Half Star Symbol to Copy

Copy ⯪ or a finished rating such as ★★★½☆, and use a ½ row where ⯪ is an empty box.

⯪Star with left half blackU+2BEAReady to copy

55 half stars and ratings. Tap any value to copy it.

55 half stars and ratings. A character and its name both copy the character. A code copies the code.
Character	Name	Code point	Alt code	LaTeX
	U+2BEA. The half star of a rating: a star outline with its left half filled, made to sit to the right of whole stars. Proposed in 2016, added in version 11.0 (2018). Some devices still have no font for it, so look at what arrives before you post it.
	U+2BE8. Only the left half of a filled star, with nothing where the right half would be. Unicode files the four under Half star characters and cross-references ★ to this one. Added in version 11.0 (2018).
	U+00BD. The stand-in for a half star: put it after the whole stars, as in ★★★½. Alt+171 or Alt+0189 on a number pad, ½ in HTML, \textonehalf in LaTeX. In Unicode since version 1.1 (1993), and in the old PC character set before that.
	U+2605. The filled star of a rating. Black is Unicode's word for solid. &starf; in HTML, and \bigstar in LaTeX with the amssymb package.
	U+2606. The empty star that pads a rating out to five. White is Unicode's word for outlined. &star; in HTML.
	Made of U+00BD and U+2606. 0.5 out of 5. Some critics make half a star their lowest mark: Scheuer's movie guide ran from half a star, abysmal, to four, excellent.
	Made of U+2605, U+00BD and U+2606. 1.5 out of 5. The pattern of every row here: whole stars, then ½, then empty stars up to five characters.
	Made of U+2605, U+00BD and U+2606. 2.5 out of 5, the exact middle of a scale that starts at zero.
	Made of U+2605, U+00BD and U+2606. 3.5 out of 5. On a five-star scale three stars is often the lowest positive mark, so this one is a clear yes.
	Made of U+2605 and U+00BD. 4.5 out of 5. No empty star is left to add, so the short form and the padded form are the same string.
	Made of U+25CF, U+25D0 and U+25CB. The same rating in circles. The half is ◐, U+25D0, in Unicode since 1993, so fonts older than the half star can draw it.
	Made of U+2605 and U+00BD. The short form: whole stars, then ½, and no empty stars. Say out of how many, because film critics' scales differ.
	U+2B50. The star emoji. Unicode names it White medium star and the emoji list calls it star. The emoji list has no half star, so a rating in emoji borrows ½ too.
	U+2B51. A smaller filled star, which Unicode cross-references to ★. Next to whole stars it reads as less than one, though nothing says half. Added in version 5.1 (2008).
	U+2B52. The outlined partner of ⭑. Added in version 5.1 (2008).
	Made of U+2605 and U+00BD. The short form of 1.5: one star, then ½.
	Made of U+2605 and U+00BD. The short form of 2.5. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel marked films from zero to four stars, where this is above the middle.
	Made of U+00BD and U+2605. A figure and one star, for a column too narrow for five characters.
	Made of U+0031, U+00BD and U+2605. 1½ and one star. The digit is a plain 1 and the half is U+00BD.
	Made of U+0032, U+00BD and U+2605. 2½ and one star.
	Made of U+0033, U+00BD and U+2605. 3½ and one star.
	Made of U+0034, U+00BD and U+2605. 4½ and one star.
	Made of U+2B50 and U+00BD. One star emoji, then ½. The emoji draws in colour and the ½ stays in the text colour.
	Made of U+2B50 and U+00BD. Two star emoji, then ½.
	Made of U+2B50 and U+00BD. Three star emoji, then ½.
	Made of U+2B50 and U+00BD. Four star emoji, then ½.
	Made of U+2606. 0 out of 5: five empty stars. Ebert and Siskel's scale started at zero as well.
	Made of U+2605 and U+2606. 1 out of 5. Hotel ratings commonly run from one star to five.
	Made of U+2605 and U+2606. 2 out of 5.
	Made of U+2605 and U+2606. 3 out of 5, often the lowest positive mark on a five-star scale. Michelin's restaurant scale stops here: it has run from one star to three since 1931.
	Made of U+2605 and U+2606. 4 out of 5.
	Made of U+2605. 5 out of 5, the top mark of a hotel rating.
	U+25D0. A circle with its left half filled, the closest everyday match for ⯪. In Unicode since version 1.1 (1993). Unicode's note: first day (senshō) in a six-day annotation system (Rokuyō) used in Japanese traditional calendars.
	U+25D1. The mirror image, for a row that runs from right to left. Unicode cross-references it to the last quarter moon.
	U+25CF. The filled point of a rating in circles. In Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).
	U+25CB. The empty point of a rating in circles. Alt+9 on a number pad, &cir; in HTML.
	Made of U+25D0 and U+25CB. 0.5 out of 5 in circles.
	Made of U+25CF, U+25D0 and U+25CB. 1.5 out of 5 in circles.
	Made of U+25CF, U+25D0 and U+25CB. 2.5 out of 5 in circles.
	Made of U+25CF and U+25D0. 4.5 out of 5 in circles.
	U+25D6. The left half of a filled circle on its own, as ⯨ is the left half of a star. In Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).
	U+25D7. The right half of a filled circle. With ◖ before it the two make a whole.
	U+2B16. A diamond with its left half filled. Added in version 5.0 (2006).
	U+2B17. A diamond with its right half filled.
	U+25E7. A square with its left half filled, for a rating in boxes. Added in version 1.1 (1993).
	U+25E8. A square with its right half filled.
	U+1F313. An emoji, so it draws in colour. Unicode's alias: half moon. It cross-references this one to ◐.
	U+1F317. The other half moon emoji, which Unicode cross-references to ◑.
	U+2BEB. The mirror image of ⯪, for right-to-left text such as Arabic or Hebrew, where the half star stands to the left of the whole ones. Added in version 11.0 (2018).
	U+2BE9. The right half of a filled star on its own: the right-to-left partner of ⯨. Added in version 11.0 (2018).
	Made of U+2BEA and U+2606. 0.5 out of 5 with U+2BEA. Every row of this kind shows an empty box wherever ⯪ does.
	Made of U+2605, U+2BEA and U+2606. 1.5 out of 5 with U+2BEA.
	Made of U+2605, U+2BEA and U+2606. 2.5 out of 5 with U+2BEA.
	Made of U+2605, U+2BEA and U+2606. 3.5 out of 5 with U+2BEA, the kind of row the four half stars were proposed for.
	Made of U+2605 and U+2BEA. 4.5 out of 5 with U+2BEA.

