U+238B · Miscellaneous Technical
Escape Symbol ⎋
The broken circle with a northwest arrow is the ISO symbol for the Escape key. It appears on some keyboard keycaps and in technical manuals, accessibility documentation and shortcut references, where it stands in for the word "Esc." The design shows an arrow breaking out of a circle, a visual metaphor for leaving the current state or mode, and Apple uses it in some macOS menus.
Character codes
| Unicode code point | U+238B | |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 9099 | |
| HTML (hex) | ⎋ | |
| HTML (decimal) | ⎋ | |
| CSS | \238B | |
| JavaScript | \u238B | |
| Python | \u238B | |
| UTF-8 bytes | E2 8E 8B | |
| UTF-16 | 238B | |
| URL-encoded | %E2%8E%8B |
Character details
| Official name | BROKEN CIRCLE WITH NORTHWEST ARROW |
|---|---|
| Unicode block | Miscellaneous Technical |
| General category | Other Symbol (So) |
| SymbolHero category | Arrows |
| Emoji | No |
How to type ⎋
Windows
- In Microsoft Word or Outlook: type
238Bthen press Alt + X. - Open Character Map (search “Character Map” in Start), tick “Advanced view”, search for “broken circle with northwest arrow”, then Select and Copy.
Mac
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “broken circle with northwest arrow”, and double-click the result.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type
238B.
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 “broken circle with northwest arrow” or enter
U+238B. - HTML:
⎋ - Excel / Google Sheets:
=UNICHAR(9099)
Examples
- Press ⎋ to exit full screen
- Force Quit: ⌥⌘⎋
- ⎋ cancels the dialog
Good to know
Tip: The symbol is uncommon in everyday fonts, so check that it renders on your target devices; many guides simply write Esc instead.
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 arrows
Questions
What is the Unicode for ⎋?
It is U+238B (BROKEN CIRCLE WITH NORTHWEST ARROW), decimal 9099.
Is there a Windows Alt code for it?
No standard Alt code exists for this character. In Word type 238B then Alt+X, or copy it from this page.
How do I type it on a Mac?
There is no built-in Option shortcut. Use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) and search “broken circle with northwest arrow”, or copy it from this page.
What is the HTML code?
Use the numeric reference ⎋ (or ⎋). There is no named entity.