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At Sign (@)
The at sign (@) links a person or place to an account or address — name@domain — and tags people in social posts.
At Sign codes
| Code | Value |
|---|---|
| Unicode code point | U+0040 |
| Unicode name | Commercial At |
| HTML named entity | @ |
| HTML decimal | @ |
| HTML hex | @ |
| CSS content code | \40 |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u0040 |
| Windows Alt code | No standard Alt code — copy it from the card above |
At Sign variants (4)
4 related glyphs — click any tile to copy it. Tiles with a page open that symbol's own page.
Meaning & usage
The @ sign started life in trade centuries ago as shorthand for 'at the rate of' — 10 apples @ $1 each — before email made it the most typed symbol of the internet age. In an email address it joins your name to your mail domain; on social media it tags and mentions other accounts, as in @username. Around the world it has nicknames: Italians call it the snail, the Dutch the monkey's tail, and in Chinese it is sometimes 'little mouse'.
Examples in use
- you@example.com
- Thanks @maria for the photo!
- Open Mon–Fri @ 9am (informal shorthand)
How to type the at sign
Windows
Press Shift+2 — the At Sign is a standard keyboard character.
Mac
Press Shift+2 — the same as on Windows.
iPhone & Android
The @ sign is on the main keyboard of every phone (email layout) and in the symbol set.
Linux
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 0040 and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.
Frequently asked questions
Why is @ used in email addresses?
In 1971 Ray Tomlinson chose @ to separate the user from the host computer because it meant 'at' and wasn't used in names — the perfect divider.
How do I type the at sign?
On US keyboards it is Shift+2; on UK keyboards Shift+' (the apostrophe key). On phones it is on the main symbol keyboard.
What is @ called in other languages?
Fun nicknames include 'snail' in Italian, 'monkey's tail' in Dutch, 'dog' in Russian and 'strudel' in Hebrew.
Why does @ sometimes show as a box or question mark?
The box (called tofu) means the device or font viewing it has no drawing for U+0040 (Commercial At). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.
Is the At Sign free to use?
Yes. @ is a standard Unicode text character published in the Unicode Character Database. You may use it in personal and commercial documents, designs and products without permission or payment.
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Data: Unicode Character Database · Page updated 2026-11-13