Next step Whole stars in every shape

How it works

The half star symbol is ⯪, Star with left half black, U+2BEA. It can show as an empty box, so this page also has every rating from 0 to 5 in half steps made with ½, such as ★★★½☆, and in circles, such as ●●●◐○.

Read the full guide

Codes for the half and the stars

The four true half stars have no Alt code, no named HTML entity and no LaTeX macro. In HTML, ⯪ is ⯪ or ⯪. ½ is Alt+171 or Alt+0189 on a number pad, ½ and \textonehalf. ★ is &starf;, and \bigstar with the amssymb package. ☆ is &star;. ○ is Alt+9 and &cir;.

Tips

Post one test rating where it will appear, and look at it on a second device, before you fill a page with ⯪.
In Arabic or Hebrew text use ⯫: the right half forms were made for rows that run from right to left.
Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel marked films out of four, so ★★★½ alone is unclear. Add the scale: ★★★½ out of 5.

Questions and answers

Is there a half star emoji?

No. The emoji list has a star, ⭐, and a glowing star, and no emoji with half in its name. Unicode's four half stars, U+2BE8 to U+2BEB, are plain symbols added in version 11.0 in 2018. A rating in emoji borrows ½: ⭐⭐⭐½.

Why does the half star show as an empty box?

A device draws ⯪ only when one of its fonts has U+2BEA, which Unicode added in 2018. ★★★½☆ is made of ★, ☆ and ½, which have been in Unicode since 1993, so fonts have had far longer to include them.

How do I type three and a half stars?

Put ½ after the whole stars and pad with empty stars up to five: ★★★½☆. The half is Alt+171 on a number pad, or copy the finished row. With a figure it is 3½★.

What is the Unicode for a half star?

U+2BEA, Star with left half black, is the half star of a rating. U+2BE8, Left half black star, is the left half of a star alone. U+2BEB and U+2BE9 are their mirror images for right-to-left text.

All 55 half stars and ratings

Start here 12

Black star U+2605. The filled star of a rating. Black is Unicode's word for solid. &starf; in HTML, and \bigstar in LaTeX with the amssymb package.
Four and a half stars out of five Made of U+2605 and U+00BD. 4.5 out of 5. No empty star is left to add, so the short form and the padded form are the same string.
Half a star out of five Made of U+00BD and U+2606. 0.5 out of 5. Some critics make half a star their lowest mark: Scheuer's movie guide ran from half a star, abysmal, to four, excellent.
Left half black star U+2BE8. Only the left half of a filled star, with nothing where the right half would be. Unicode files the four under Half star characters and cross-references ★ to this one. Added in version 11.0 (2018).
One and a half stars out of five Made of U+2605, U+00BD and U+2606. 1.5 out of 5. The pattern of every row here: whole stars, then ½, then empty stars up to five characters.

