Fraction symbols
This is the fraction copy and paste page: click any fraction below and it copies, ready for a recipe, a worksheet, a measurement or a message. Unicode calls these precomposed characters “vulgar fractions” — vulgar in the old sense of common, not rude — and there are exactly twenty of them, from ½ down to the scorekeeper’s ↉. Below the grid you will find each common fraction as a decimal and a percentage, and the trick for building any fraction Unicode forgot.
Copy and paste fraction symbols — the full set
Every precomposed fraction in Unicode, in value order. (Typographers file this under fraction copy paste; the last card, ⁄, is the fraction slash — the building block explained next.)
Make ANY fraction — the fraction slash trick
Unicode stopped at the twenty above, so ⁵⁄₈-style values like five eighths exist (⅝) but something like ⁷⁄₁₀ does not — as a single character. Build it instead: type a superscript number, the fraction slash ⁄ (U+2044, not the ordinary / key — it leans more and pulls the digits in), then a subscript number. The two cards below copy the full digit sets; paste them and delete the digits you do not need: ⁷⁄₁₀, ⁴⁄₉, ¹¹⁄₁₂ all work this way, in most modern fonts.
In Microsoft Word there is a shortcut for common values: type 1/2 followed by a space and AutoFormat converts it to ½ automatically (the same works for 1/4 and 3/4). For anything else, Word’s equation tool (Insert → Equation → Fraction) stacks numbers properly — overkill for a recipe, right for a textbook.
Fractions as decimals and percentages
| Fraction | Decimal | Percent | Everyday use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ½ | 0.5 | 50% | Half a cup, half an hour |
| ¼ | 0.25 | 25% | ¼ tsp baking powder |
| ¾ | 0.75 | 75% | ¾ full |
| ⅓ | 0.333… | 33.3% | A third of the batter |
| ⅔ | 0.666… | 66.7% | Two-thirds majority |
| ⅛ | 0.125 | 12.5% | ⅛ inch drill bits |
| ⅜ | 0.375 | 37.5% | Socket and wrench sizes |
| ⅝ | 0.625 | 62.5% | Lumber dimensions |
| ⅞ | 0.875 | 87.5% | Nearly an inch |
| ⅒ | 0.1 | 10% | A tenth — one decimal place |
How to type the common fractions
Windows: the big three have Alt codes — Alt + 0189 (½), Alt + 0188 (¼), Alt + 0190 (¾), numeric keypad only. The rest have no Alt codes; copy them here or use the Character Map.
Word: type the hex code then Alt + X — BD gives ½, BC gives ¼, 215C gives ⅜.
Mac: no fraction keys; use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) and search “fraction”, or copy from this page.
Phone: many keyboards hide ½ behind a long-press on the / key or in the symbols pages — and copying from here always works.
Fraction codes
| Fraction | Unicode | HTML |
|---|---|---|
| ½ | U+00BD | ½ / ½ |
| ¼ | U+00BC | ¼ / ¼ |
| ¾ | U+00BE | ¾ / ¾ |
| ⅓ | U+2153 | ⅓ |
| ⅛ | U+215B | ⅛ |
| ⁄ | U+2044 (fraction slash) | ⁄ / ⁄ |
Explore more symbols
Fractions live inside the wider math symbols collection — and the companion guide shows how to type the degree symbol for the temperatures in those same recipes.
Frequently asked questions
How do I copy and paste a fraction?
Click a card on this page — the fraction copies instantly — then paste with Ctrl+V (Windows), Cmd+V (Mac) or long-press → Paste on a phone. The pasted character is real text, so it keeps its value in documents, spreadsheets and messages.
Why is there no single character for my fraction?
Unicode only precomposed the twenty fractions in the grid — the ones typesetters historically cast as single pieces of metal type. Everything else is built with the fraction slash and super/subscript digits, as shown above.
What does “vulgar fraction” mean?
It is the traditional typesetting name for a precomposed fraction like ½. “Vulgar” here is the Latin sense — common, ordinary — the opposite of a decimal fraction, not a judgement on the character.
Should I write ½ or 1/2 in a recipe?
½ reads faster and takes one character; 1/2 is safer in plain-text systems and spreadsheets that must calculate with the value. For display, use the symbol; for data, use the decimal (0.5).
What is ↉?
Vulgar fraction zero thirds (U+2189) — a scorekeeping character from baseball, where it records innings pitched in thirds of an inning. It is the only precomposed fraction with a zero on top.