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Symbols · Guide

How to Type the Underscore (_)

Updated 17 Aug 2026 · by SKK · 4 platforms covered
1-minute answer

_ is a standard keyboard character — press Shift+- on a US keyboard, or copy it from the key above.

01 All shortcuts at a glance

PlatformShortcut
Standard US keyboard Press Shift+- directly — it's a printable key, no code needed
Windows (any app) Win+. or Win+; emoji/symbol picker, or Character Map (Win+Rcharmap)
Mac Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer, search "Low Line"
Word / Outlook Type 005F, then press Alt+X
Linux (IBus) Ctrl+Shift+U, then 005f, then Enter
HTML / CSS _ · \005f (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)

  1. Press Shift+- — it's printed on the keycap.
  2. On other layouts (AZERTY, QWERTZ) the key may be in a different position or need a modifier \xe2\x80\x94 use the picker methods below if you can't find it.

Windows

  1. Open Character Map: Win+R, type charmap, press Enter.
  2. Search or scroll for Low Line (U+005F).
  3. Select it, click Copy, then paste where you need it.

Mac

  1. Press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer.
  2. Type "Low Line" in the search field.
  3. Double-click the result to insert it.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 005F.
  2. Press Alt+X immediately after — it converts the hex code to _.

03 Characters in this set

04 FAQ

What is the Unicode code point for Low Line?

Low Line is U+005F. In HTML that's <code>_</code> or <code>_</code>.

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