Looking to write about one part in a thousand? Not sure how to type the per mille sign, e.g., for measures of salinity? Find out here how to insert the per mille sign (‰) on a Mac using the keyboard or emoji panel.
First, Eats Seeds and Leaves
Merriam’s kangaroo rat eats seeds and drinks—seeds.
Adapted to the dry North American deserts they inhabit, the rats can extract the water they need from the seeds they consume. Together with other water-conserving measures, this lets them survive without drinking water.
So, we might not be able to measure the liquids they consume in per mille of their diet even—but at least we can write ‰:
How to Insert the Per Mille Sign ( ‰ ) on a Mac
Per Mille Symbol Mac Keyboard Shortcut
Time needed: 1 minute
To insert the per mille symbol anywhere using a macOS keyboard shortcut on a Mac:
- Position the text cursor where you want to insert the per mille symbol.
Here’s where: Place the symbol where you would use the % (percent) sign with parts in a 100, immediately following a number and separated from the following parts of speech (except punctuation) with a whitespace character; the number and per mille sign are treated like a word.
- Press Option Shift R.
US-English: The key combination above is for a Mac’s US-English keyboard layout; see below for other languages.
Example:The Pöstlingberg mountain tramway in Linz has a maximum inclination of 116‰.
Find the Key Combination for Per Mille on Your Mac
To identify the key combination that will insert the per mille sign using a keyboard layout:
- Open keyboard viewer on the Mac.
- Hold the Option and Shift keys independently and together looking for ‰ on a key to identify the combination for the character.
Using the Mac Emoji Panel to Insert the Per Mille Symbol
To input the per mille sign using the emoji panel on a Mac:
- Place the text cursor where the per mille symbol ‰ is to be inserted.
- Open the emoji panel or character viewer.
Here’s how: You can select Edit | Emoji & Symbols from the menu.
macOS keyboard shortcut: You can also press 🌐︎ or Fn E to access emojis on a Mac. - Type
per millein the search field. - Double click to insert the PER MILLE SIGN character ‰.
How to Insert the Per Mille Sign ( ‰ ) on a Mac: FAQ
Can I insert the per mille symbol in HTML?
Yes.
To use the symbol for a thousandth in HTML, insert either the symbol directly (provided the document’s encoding is in Unicode) or use the HTML entity ‰.
What can I substitute for per mill?
If you cannot insert the ‰ symbol, you can resort to:
- The written expression
per mille.
Example: The gradient was 2.3 per mille. - The character combination
%o(the percent sign and the small letter ‘o’).
Example: Surface salinity can reach up to 39%o.
Caution: This substitution makes it harder to parse the document, including for screen readers; preferably use the written form “per mille”.
Can I copy the per mille sign for pasting?
Yes.
Use the table to copy the ‰ sign:
Per mille sign ‰ |
(How to insert the per mille sign on a Mac tested with macOS Sonoma 14.6; first published August 2024)