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One Half Fraction Symbol (½)

The one half symbol (½) is the single-character fraction for 1/2 — tidier than typing '1/2' in recipes, measurements and prices.

Vulgar Fraction One Half · U+00BD · Math Symbols

Click the symbol or the button to copy it, then paste it anywhere — documents, messages, bios and code.

One Half Fraction codes

Code	Value
Unicode code point	`U+00BD`
Unicode name	`Vulgar Fraction One Half`
HTML named entity	`½`
HTML decimal	`½`
HTML hex	`½`
CSS content code	`\BD`
JavaScript / JSON	`\u00BD`
Windows Alt code	`Alt+0189`
LaTeX	`\frac{1}{2}`

One Half Fraction variants (8)

8 related glyphs — click any tile to copy it. Tiles with a page open that symbol's own page.

¼Vulgar Fraction One Quarter ¾Vulgar Fraction Three Quarters ⅓Vulgar Fraction One Third ⅔Vulgar Fraction Two Thirds ⅛Vulgar Fraction One Eighth ⅜Vulgar Fraction Three Eighths ⅝Vulgar Fraction Five Eighths ⅞Vulgar Fraction Seven Eighths

Meaning & usage

½ is one of the 'vulgar fractions' — pre-made fraction characters that typesetters have used for centuries. A single ½ keeps recipes (½ tsp), measurements (2½ inches) and schoolwork neat where 1/2 would sprawl, and it never gets split across lines the way typed fractions can.

Its family includes ¼ and ¾ for quarters and ⅓, ⅔ for thirds. Alt+0189 types it on Windows.

Examples in use

Add ½ cup of sugar
The walk is ½ a mile
Tickets now ½ price

How to type the one half fraction

Windows

Hold the Alt key and type 0189 on the numeric keypad (Num Lock on), then release Alt. The code is Alt+0189. It also works in Word with the same keys.

Mac

There is no Option-key shortcut for ½ on a Mac. Open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space, search for "One Half Fraction", and double-click to insert — or copy it from this page.

iPhone & Android

Most phone keyboards have no built-in key for ½. Open this page on your phone, tap Copy, then paste it into your message or bio. (On Android, Gboard's emoji search finds some symbols by name.)

Linux

Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 00bd and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I type ½ on a keyboard?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0189 on the numeric keypad. Microsoft Word often auto-formats typed 1/2 into ½ as well. Or copy it from this page.

Why is ½ called a vulgar fraction?

'Vulgar' here is the old Latin sense of 'common' — a vulgar fraction is simply an ordinary fraction written as one number over another, as opposed to a decimal.

Why does ½ sometimes show as a box or question mark?

The box (called tofu) means the device or font viewing it has no drawing for U+00BD (Vulgar Fraction One Half). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.

Is the One Half Fraction free to use?

Yes. ½ 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.