Small star (star operator) (⋆)
U+22C6 · STAR OPERATOR · Unicode 1.1 (1993)
How to type ⋆
Windows
No Alt code
⋆ 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
22C6 Alt+X
Type 22C6 and press Alt+X right after it: Word turns the code into ⋆. 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 ⋆.
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 “small star (star operator)” and click ⋆ to insert it.
iPhone
Make a shortcut (Text Replacement)
Turn a short word into ⋆ once and type it in any app:
- Copy ⋆ from this page.
- Open Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement and tap +.
- Paste ⋆ as the Phrase and type a Shortcut, for example ;smalls.
- Now type ;smalls anywhere: the keyboard suggests ⋆.
Android
Make a shortcut (Gboard personal dictionary)
Teach your keyboard a short word that turns into ⋆:
- Copy ⋆ from this page.
- Open Gboard settings › Dictionary › Personal dictionary, choose your language and tap +.
- Paste ⋆ as the word and type a shortcut, for example ;smalls.
- Type ;smalls in any app and tap ⋆ in the suggestions.
Linux
Unicode input
Ctrl+Shift+U 22c6 Enter
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 22c6 and press Enter or Space. Works in GTK apps and with IBus (GNOME, Ubuntu, Fedora).
What ⋆ means and how it is used
In Unicode, ⋆ is code point U+22C6 with the official name STAR OPERATOR. It belongs to the Mathematical Operators block and arrived with Unicode 1.1 in 1993.
Other words for it: operator, star.
You will find it in our sparkle symbols, 61 symbols in all, together with ✦ ✧ ˚ ｡ ⊹.
Codes for HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Tap Copy next to the code you need.
| HTML entity | ⋆ | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML decimal | ⋆ | |
| HTML hex | ⋆ | |
| CSS | content: "\22C6"; | |
| JavaScript | \u22C6 | |
| URL | %E2%8B%86 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 8B 86 | |
| Unicode | U+22C6 |
Will it show on my friend's phone?
⋆ has been in Unicode since version 1.1 (1993). Practically every phone, computer and app shows it.
Checking your device…
Names in other languages
What ⋆ 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 | Small star (star operator) |
| Português | Estrelinha |
| Español | Estrellita |
| Italiano | Stellina |
| Français | Petite étoile |
| Deutsch | Kleiner Stern |
| Türkçe | Küçük yıldız |
| Bahasa Indonesia | Bintang kecil |
| Polski | Mała gwiazdka |
| Русский | Маленькая звёздочка |
| 日本語 | 小さな星 |
| 한국어 | 작은 별 |
Related symbols
All Sparkles →Questions people ask
How do I type ⋆ on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
On Windows press Win + full stop (.) and pick ⋆ in the Symbols tab, or in Word type 22C6 and press Alt+X.
How do I type ⋆ on an iPhone?
The iPhone keyboard has no key for ⋆. Copy it here, then add it in Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement with a shortcut like ;smalls.
What is the HTML code for the small star (star operator)?
Use the entity ⋆ or the numeric code ⋆ (hex ⋆). In CSS write \22C6, in JavaScript \u22C6.
Will ⋆ show on every phone?
⋆ has been in Unicode since version 1.1 (1993). Practically every phone, computer and app shows it.