Unicode Fraction Generator
Type a fraction such as 3/4, 17/24 or 2 3/16 and get it back as Unicode text you can paste anywhere: the single character ¾ where Unicode has one, and a built fraction like ¹⁷⁄₂₄ where it does not. Reduce to lowest terms, convert to mixed numbers, and see each character’s code point. Free, no sign-up.
Write 3/4, a mixed number such as 2 3/16, or a negative such as -5/8.
Results
| Entered | Result | Code points | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1/2 | ½ | U+00BD | |
| 3/4 | ¾ | U+00BE | |
| 17/24 | ¹⁷⁄₂₄ | U+00B9 U+2077 U+2044 U+2082 U+2084 | |
| 2 3/16 | 2 ³⁄₁₆ | U+0032 U+0020 U+00B3 U+2044 U+2081 U+2086 |
Built fractions rely on your font. If the digits look cramped or misaligned, choose the ordinary slash.
Single-character fractions
Click one to copy it.
How to Use the Unicode Fraction Generator
- 1. Enter your fractions. One per line: 3/4, a mixed number such as 2 3/16, or a negative such as -5/8.
- 2. Choose the style. The default uses a single character for the fractions Unicode provides and builds the rest. Switch to Always built if you want every fraction in the same style.
- 3. Choose the slash. The fraction slash (⁄) is the correct character for built fractions; the ordinary slash (/) is a safer fallback in fonts that handle the fraction slash badly.
- 4. Tidy if you like. Reduce to lowest terms turns 6/8 into ¾, and mixed numbers turns 7/4 into 1¾.
- 5. Copy. Copy one result, or all of them, one per line. The code points are shown so you can check exactly what you are pasting.
Two Ways Unicode Writes a Fraction
Unicode encodes 19 fractions as single characters, called vulgar fractions. Three come from the Latin-1 set that early computers used (¼, ½, ¾), and the others were added to cover sevenths, ninths, tenths, thirds, fifths, sixths and eighths. Any other fraction has to be assembled: a superscript numerator, the fraction slash (U+2044) and a subscript denominator, as in ¹⁷⁄₂₄. A fraction slash is designed to make a font draw the digits on either side as one stacked or diagonal fraction.
| Character | Fraction | Code point | Unicode name |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¼ | 1/4 | U+00BC | Vulgar fraction one quarter |
| ½ | 1/2 | U+00BD | Vulgar fraction one half |
| ¾ | 3/4 | U+00BE | Vulgar fraction three quarters |
| ⅐ | 1/7 | U+2150 | Vulgar fraction one seventh |
| ⅑ | 1/9 | U+2151 | Vulgar fraction one ninth |
| ⅒ | 1/10 | U+2152 | Vulgar fraction one tenth |
| ⅓ | 1/3 | U+2153 | Vulgar fraction one third |
| ⅔ | 2/3 | U+2154 | Vulgar fraction two thirds |
| ⅕ | 1/5 | U+2155 | Vulgar fraction one fifth |
| ⅖ | 2/5 | U+2156 | Vulgar fraction two fifths |
| ⅗ | 3/5 | U+2157 | Vulgar fraction three fifths |
| ⅘ | 4/5 | U+2158 | Vulgar fraction four fifths |
| ⅙ | 1/6 | U+2159 | Vulgar fraction one sixth |
| ⅚ | 5/6 | U+215A | Vulgar fraction five sixths |
| ⅛ | 1/8 | U+215B | Vulgar fraction one eighth |
| ⅜ | 3/8 | U+215C | Vulgar fraction three eighths |
| ⅝ | 5/8 | U+215D | Vulgar fraction five eighths |
| ⅞ | 7/8 | U+215E | Vulgar fraction seven eighths |
| ↉ | 0/3 | U+2189 | Vulgar fraction zero thirds |
For a unit fraction with any denominator there is a shortcut: the character ⅟ (U+215F, fraction numerator one) followed by subscript digits, so one twenty-fourth is ⅟₂₄. The tool uses it when the fraction slash is selected and the numerator is 1.
Some results
17/24 → ¹⁷⁄₂₄ (built)
1/24 → ⅟₂₄ (numerator one)
6/8 with lowest terms → ¾
7/4 with mixed numbers → 1¾
2 3/16 → 2 ³⁄₁₆ (a space keeps the 2 from reading as part of the numerator)
-5/8 → −⅝ (a true minus sign)
Where Unicode Fractions Work and Where They Do Not
- Single-character fractions work almost everywhere, because they have been in fonts for decades. On Windows, Alt+0188, Alt+0189 and Alt+0190 type ¼, ½ and ¾.
- Built fractions depend on the font. Many fonts draw the superscript, slash and subscript neatly; some leave gaps or misalign them. Try the ordinary slash if the result looks uneven.
- Web pages can do better than pasted characters: put
<sup>17</sup>⁄<sub>24</sub>in the HTML, or style a plain 17/24 with the CSS rulefont-variant-numeric: diagonal-fractions, which asks the font to draw a real fraction. - Maths documents should use proper maths markup. In Word use the equation editor, and in LaTeX use
\frac{17}{24}; Unicode fractions are for running text. - Accessibility. Screen readers say ½ as one half, but they may read a built fraction digit by digit, with the words superscript, fraction slash and subscript. For anything that must be accessible, write 17/24.
To convert a decimal to a fraction first, use the Decimal to Fraction calculator. For superscripts and subscripts in general text, such as footnote numbers and chemical formulas, use the Superscript Generator.
Frequently Asked Questions
- How do I type a fraction like ½ on my keyboard?
- Copy it from the table or the buttons below the results. On Windows, hold Alt and type 0189 on the numeric keypad for ½, 0188 for ¼ and 0190 for ¾. On a Mac, use the Character Viewer (Control+Command+Space) and search for fraction.
- How do I write a fraction that has no single character, like 17/24?
- Write it as a superscript numerator, the fraction slash and a subscript denominator: ¹⁷⁄₂₄. This tool builds it for you, and you copy the result as ordinary text.
- What is the fraction slash and how is it different from a normal slash?
- The fraction slash (U+2044, ⁄) is a character made for fractions. Fonts that support it draw the digits around it as one fraction. The ordinary slash (/) is a general punctuation mark and does not prompt that behaviour, but it is more reliably drawn in plain text.
- Why does my built fraction look uneven?
- Your font does not align its superscript and subscript digits with the slash. Switch to the ordinary slash, change the font, or use markup such as the HTML and CSS options above.
- How do I write a mixed number like 1½ or 2 ³⁄₁₆?
- Enter it as 1 1/2 or 2 3/16. A single-character fraction attaches directly to the whole number (1½). A built fraction gets a space after the whole number, so the 2 does not run into the superscript.
- Can I use these in an exam, a spreadsheet or a citation?
- They are plain text, so they paste into most documents. Spreadsheets treat them as text rather than numbers, so keep the values in ordinary numeric cells. In citations, copy page and volume numbers exactly as the source prints them.