½ one half
½
U+00BD
Copy as
| Character | ½ | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+00BD | |
| HTML decimal | ½ | |
| HTML hexadecimal | ½ | |
| HTML named entity | ½ | |
| CSS content | \00BD | |
| JavaScript / UTF-16 | \u00BD | |
| UTF-8 bytes | C2 BD |
Meaning & usage
One half (½) represents a compact fractional value.
Use the single Unicode glyph in recipes, measurements and short labels; a slash-based fraction is easier to edit in plain text.
One half is encoded as U+00BD rather than separate numerator and denominator digits. Use the decimal or hexadecimal HTML reference above when preserving this exact compact fraction in a web document.
one half occupies one Unicode code point. A similar-looking letter, punctuation mark or emoji is not necessarily interchangeable with ½ in search, filenames or text processing.
How to type one half
- Windows
- Use Win + . for the emoji and symbol panel, or Character Map for supported fonts. In Microsoft Word, enter each hexadecimal code (BD) and press Alt + X. There is no universal decimal Alt code for this character; legacy Alt codes depend on the code page.
- Mac
- Open Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search for one half. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled, hold Option and enter the UTF-16 units shown above. Standard Option shortcuts do not cover every Unicode symbol.
- Linux
- In compatible GTK applications, press Ctrl + Shift + U, enter BD, then Enter. Enter each code point separately for sequences. Other desktops or apps may require their character picker.
- iPhone & Android
- Look for one half in your emoji keyboard if available, or copy it here and paste. Save frequently used symbols as a text replacement or keyboard shortcut; availability varies by keyboard.