Vulgar Fraction One Half
The vulgar fraction one half (½) sits at code point U+00BD in Unicode. It belongs to the fancy letters family and pastes as plain text, so it keeps working across documents, messages and web pages. Below you can copy it in one click and grab the exact HTML, CSS and JavaScript codes you need to reproduce it anywhere.
| Symbol | ½ | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+00BD | |
| Name | Vulgar Fraction One Half | |
| HTML (decimal) | ½ | |
| HTML (hex) | ½ | |
| CSS content | \00BD | |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u00BD | |
| UTF-8 bytes | 0xC2 0xBD | |
| UTF-16 units | 0x00BD | |
| Windows alt code | Alt 0189 or Alt 171 |
How do you type the vulgar fraction one half on each platform?
| Where | How to type it |
|---|---|
| Any device | Click the ½ at the top of this page. It goes straight to your clipboard, and you paste it with Ctrl+V on Windows or Cmd+V on a Mac. This is the only method that behaves identically everywhere. |
| Windows | Hold Alt and type 0189 or Alt 171 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. The number row above the letters does not work for this. |
| macOS | Add Unicode Hex Input under Keyboard settings, switch to it, then hold Option and type 00BD. Without that input source, open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space and search for vulgar fraction one half. |
| Linux and ChromeOS | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 00bd, then press Enter or the space bar. This works in GTK applications and with IBus. |
| Microsoft Word | Type 00BD in the document, then press Alt and X together with the cursor immediately after the last digit. Word replaces the digits with ½. |
| Google Docs | Insert, then Special characters, then paste U+00BD or type vulgar fraction one half in the search box. You can also draw the shape in the sketch pad on the right. |
| Excel and Google Sheets | Use the formula UNICHAR(189) in a cell. Copy the cell and paste it as a value if you want the character rather than the formula. |
| HTML | Write ½ or ½. There is no standard named entity for this character. On a page served as UTF-8 the character itself also works. |
| CSS | Use content: "\00BD" inside a ::before or ::after rule. Terminate the escape with a space if the next character is also a hexadecimal digit. |
| JavaScript | The escape \u00BD produces this character inside a string literal, and the same escape is valid in JSON. |
More detail per platform: Windows alt codes, special characters on a Mac, special characters in Word and HTML entities.
Frequently asked questions
How do I copy the vulgar fraction one half symbol?
Click the ½ above or the copy button and it is placed on your clipboard. Paste it anywhere with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V. It is a real text character, so it works in documents, chats and code.
What is the Unicode code point for vulgar fraction one half?
The vulgar fraction one half has the Unicode code point U+00BD. In HTML you can write it as ½ or ½.
What is the alt code for the vulgar fraction one half symbol?
On Windows, hold the Alt key and type Alt 0189 or Alt 171 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Copying the ½ from this page is quicker and works on any device.
Can I use the vulgar fraction one half symbol in HTML and CSS?
Yes. In HTML write ½, and in CSS use content: "\00BD" inside a ::before or ::after rule. The code table on this page has copy buttons for both.
Related symbols
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