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Caret (Circumflex Accent) Symbol (^)
The caret (^) is the little roof on the 6 key: proofreaders use it to mark insertions, programmers for 'to the power of', and chat for pointing up at the message above.
Caret (Circumflex Accent) codes
| Code | Value |
|---|---|
| Unicode code point | U+005E |
| Unicode name | Circumflex Accent |
| HTML named entity | ^ |
| HTML decimal | ^ |
| HTML hex | ^ |
| CSS content code | \5E |
| JavaScript / JSON | \u005E |
| Windows Alt code | No standard Alt code — copy it from the card above |
Caret (Circumflex Accent) variants (7)
7 related glyphs — click any tile to copy it. Tiles with a page open that symbol's own page.
Meaning & usage
The caret takes its name from Latin caret, 'it is missing' — proofreaders drew it under a line to show where missing text should be inserted, with the new words written above. As the circumflex accent it sits on letters in French (forêt, hôpital) and Portuguese, marking a vowel's history and sound.
Computing gave it second and third lives: in maths typed on one line, 2^10 means 2 to the power of 10; in programming it can mean XOR or the start of a line; and in forums and chat a lone ^ means 'what they said above'. The dedicated Caret character ‸ (U+2038) is the proofreading mark itself; the keyboard ^ is the one everyone actually types.
Examples in use
- 2^10 = 1024 (typed maths)
- ^ this — agreeing with the post above
- Proofreading: the caret marks where a word goes in
How to type the caret (circumflex accent)
Windows
Press Shift+6 — the Caret (Circumflex Accent) is a standard keyboard character.
Mac
Press Shift+6 — the same as on Windows.
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 005e 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 the caret symbol?
Press Shift+6 on a US keyboard — ^ is a standard character. The standalone proofreading caret ‸ is rarer; copy it from the variants grid here.
What is the difference between ^ and ‸?
The ^ on your keyboard (U+005E) began life as the circumflex accent and now does general duty. The character ‸ (U+2038) is the true caret — the insertion mark — and almost never appears on keyboards.
Why is ^ called a 'hat' in French and maths?
As a circumflex it looks like a little roof or hat over a letter (ê, ô). Programmers kept the nickname for the character itself.
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+005E (Circumflex Accent). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.
Is the Caret (Circumflex Accent) 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.
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Data: Unicode Character Database · Page updated 2026-11-13