How to Type an Interrobang Symbol (‽) on Any Keyboard

The interrobang ‽ is one of typography’s most expressive — and most overlooked — punctuation marks. A combination of a question mark and an exclamation point fused into a single character, it captures the tone of an excited question in one clean symbol. This guide covers everything you need to know about the interrobang and every way to type it on any device.

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What Is the Interrobang?

The interrobang ‽ was invented in 1962 by Martin K. Speckter, an American advertising executive and typographer. Speckter felt that existing punctuation failed to capture the energy of rhetorical or excited questions — the kind that end with both ? and ! simultaneously. He proposed a single unified character and ran a contest in his typography magazine TYPEtalks to name it.

The winning name — interrobang — is a blend of two words:

• Interrogatio — Latin for rhetorical question
• Bang — printer’s slang for the exclamation point

The symbol enjoyed a brief burst of mainstream attention in the late 1960s, even appearing on a special Remington typewriter key. It was added to Unicode as U+203D and has seen a quiet resurgence among typographers, designers, and language enthusiasts ever since.

There are two common forms:

Symbol	Name	Unicode
‽	Interrobang	U+203D
⁉	Exclamation question mark (emoji)	U+2049

The ‽ is the traditional typographic character. The ⁉ is its emoji-friendly cousin, available on most mobile keyboards.

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How to Type the Interrobang on Windows

Method 1: Copy and Paste

The most reliable method on any platform — copy ‽ directly from this page and paste it wherever you need it. Works in every browser, app, and text editor.

Method 2: Unicode Input (Microsoft Word)

1. Type 203D
2. Immediately press Alt + X
3. Word converts it to ‽

Method 3: Alt Code

The interrobang does not have a standard short Alt code like more common symbols, but you can use the decimal value:

1. Make sure Num Lock is on
2. Hold Alt and type 8253 on the numeric keypad
3. Release Alt — ‽ appears

This works in most Windows applications, though results can vary depending on the program and system configuration. If it doesn’t work, use the Unicode method in Word or copy-paste.

Method 4: Character Map

1. Open Start and search “Character Map”
2. Search for “interrobang” in the search box
3. Select ‽
4. Click Select, then Copy
5. Paste into your document

Method 5: Windows Emoji Panel

1. Press Windows key + . (period)
2. Search for “interrobang” or “exclamation question”
3. The ⁉ emoji variant is available here — the typographic ‽ may not appear depending on your Windows version

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How to Type the Interrobang on Mac

Method 1: Character Viewer (Most Reliable)

1. Press Control + Command + Space
2. Search for “interrobang”
3. Double-click ‽ to insert it

This is the most straightforward method on macOS and works in every app.

Method 2: Unicode Hex Input

1. Enable Unicode Hex Input under System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources
2. Switch to the Unicode Hex Input keyboard
3. Hold Option and type 203D
4. Releases as ‽

Method 3: Create a Custom Keyboard Shortcut

Mac doesn’t have a built-in shortcut for ‽, but you can create one using Text Replacement:

1. Go to System Settings > Keyboard > Text Replacements
2. Click +
3. In Replace, type something like ?!?
4. In With, paste ‽
5. Click Add

Now typing ?!? in any app on your Mac will auto-suggest ‽ as a replacement.

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How to Type the Interrobang on iPhone and Android

iPhone (iOS)

The interrobang is not on the default iOS keyboard, but the emoji variant ⁉ is available through the emoji keyboard:

1. Open the emoji keyboard (tap the smiley face icon)
2. Search for “exclamation” or “question”
3. Tap ⁉ to insert

For the true typographic ‽, set up a text replacement shortcut:

1. Go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement
2. Tap +
3. In Phrase, paste ‽
4. In Shortcut, type something like ?!
5. Now typing ?! will auto-suggest ‽

Android (Gboard)

Like iOS, Android’s default keyboard includes the ⁉ emoji but not the typographic ‽. To access ⁉:

1. Open the emoji keyboard
2. Search “exclamation question”
3. Tap ⁉ to insert

For the typographic ‽ on Android:

1. Go to Gboard Settings > Dictionary > Personal Dictionary
2. Add ‽ as a word with a shortcut like ?!
3. Gboard will suggest ‽ whenever you type that shortcut

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How to Type the Interrobang in Microsoft Word

Method 1: Alt + X (Fastest in Word)

Type 203D then press Alt + X — Word instantly converts it to ‽.

Method 2: AutoCorrect Setup

Set Word to auto-replace a key sequence with ‽:

1. Go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options
2. In Replace, type something like ?!
3. In With, paste ‽
4. Click Add, then OK

Now typing ?! anywhere in Word will automatically produce ‽.

Tip: Be careful choosing your trigger sequence — ?! might conflict with legitimate usage. Consider a less common string like (interrobang) or (irb) to avoid accidental substitutions.

