\ Backslash or Reverse Slash Symbol (Meaning, How To Type on Keyboard, & More)

The Backslash symbol is a typographical mark that is mainly used in computing. It has other names like hack, whack, escape (from C/UNIX), reverse slash, slosh, down whack, back slant, back whack, bash, reverse slant, reversed solidus, and reversed virgule.

This symbol is available in standard HTML as \ and in Unicode, it is the character at code point U+005C, or 29 in decimal notation.

Continue reading below to learn more about the backslash symbol.

Copy Backslash Symbol Text

The easiest way to get the Backslash Symbol text is to copy and paste it wherever you need it.

Save yourself some time with the copy button above.

Once it is copied, switch over to where you need this symbol and press Ctrl and V on your keyboard to paste it there.

Backslash Symbol Details Table

The table below contains some useful information about the Backslash Symbol.

SYMBOL	\
NAME	Backslash
CATEGORY	Mathematics
ALT CODE	92
SHORTCUT 1	Alt + 92
SHORTCUT 2(WORD)	005C, Alt X
UNICODE	U+005C
HTML	\
HEX CODE	\
HTML ENTITY	\
CSS CODE	\005C

As much as possible, the above table has done a great deal in presenting some useful information about the Backslash Symbol including keyboard shortcuts.

The remaining section will explain this table further.

How to Get the Backslash Sign

Even though there’s a dedicated key for the Backslash symbol on the keyboard, you can also get this symbol using other methods other than the backslash key.

If you are using any of the Microsoft Office or Google apps, there are quick navigations you can perform to insert this symbol in Word, Excel, PowerPoint, or Google Docs.

Without any further ado, below are the various ways to get this symbol whether with your keyboard or using the navigation in MS Office or Google Docs.

Using the Backslash Symbol key on the keyboard

Some keyboards has a dedicated key for the backslash symbol. All you need to do is to press this key and the symbol will be inserted.

However, you may not know where exactly the backslash key is located. The following screenshots indicates where this symbol is placed on different keyboards for both Windows and Mac.

Symbol for Backslash Alt Code (Keyboard Shortcut)

The Backslash Symbol Alt Code shortcut is Alt + 92.

NOTE: This Alt Code shortcut works on Windows only.

You can simply use the Alt code method to type this symbol by pressing and holding the Alt key while typing the Symbol Alt code (92) using the numeric keypad on the right.

Below are detailed steps you may use to type the Symbol for Backslash with your keyboard.

• Open your Word document where you need to type the sign for Backslash.
• Place your cursor at the desired location.
• Press and hold down the Alt key.
• Whilst holding down the Alt key, press the Backslash Alt Code (92).
• After typing the code, release the Alt key.

As soon as you release the Alt key, the symbol (\) will immediately appear exactly where you place the cursor.

Backslash Symbol in Word/Excel/PowerPoint

For Microsoft Office users like Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, you can use this simple mouse navigation to quickly insert the Backslash sign.

Below steps will show you how to insert the Symbol for Backslash in Word or Excel or PowerPoint.

• Open your Word or Excel or PowerPoint document.
• Go to the Insert Tab.

• At the far-right section, you’ll see the Symbols group. Select Symbol > More Symbols.

The Symbol window will appear as below.

• From this window, you can find the symbol (\).
• To find it easily, change the font to Segoe UI Symbol, then type 005C in the Character code: box.

As soon as you type the character code, the Backslash sign will appear selected.

• Click the Insert button to insert it into your Word document.
• Close the Symbol dialog.

These are the steps you may use to insert the this (\) and any other symbol in Microsoft Word or other Office apps in both Windows and Mac OS.

Backslash Symbol in Google Docs

Google Docs is yet another text editor that people struggle with when it comes to typing or inserting the Sign for Backslash.

Meanwhile, Google Docs has the easiest way to insert symbols that are not found on the keyboard. Without further ado, let’s see how this is done.

To get the Backslash Symbol in Google Docs:

• Open Google Docs and place your cursor where you need the symbol.
• Go to Insert > Special Characters.

The Insert special characters window will appear with a search bar and a drawing pad.

• Using the Search bar, search for ‘reverse solidus’. Then double click on the Symbol for Backslash in the search results to insert it into Google Docs.

• You can also use the drawing pad below the search bar to draw the Symbol for reverse slash. If Google Docs recognize the drawing, it’ll display the symbol and similar signs in the results box. Then double click the symbol to insert it.

These are the steps you may use to insert this and any other symbol in Google Docs.

Sign for Reverse Slash on the Character Map (Windows)

The Character Map in Windows is a tool that is used to view characters in any installed font, to check what keyboard input (or Alt code) is used to type those characters, and to copy characters to the clipboard instead of typing them.

This section will show you how to use the Character Map tools to copy and paste the Backslash Symbol with ease.

Without further ado, let’s get started.

• Go to the Windows Start menu and search for Character Map.

• The Character Map app will appear in the search result. Click on it to Launch.
• When it is open, look at the bottom left of the window and click to expand the Advance view options.

• To easily locate the Backslash Symbol on the Character Map, type ‘reverse solidus’ in the ‘search for‘ box and hit enter.

The symbol will appear for you to copy.

• To copy this symbol, simply double click on it and it’ll be selected in the Characters to copy box. Then click on the Copy button to finally copy it to your clipboard.
• Place your cursor wherever you need the symbol and press Ctrl and V to paste the copied symbol.

And there you have it.

These are the steps you may also use to copy and paste the reverse slash symbol or any other symbol on your Windows PC.

Conclusion

As much as possible, we’ve tried to cover a lot of information about the Backslash Symbol.

Most people find it difficult to type or insert this symbol. So, we’ve broken down the several methods and steps needed to be able to type or insert it in Microsoft Word and Google Docs.

Thanks so much for reading this blog and have a wonderful day.