Prime
Prime is Unicode code point U+2032, written ′. Copy it with the button below and paste it anywhere text goes; the code table further down covers HTML, CSS, JavaScript and, where one exists, a Windows alt code.
| Symbol | ′ | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+2032 | |
| Name | Prime | |
| HTML (named) | ′ | |
| HTML (decimal) | ′ | |
| HTML (hex) | ′ | |
| CSS content | \2032 | |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u2032 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | 0xE2 0x80 0xB2 | |
| UTF-16 units | 0x2032 |
How do you type the prime on each platform?
| Where | How to type it |
|---|---|
| Any device | Click the ′ 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 | There is no short alt code for this character. Press Win and the full stop key to open the emoji and symbol panel, then use the symbols tab and search for prime. |
| macOS | Add Unicode Hex Input under Keyboard settings, switch to it, then hold Option and type 2032. Without that input source, open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space and search for prime. |
| Linux and ChromeOS | Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2032, then press Enter or the space bar. This works in GTK applications and with IBus. |
| Microsoft Word | Type 2032 in the document, then press Alt and X together with the cursor immediately after the last digit. Word replaces the digits with ′. |
| Google Docs | Insert, then Special characters, then paste U+2032 or type prime 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(8242) in a cell. Copy the cell and paste it as a value if you want the character rather than the formula. |
| HTML | Write ′, or the numeric reference ′, or ′. On a page served as UTF-8 the character itself also works. |
| CSS | Use content: "\2032" inside a ::before or ::after rule. Terminate the escape with a space if the next character is also a hexadecimal digit. |
| JavaScript | The escape \u2032 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 prime symbol?
Click the ′ 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 prime?
The prime has the Unicode code point U+2032. In HTML you can write it as ′ or ′, or with the named entity ′.
Is the prime an emoji or a text character?
It is a plain Unicode text character, not an image or an emoji sticker. That means the ′ inherits the surrounding font, size and color wherever you paste it, and it works in places emoji often do not, such as usernames, file names and code.
Related symbols
Browse the full math symbols hub, or return to the searchable symbol grid.