The upside down question mark is ¿ and the upside down exclamation mark is ¡. Their official Unicode names are INVERTED QUESTION MARK (U+00BF) and INVERTED EXCLAMATION MARK (U+00A1), both listed in the Unicode Latin-1 Supplement chart. Copy them from the box below, or use the keyboard shortcuts for your device. To flip whole sentences upside down, ¿ʇı sǝop ʍoɥ, try our free Upside Down Text Generator.
Copy the Upside Down Question Mark and Exclamation Mark
¿ ¡ ¿Qué? ¡Hola! ⸘
| Symbol | Unicode name | Code point | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¿ | Inverted question mark | U+00BF | ¿ |
| ¡ | Inverted exclamation mark | U+00A1 | ¡ |
| ⸘ | Inverted interrobang | U+2E18 | ⸘ |
How to Type ¿ and ¡ on Every Device
| Device | Upside down question mark ¿ | Upside down exclamation mark ¡ |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (number pad) | Hold Alt, type 0191 or 168 | Hold Alt, type 0161 or 173 |
| Microsoft Word | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+? | Ctrl+Alt+Shift+! |
| Mac | Option+Shift+? | Option+1 |
| iPhone and iPad | Press and hold the ? key | Press and hold the ! key |
| Android (Gboard) | Press and hold the ? key | Press and hold the ! key |
| Chromebook | Ctrl+Shift+U, then bf, then Enter | Ctrl+Shift+U, then a1, then Enter |
| Linux | Compose, then ?, then ? | Compose, then !, then ! |
| Spanish keyboard | Dedicated ¿ key (Shift + the ¡ key) | Dedicated ¡ key |
Alt codes need the number pad with Num Lock on. On laptops without a number pad, use Windows’ emoji and symbols panel (Windows key + period, then the Ω symbols tab) or copy the characters above.
Why Spanish Uses Upside Down Question Marks
In Spanish, a question or exclamation is marked at both ends: it opens with ¿ or ¡ and closes with ? or !. Because Spanish word order often does not change in a question, the opening mark tells the reader from the first word how to read the sentence. The Royal Spanish Academy (RAE) introduced the opening marks in the 18th century, and they are still required in standard Spanish today. Galician and Asturian use them too.
- Mark only the question part: Si vienes mañana, ¿me llamas? (If you come tomorrow, will you call me?)
- Combine them for surprise: ¿¡En serio!? or ¡¿En serio?! (Seriously?!)
- Capitalisation: the word after ¿ or ¡ is capitalised only if it starts the sentence.
Upside Down Question Mark vs. Upside Down Text
The inverted question mark is a real punctuation mark with its own meaning. Upside down text is different: every character is swapped for one that looks rotated 180 degrees, and the order is reversed so the whole line reads upside down. Our Upside Down Text Generator uses ¿ and ¡ as the flipped versions of ? and !, which is why the two often get confused. Learn how the flipping works in how upside down text actually works, or see 7 ways to type upside down.
Normal: Are you serious?! Upside down: ¡¿snoıɹǝs noʎ ǝɹ∀
Other Inverted and Combined Marks
- Interrobang (‽): a single mark that combines ? and !, created in 1962 by advertising executive Martin K. Speckter.
- Inverted interrobang (⸘): the opening version of ‽, for Spanish-style writing.
- Reversed question mark (⸮): a mirrored, not inverted, question mark. Find it with other flipped characters in our backwards letters list.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the upside down question mark called?
It is called the inverted question mark (¿), Unicode U+00BF. The upside down exclamation mark is the inverted exclamation mark (¡), U+00A1.
How do I type an upside down question mark on Windows?
Hold Alt and type 0191 on the number pad with Num Lock on. For ¡, hold Alt and type 0161.
How do I type ¿ on a Mac?
Press Option+Shift+? for ¿, and Option+1 for ¡.
How do I type ¿ on an iPhone or Android phone?
Press and hold the question mark key, then slide to ¿. Do the same on the exclamation key for ¡.
Why does Spanish use ¿ at the start of questions?
Spanish word order often stays the same in questions, so the opening ¿ tells the reader from the start that the sentence is a question.
Is ¿ the same as upside down text?
No. ¿ is a real punctuation mark. Upside down text replaces every letter with a rotated lookalike, and uses ¿ in place of a normal question mark.