Extended-B
- ӘU+04D9 · Cyrillic
Names in other languages
What ə is called in the 12 languages of this site (Unicode CLDR and our editors). Tap a name to open that language's page.
Related symbols
All Letters →Questions people ask
How do I type ə on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
On Windows press Win + full stop (.) and pick ə in the Symbols tab, or in Word type 0259 and press Alt+X.
What is the difference between ə and ǝ?
ə is the schwa (U+0259). ǝ is a different character: latin small letter turned e (U+01DD, Latin Extended-B block). They can look alike, but computers treat them as different letters, so a search for one will not find the other.
How do I type ə on an iPhone?
The iPhone keyboard has no key for ə. Copy it here, then add it in Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement with a shortcut like ;schwa.
What is the HTML code for the schwa?
There is no named entity; use ə or ə. In CSS write \0259, in JavaScript \u0259.
Will ə show on every phone?
Very likely yes: ə dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.