U+02D9 · Spacing Modifier Letters
Dot Above ˙
The dot above ˙ is a standalone, spacing version of the accent seen on letters like ż and ġ. Because it takes up its own space instead of sitting on a letter, it is used to talk about the diacritic itself, and in Zhuyin (Bopomofo) to mark the neutral tone in Mandarin. It also appears in some physics notation for time derivatives.
Character codes
| Unicode code point | U+02D9 | |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 729 | |
| HTML named entity | ˙ | |
| HTML (hex) | ˙ | |
| HTML (decimal) | ˙ | |
| CSS | \02D9 | |
| JavaScript | \u02D9 | |
| Python | \u02D9 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | CB 99 | |
| UTF-16 | 02D9 | |
| URL-encoded | %CB%99 |
Character details
| Official name | DOT ABOVE |
|---|---|
| Unicode block | Spacing Modifier Letters |
| General category | Modifier Symbol (Sk) |
| SymbolHero category | Phonetic (IPA) Symbols |
| Decomposition | <compat> U+0020 U+0307 |
| Emoji | No |
How to type ˙
Windows
- In Microsoft Word or Outlook: type
02D9then press Alt + X. - Open Character Map (search “Character Map” in Start), tick “Advanced view”, search for “dot above”, then Select and Copy.
Mac
- Press Option + H (US English keyboard layout).
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “dot above”, and double-click the result.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type
02D9.
iPhone & Android
- Tap Copy at the top of this page, then long-press where you want it and choose Paste.
Docs & web
- Google Docs: Insert → Special characters, then search “dot above” or enter
U+02D9. - HTML:
˙or˙ - Excel / Google Sheets:
=UNICHAR(729)
Examples
- The Polish letter ż uses a dot above (˙).
- Zhuyin neutral tone: ˙ㄇㄚ
- Accent reference: ˙ ¨ ˚ ˜
Good to know
Don’t mix it up: It is often confused with the combining dot above (U+0307), which attaches to the preceding letter instead of standing alone.
Tip: To put a dot on a letter, use a precomposed letter such as ż, or the combining U+0307, not this spacing character.
Display: the character itself is always the same code point, but its shape comes from the font on the device showing it. If you see an empty box, the font lacks this glyph—the text is still correct.
Similar phonetic (ipa) symbols
Questions
What is the Unicode for ˙?
It is U+02D9 (DOT ABOVE), decimal 729.
Is there a Windows Alt code for it?
No standard Alt code exists for this character. In Word type 02D9 then Alt+X, or copy it from this page.
How do I type it on a Mac?
Option + H on a US English keyboard, or use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space).
What is the HTML code?
Use the named entity ˙ or the numeric reference ˙.