Alt Codes & Keyboard Shortcuts
Guillemets
Angle quotation marks used instead of inverted commas in French, Russian and several other languages.
« »
- Windows
- Alt + 0171 and Alt + 0187
- Mac
- Option + \ and Option + Shift + \
- Unicode
- U+00AB and U+00BB
Try Guillemets
Edit the text, then change the font and size.
About this entry
What it is
Angle quotation marks used instead of inverted commas in French, Russian and several other languages.
Quoting in languages that use them, and typographic display work.
Copy & use
How to copy and use guillemets
- 01
Copy the complete value
Use the copy button above so the value is captured without its label, description or surrounding page text.
- 02
Paste it where you need it
Quoting in languages that use them, and typographic display work.
- 03
Check the final result
Windows Alt codes may require a numeric keypad and Num Lock. Laptop keyboards, browser fields and regional layouts can behave differently, so copying is the dependable fallback.
What it is for
When to reach for « »
Guillemets are the quotation marks of French, Russian, Spanish and several other languages. French spaces them inside the quotation; Russian does not, which is a typesetting rule rather than a typing one.
Getting the shortcut to work
The Windows code needs the numeric keypad with Num Lock on — the number row above the letters will not work. On a laptop without a keypad, use the copy button above or Windows Character Map.
Easily confused
Characters that look like « »
These are separate characters. They may look almost identical on screen, but they sort, search and compare differently.
Single guillemets
Used for a quotation inside a quotation, the way single inverted commas are in English.
Doubled angle brackets
A plain-text approximation. Readable, but it is two characters pretending to be one.
Common questions
Using guillemets
What is guillemets?
Angle quotation marks used instead of inverted commas in French, Russian and several other languages. Quoting in languages that use them, and typographic display work.
How do I type Guillemets without copying it?
On Windows: Alt + 0171 and Alt + 0187. On macOS: Option + \ and Option + Shift + \. Windows Alt codes need the numeric keypad with Num Lock on, so laptops without one are usually quicker to serve by the copy button above.
Will guillemets work everywhere?
Windows Alt codes may require a numeric keypad and Num Lock. Laptop keyboards, browser fields and regional layouts can behave differently, so copying is the dependable fallback.
Can I customise guillemets after copying?
You can add a short label, repeat compatible symbols or trim the design to fit. Keep important spaces, line breaks and uncommon Unicode characters intact while editing.
Also known as
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