SymbolHub

Thorn Letter (þ) (þ)

The thorn letter (þ) þ is Unicode U+00FE, the ancient Germanic and Icelandic letter representing the “th” sound. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard, or type it with Alt + 0254 on Windows.

Unicode
U+00FE
HTML
þ
Windows
Alt + 0254

How to type the thorn letter (þ) (þ)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type þ yourself, use the method for your device below. On Windows the alt code is Alt + 0254.

Windows

  1. Hold Alt and type 0254 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Num Lock must be on. This uses the Windows-1252 code page, so it works in almost every Windows app.
  2. In Word or Outlook, type 00FE and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  3. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Latin Small Letter Thorn, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for thorn letter and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 00FE.

Linux & ChromeOS

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

iPhone & iPad

  1. Copy þ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;thor. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Android

  1. Copy þ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 00FE, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 00FE in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “thorn letter” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(254) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write þ or þ in your HTML.

What does þ mean?

The letter thorn þ (capital Þ, Unicode name LATIN SMALL LETTER THORN) is a historic Germanic letter derived from the runic alphabet (thurisaz, meaning giant or thorn). In Old English, Middle English, and Old Norse manuscripts, þ represented dental fricatives—specifically the voiceless “th” sound heard in modern English thing and thorn. Today, Icelandic is the sole living national language that retains thorn as an everyday letter of its alphabet.

Thorn is also the historic origin of the curious phrase “Ye Olde”. When printing presses arrived in 15th-century England from Germany and Italy, early type founders lacked the letter thorn in their metal typecases. English printers substituted the blackletter ‘y’, which closely resembled cursive thorn (þ). While readers continued to pronounce it as “The Old”, modern generations mistakenly read it with a ‘y’ sound. Type þ on Windows with Alt + 0254, or copy it from this page.

Common uses

  • Icelandic vocabulary and geography: Þingvellir (Thingvellir), þú (you), þakka (to thank)
  • Historical linguistics and Old English transcriptions (e.g. Beowulf lines)
  • Medieval and Anglo-Saxon historical studies
  • Phonetic analysis of historical Germanic languages

Thorn Letter (þ) codes for HTML, CSS and programming

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

Unicode code pointU+00FE
HTML entity (named)þ
HTML decimalþ
HTML hexþ
CSS contentcontent: "\FE";
JavaScript"\u00FE"
Python"\u00FE"
Python (by name)"\N{LATIN SMALL LETTER THORN}"
Java / C#"\u00FE"
UTF-8 bytesC3 BE
UTF-1600FE
URL encoded%C3%BE
Windows Alt codeAlt + 0254

þ vs look-alike characters

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

CharNameWhen to use it
P
U+0070		Latin letter p, with the loop at the top and no ascender.
B
U+0062		Latin letter b, with an ascender and a loop at the bottom.
D
U+0064		Latin letter d, facing in the opposite direction.
Eth
U+00F0		Latin letter eth (U+00F0), the voiced counterpart to thorn in Old English and Icelandic.

Symbols similar to þ

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes.

þ character properties

Official Unicode name
LATIN SMALL LETTER THORN
Also known as
thorn, icelandic thorn, old english thorn, th letter
Code point
U+00FE
Unicode block
Latin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF)
General category
Lowercase letter (Ll)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

Why did "Ye Olde" use a Y instead of Th?

Early printing presses imported from Europe lacked the letter thorn (þ). English printers substituted the letter "y" as the closest visual match, but it was still pronounced "the".

What is the alt code for the thorn letter?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0254 on the numeric keypad to produce þ.

What is the alt code for the thorn letter (þ)?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0254 on the numeric keypad to get þ. On a laptop without a keypad, copy it from this page or use 00FE then Alt + X in Word.

How do I type the thorn letter (þ) on a Mac?

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

What is the HTML code for the thorn letter (þ)?

Use the named entity þ or the numeric reference þ (hex þ). All three display þ in every browser.

What is the Unicode for the thorn letter (þ)?

þ is U+00FE, officially named LATIN SMALL LETTER THORN, in the Latin-1 Supplement block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).