Method 3: Insert > Symbol

1. Go to Insert > Symbol > More Symbols
2. Set from to Unicode (hex)
3. Type 203D in the Character code box
4. Click Insert

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How to Type the Interrobang in Google Docs

Method 1: Insert > Special Characters

1. Go to Insert > Special Characters
2. Search for “interrobang”
3. Click ‽ to insert it directly

Method 2: Copy and Paste

Copy ‽ from this article and paste directly into your Google Doc — no additional steps required.

Method 3: Substitutions

1. Go to Tools > Preferences > Substitutions
2. In Replace, type (irb)
3. In With, paste ‽
4. Click OK

Google Docs will now auto-replace (irb) with ‽ as you type.

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Interrobang in HTML and CSS

For web developers and publishers, here are all the correct ways to render the interrobang in code:

Method	Code	Result
HTML numeric (hex)	‽	‽
HTML numeric (decimal)	‽	‽
Emoji variant (hex)	⁉	⁉
CSS content property	content: "\203D";	‽
Direct UTF-8	paste ‽ directly	‽

Note: The interrobang does not have a named HTML entity like † or €. Always use the numeric hex form ‽ for maximum compatibility.

CSS example:

css

.excited-question::after {
  content: "\203D";
  font-style: italic;
}

Font support warning: Not all fonts include the interrobang glyph. If ‽ appears as a blank box or replacement character on your site, specify a fallback font stack that includes a font known to support it, such as Segoe UI, Arial Unicode MS, or DejaVu Sans.

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‽ vs. ?! — What’s the Difference?

Many writers use ?! or !? as a substitute for the interrobang — and in casual writing, that’s perfectly acceptable. Here’s how they compare:

	?! or !?	‽
Availability	Any keyboard, no lookup needed	Requires special input
Appearance	Two separate characters	Single unified glyph
Formality	Informal / casual	Typographically correct
Font support	Universal	Varies by font
Space used	Two character widths	One character width

For casual texting, social media, and everyday writing, ?! gets the job done. For editorial design, typographic work, or when you simply want to do things the right way, ‽ is the correct character.

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A Brief History of the Interrobang

The interrobang’s story is one of typographic ambition that arrived slightly ahead of its time.

After Martin Speckter introduced it in 1962, the symbol gained enough traction that American Type Founders included it in a typeface in 1966. Remington added it to one of its electric typewriter models in 1968. For a brief moment it seemed like the interrobang might enter mainstream punctuation alongside the period, comma, and question mark.

It didn’t. The rise of digital typesetting in the 1970s and 80s reset the typographic landscape, and the interrobang quietly faded. It was added to Unicode in 1993 — a form of official recognition — but remained largely unknown to the general public.

Today the interrobang lives on as a favorite of typographers, font designers, and language enthusiasts. Several major fonts including Wingdings 2, Palatino Linotype, Lucida Grande, and Calibri include the glyph. It regularly appears on graphic design merchandise, tattoos, and as the centerpiece of typographic art prints.

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Related Punctuation Symbols Worth Knowing

If you’re interested in the interrobang, you may also appreciate these other lesser-known punctuation marks:

Symbol	Name	Unicode	Purpose
‽	Interrobang	U+203D	Excited question
⁉	Exclamation question mark	U+2049	Emoji variant
؟	Arabic question mark	U+061F	Right-to-left question
¿	Inverted question mark	U+00BF	Spanish opening question
¡	Inverted exclamation mark	U+00A1	Spanish opening exclamation
…	Ellipsis	U+2026	Trailing off / omission
—	Em dash	U+2014	Strong pause or interruption
§	Section sign	U+00A7	Legal/academic section marker
¶	Pilcrow	U+00B6	Paragraph marker

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Quick Reference: Interrobang Cheat Sheet

	‽	⁉
Name	Interrobang	Exclamation question mark
Unicode	U+203D	U+2049
HTML numeric	‽	⁉
Windows Alt code	Alt + 8253 (numpad)	—
Word (Alt+X)	Type 203D + Alt+X	Type 2049 + Alt+X
Mac (Unicode)	Option + 203D	Option + 2049
Mac (Viewer)	Ctrl+Cmd+Space, search “interrobang”	← same
Mobile	Text replacement shortcut	Emoji keyboard
CSS escape	\203D	\2049
Invented	1962 by Martin K. Speckter	—

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Final Thoughts

The interrobang is a rare case of a punctuation mark with a known inventor, a precise birthday, and a genuinely useful purpose — yet it never quite made it into everyday writing. For most casual use, ?! remains the path of least resistance. But when typographic precision matters — in editorial design, formal documents, or anywhere you want to do things properly — ‽ is the correct character. Mac users can access it fastest through the Character Viewer, Word users can lean on the Alt + X method, and everyone else can set up a text replacement shortcut or keep a copy-paste ready. The interrobang deserves more love than it gets‽