SymbolHub

Dharma Wheel Symbol (☸)

The dharma wheel symbol ☸ is Unicode U+2638, the Buddhist wheel of dharma. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+2638
HTML
☸
Word
2638 Alt+X

How to type the dharma wheel symbol (☸)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ☸ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

  1. In Word or Outlook, type 2638 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  2. Press Win + . to open the emoji panel, then search for “wheel of dharma”.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for wheel of dharma and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 2638.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2638, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Open the emoji keyboard and search for “wheel of dharma” to insert ☸️, the colour emoji. For the plain text ☸, copy it from this page.
  2. Copy ☸ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;dhar. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. In Gboard, tap the emoji key and search for “wheel of dharma” to insert ☸️. For the plain text ☸, copy it from this page.
  2. Copy ☸ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 2638, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 2638 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “wheel of dharma” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(9784) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ☸ or ☸ in your HTML.

What does ☸ mean?

☸ is the dharmachakra, the wheel of dharma. In Buddhism it represents the Buddha’s teaching, and its eight spokes stand for the Noble Eightfold Path. A 24-spoked form, the Ashoka Chakra, sits at the centre of the flag of India. The Unicode name is WHEEL OF DHARMA, and with the emoji selector it shows as ☸️.

Common uses

  • Buddhist texts and temple announcements
  • Vesak greetings
  • Meditation and mindfulness content

Dharma Wheel Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ☸. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Unicode code pointU+2638
HTML decimal☸
HTML hex☸
CSS contentcontent: "\2638";
JavaScript"\u2638"
Python"\u2638"
Python (by name)"\N{WHEEL OF DHARMA}"
Java / C#"\u2638"
UTF-8 bytesE2 98 B8
UTF-162638
URL encoded%E2%98%B8

☸ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ☸ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
Helm Symbol
U+2388		Helm symbol, a ship’s wheel used as a control-key label; it looks similar but is technical.
Wheel of dharma
U+2638 U+FE0F		The emoji form, drawn in colour.

Symbols similar to ☸

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full religious symbols collection.

☸ character properties

Official Unicode name
WHEEL OF DHARMA
Also known as
wheel of dharma, dharmachakra, buddhist wheel
Code point
U+2638
Unicode block
Miscellaneous Symbols (U+2600–U+26FF)
General category
Other symbol (So)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
Has an emoji form: ☸️ (add U+FE0F)

Frequently asked questions

What do the eight spokes of the dharma wheel mean?

They represent the Noble Eightfold Path of Buddhism: right view, intention, speech, action, livelihood, effort, mindfulness and concentration.

Is there an alt code for the dharma wheel symbol?

No. ☸ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 2638 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the dharma wheel symbol on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ☸ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “wheel of dharma” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the dharma wheel symbol?

☸ has no named HTML entity. Use the numeric reference ☸ or ☸, or paste the character directly into a UTF-8 page.

What is the Unicode for the dharma wheel symbol?

☸ is U+2638, officially named WHEEL OF DHARMA, in the Miscellaneous Symbols block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).