Upside-down Question Mark: What it Means & How to Type it

Different languages worldwide have unique writing styles, alphabets, and punctuation marks that differ from others. For instance, the upside-down question mark makes little sense to English speakers, but it does in written Spanish. Likewise, using mathematical symbols like the does not equal sign when typing.

What does the upside-down question mark mean?

The upside question mark is a punctuation mark written at the beginning of an interrogative sentence. It indicates that the sentence that follows is a question. Unlike the regular one present on English keyboards, the inverted question mark can’t be found anywhere on the keyboard.

Furthermore, in the Spanish written language and other languages written with the Latin alphabet, punctuation is used to create interrogative sentences.

Its question function is indicated at the start rather than the regular question mark functioning at the end.

However, most users copy and paste the inverted mark because it is unavailable on their keyboard.

Nevertheless, this punctuation not on regular keyboards doesn’t mean it can’t be used or typed in your sentences. There are ways to use it on different devices and operating systems.

How do I type an upside-down question mark?

As said earlier, the upside-down question mark can be typed and used on devices like Windows, Mac, and Android. To do this, you need to use specific key combinations depending on the device. Next, we’ll take you through how to use it on your device.

1. Insert it into Windows

1. Move your cursor to where you want to type the code.
2. Enable the Num lock option on your keyboard.
3. Press and hold the Alt key, then type any of the following to insert it: Alt + 168  Alt + 0191  Alt + 6824.
4. Release the Alt key.

Note that you can use any of the three key combinations and still get the same result.

For users experiencing problems with their keyboard, check out fixes for issues with some keys not working on Windows 11. Also, read about what to do if the number pad is not working on your computer.

2. Type upside-down question mark in Microsoft Word

While using Microsoft Word to write on your Windows PC, press the Ctrl + Alt + Shift + / keys combination to insert the upside-down question mark.

Note that this key combination only works while on Microsoft Word.

You can check what to do if Microsoft Word is not opening on your PC. Also, read our guide on rectifying the shift key not working on Windows 10/11.

3. Type the upside-down question mark on Mac

1. Move your cursor to the point where you want the punctuation.
2. Press the following keys simultaneously to type the upside-down question mark: Option + Shift + ?

4. How to type the upside-down question mark on Android?

1. Go to where you want to put the punctuation.
2. Tap your screen to open the keyboard, then press the number/special characters to switch the button in the bottom-left corner of the keyboard.
3. Press and hold the question mark button until a pop-up appears with an option for the upside-down question mark.
4. Before releasing the key, swipe to the right or left based on your keyboard to select it.

The above steps apply to iPhone users also.

We have other detailed articles about typing more characters not available on your keyboard. For example, read how to type the does not equal sign on your PC.

You can also install and use a Japanese keyboard on your PC by following the steps outlined in this article.

If you have further questions and suggestions, kindly drop them in the comment section.