Personal Finance Tips

How to type the British pound sign on keyboard (Mac and PC)

Gert Svaiko

22.04.25 (updated more than 1 year ago)

Read time 2 minutes

Need to add the British pound sign to your document, website, email, or when sending a DM? We got you covered. In this guide, we’ll go through everything you need to know about inserting the pound symbol on your keyboard and smartphone.

And if you need to send pounds overseas, the money services provider Wise has you covered along with over 12.8 million other people, offering low, transparent fees* and great exchange rates.

Send your £ with Wise 💷

How to type the British pound sign on keyboard (Mac and PC)?

If you need to type the British pound sign, here’s how to do it on both a Mac and a Windows PC.

Firstly, on a Mac. The easiest way is to use the keyboard shortcut. This is to hold down Shift (Option on US keyboards), while pressing the number 3.

On a Windows PC or laptop, you can use exactly the same shortcut. Simply hold down Shift and then press the number 3. This is usually on the top row of your keyboard, although it can be to the side if you’re using a full keyboard with a number pad.

Many keyboards will also feature the £ symbol above the number 3, making it easier to remember which one to press. Although, of course, you’re not likely to find the British pound sign on American keyboards.

For ease, you can also go ahead and copy and paste the pound symbol from here:

How to get a British pound symbol using Alt codes on the number pad or number lock

To type the British pound symbol using the number pad on your keyboard, you can use an Alt code.

Here’s how to do it:

Make sure the Num Lock key is on so you can use the number pad.
Press and hold the Alt key on your keyboard.
While holding the Alt key, type 0163 on the number pad.
Let go of the Alt key, and the pound symbol (£) should appear.

This method works on most Windows computers. If it doesn't work, check your keyboard settings or try a different method.

How to insert a British pound sign on a mobile device (iOS and Android)?

Using a smartphone, tablet or other mobile device? It couldn’t be easier to insert the British pound sign into a message or search query.

For both iOS and Android devices, you simply need to switch to the numbers and symbols keyboard. The £ sign should be one of the options. Although if it isn’t, you can also hold down the dollar sign ($) to see more currency symbol options.

How to get the British pound sign in popular word processors – without typing?

If you don’t have access to a keyboard, there is a way you can insert a British pound sign on your word processor without typing.

On applications such as Microsoft Word or Google Docs, you can simply follow these steps:

Go to Insert from the drop-down menu at the top
Select ‘Symbol’ on Word, or ‘Special Characters’ on Google Docs
You should be able to select the £ symbol. On Google Docs, you may need to select ‘Symbol’ and then ‘Currency’ from the category menus.

What is the British pound sign?

The British pound sign looks like this:

According to the Bank of England, the symbol originates from the letter L. This is the first letter of the Latin word for ‘libra’, which means a pound of money.

The horizontal line was added later, although it’s not sure when. In the Bank of England’s collection, there’s a cheque dating back to 1660, where the line is present.¹

💡Read more: Different currency symbols of the world

Does the British pound sign come before or after the number?

The British pound sign generally comes before the number. So when you’re writing a sum of money such as ten pounds, you’d write it like this: £10.

What’s the British pound abbreviation?

The British pound can be a little confusing to foreigners, as it has a few different names and abbreviations.

The currency is actually called sterling. Although internationally, it’s generally known as the British pound or pound sterling. Colloquially, British people sometimes call it a “quid”.

On the foreign exchange market, the British pound is abbreviated to GBP.

And that’s it - everything you need to know about how to type the British pound sign on Mac, PC or your smartphone.

Open a Wise Business account online

Sources used:

Bank of England - History of the use of the single crossbar pound sign on Bank of England’s banknotes

Sources last checked on date: 22-Apr-2025

*Please see terms of use and product availability for your region or visit Wise fees and pricing for the most up to date pricing and fee information.

This publication is provided for general information purposes and does not constitute legal, tax or other professional advice from Wise Payments Limited or its subsidiaries and its affiliates, and it is not intended as a substitute for obtaining advice from a financial advisor or any other professional.

We make no representations, warranties or guarantees, whether expressed or implied, that the content in the publication is accurate, complete or up to date.