The tilde ~ is at the top left of most keyboards, on Shift with the backtick key. It means "approximately" in front of a number, and it is your home folder in a Unix shell. As a diacritic it sits over a letter, as in ñ, but that is a separate combining character rather than this one.
01 All shortcuts at a glance
| Platform | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Standard US keyboard | Press Shift+` (backtick key) directly, it's a printable key, no code needed |
|
| Windows (any app) | Win+. or Win+; emoji/symbol picker, or Character Map (Win+R → charmap) |
|
| Mac | Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer, search "Tilde" |
|
| Word / Outlook | Type 007E, then press Alt+X |
|
| Linux (IBus) | Ctrl+Shift+U, then 007e, then Enter |
|
| HTML / CSS | ~ · \007e (CSS) |
02 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform, not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
Any device (US keyboard)
- Press Shift+` (backtick key), it's printed on the keycap.
- On other layouts (AZERTY, QWERTZ) the key may be in a different position or need a modifier, use the picker methods below if you can't find it.
Windows
- Open Character Map: Win+R, type charmap, press Enter.
- Search or scroll for Tilde (U+007E).
- Select it, click Copy, then paste where you need it.
Mac
- Press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer.
- Type "Tilde" in the search field.
- Double-click the result to insert it.
Microsoft Word
- Type 007E.
- Press Alt+X immediately after, it converts the hex code to ~.
03 Characters in this set
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ∼ (U+223C) | Tilde operator, a maths relation | Use it in formal mathematics for "is similar to". It sits centred on the maths baseline. |
| ˜ (U+02DC) | Small tilde, a spacing modifier | A phonetics and typography character. It is not an operator and not a path shortcut. |
| Nothing appears when pressed | A dead key waiting for a vowel | On Spanish and Portuguese layouts it composes ñ or ã. Press it then the spacebar for a bare tilde. |
05 FAQ
What is the Unicode code point for the tilde?
It is U+007E, decimal 126. The combining tilde that sits over a letter is a different character, U+0303.
What does ~ mean in a file path?
In Unix, Linux and macOS shells it stands for your home directory, so ~/Documents expands to the Documents folder inside it. Windows does not use this convention.
How do I type ñ rather than a bare tilde?
On a Spanish layout the ñ has its own key. Elsewhere, press Option+N then N on a Mac, or use Alt+0241 on Windows. Typing a tilde then an n gives two separate characters.
What does a tilde mean before a number?
It marks an approximation, so ~500 means about five hundred. In formal writing the approximately equal sign ≈ is more usual, and in mathematics the tilde operator ∼ means "is similar to".
Why do old Windows filenames contain a tilde?
Windows shortened long names to the old eight-character limit by truncating them and adding a tilde and a number, as in PROGRA~1. You still see it in legacy paths and installers.