Star Symbol (★)

The star symbol (★) is the five-pointed black star — for ratings, favourites and a bit of sparkle in text.

★

Black Star · U+2605 · Star Symbols

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

Star Symbol codes

Code	Value
Unicode code point	`U+2605`
Unicode name	`Black Star`
HTML named entity	`&starf;`
HTML decimal	`★`
HTML hex	`★`
CSS content code	`\2605`
JavaScript / JSON	`\u2605`
Windows Alt code	No standard Alt code — copy it from the card above
LaTeX	`\star`

Star Symbol variants (19)

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

☆White Star✩Stress Outlined White Star✰Shadowed White Star✮Heavy Outlined Black Star✯Pinwheel Star✶Six Pointed Black Star✷Eight Pointed Rectilinear Black Star✸Heavy Eight Pointed Rectilinear Black Star✹Twelve Pointed Black Star✺Sixteen Pointed Asterisk✽Heavy Teardrop-Spoked Asterisk✡Star Of David ✦Black Four Pointed Star✧White Four Pointed Star✪Circled White Star✫Open Centre Black Star✬Black Centre White Star✭Outlined Black Star❂Circled Open Centre Eight Pointed Star

Meaning & usage

★ is the star of rating systems everywhere: ★★★★☆ for a four-star film, a gold ★ for the best student, a starred ★ favourite in your apps. As a text character it matches your font colour and size, so it slides into documents, spreadsheets and social posts where the emoji ⭐ would look chunky. Its outline partner ☆ is the empty star — together they build any rating from ★☆☆☆☆ to ★★★★★.

Examples in use

Rated ★★★★☆ by 2,000 readers
★ Best seller
To-do: call bank ★ (priority)

How to type the star symbol

Windows

There is no Alt code or direct key for ★. In Microsoft Word, type 2605 and press Alt+X to convert it. Everywhere else, click the Copy button at the top of this page and paste it (Ctrl+V) — that always works.

Mac

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

iPhone & Android

Most phone keyboards have no built-in key for ★. 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 2605 and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I make a 5-star rating in text?

Copy ★ for filled stars and ☆ for empty ones, then combine: ★★★★☆ means 4 out of 5. Paste the string into reviews, resumes or product descriptions.

What is the difference between ★ and ⭐?

★ (U+2605) is a text character that matches your font. ⭐ (U+2B50) is an emoji that phones draw as a gold picture. For documents and data, ★ is the reliable one.

How do I type ★ on a keyboard?

There is no standard key or Alt code. Copy it from this page — one click, then paste anywhere.

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+2605 (Black Star). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.

Is the Star Symbol 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.

Related symbols

✦Cool Symbols ♥Heart Symbol