Show all 55 half stars and ratings (50 more)

Start here, continued

Star with left half black U+2BEA. The half star of a rating: a star outline with its left half filled, made to sit to the right of whole stars. Proposed in 2016, added in version 11.0 (2018). Some devices still have no font for it, so look at what arrives before you post it.
Three and a half out of five in circles Made of U+25CF, U+25D0 and U+25CB. The same rating in circles. The half is ◐, U+25D0, in Unicode since 1993, so fonts older than the half star can draw it.
Three and a half stars Made of U+2605 and U+00BD. The short form: whole stars, then ½, and no empty stars. Say out of how many, because film critics' scales differ.
Three and a half stars out of five Made of U+2605, U+00BD and U+2606. 3.5 out of 5. On a five-star scale three stars is often the lowest positive mark, so this one is a clear yes.
Two and a half stars out of five Made of U+2605, U+00BD and U+2606. 2.5 out of 5, the exact middle of a scale that starts at zero.
Vulgar fraction one half U+00BD. The stand-in for a half star: put it after the whole stars, as in ★★★½. Alt+171 or Alt+0189 on a number pad, ½ in HTML, \textonehalf in LaTeX. In Unicode since version 1.1 (1993), and in the old PC character set before that.
White star U+2606. The empty star that pads a rating out to five. White is Unicode's word for outlined. &star; in HTML.

Stars and the half 3

Black small star U+2B51. A smaller filled star, which Unicode cross-references to ★. Next to whole stars it reads as less than one, though nothing says half. Added in version 5.1 (2008).
White medium star U+2B50. The star emoji. Unicode names it White medium star and the emoji list calls it star. The emoji list has no half star, so a rating in emoji borrows ½ too.
White small star U+2B52. The outlined partner of ⭑. Added in version 5.1 (2008).

Ratings with ½ 11

Four and a half stars in emoji Made of U+2B50 and U+00BD. Four star emoji, then ½.
Four and a half stars in figures Made of U+0034, U+00BD and U+2605. 4½ and one star.
Half a star in figures Made of U+00BD and U+2605. A figure and one star, for a column too narrow for five characters.
One and a half stars Made of U+2605 and U+00BD. The short form of 1.5: one star, then ½.
One and a half stars in emoji Made of U+2B50 and U+00BD. One star emoji, then ½. The emoji draws in colour and the ½ stays in the text colour.
One and a half stars in figures Made of U+0031, U+00BD and U+2605. 1½ and one star. The digit is a plain 1 and the half is U+00BD.
Three and a half stars in emoji Made of U+2B50 and U+00BD. Three star emoji, then ½.
Three and a half stars in figures Made of U+0033, U+00BD and U+2605. 3½ and one star.
Two and a half stars Made of U+2605 and U+00BD. The short form of 2.5. Roger Ebert and Gene Siskel marked films from zero to four stars, where this is above the middle.
Two and a half stars in emoji Made of U+2B50 and U+00BD. Two star emoji, then ½.
Two and a half stars in figures Made of U+0032, U+00BD and U+2605. 2½ and one star.

Whole star ratings 6

Five stars out of five Made of U+2605. 5 out of 5, the top mark of a hotel rating.
Four stars out of five Made of U+2605 and U+2606. 4 out of 5.
No stars out of five Made of U+2606. 0 out of 5: five empty stars. Ebert and Siskel's scale started at zero as well.
One star out of five Made of U+2605 and U+2606. 1 out of 5. Hotel ratings commonly run from one star to five.
Three stars out of five Made of U+2605 and U+2606. 3 out of 5, often the lowest positive mark on a five-star scale. Michelin's restaurant scale stops here: it has run from one star to three since 1931.
Two stars out of five Made of U+2605 and U+2606. 2 out of 5.

Ratings in circles 8

Black circle U+25CF. The filled point of a rating in circles. In Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).
Circle with left half black U+25D0. A circle with its left half filled, the closest everyday match for ⯪. In Unicode since version 1.1 (1993). Unicode's note: first day (senshō) in a six-day annotation system (Rokuyō) used in Japanese traditional calendars.
Circle with right half black U+25D1. The mirror image, for a row that runs from right to left. Unicode cross-references it to the last quarter moon.
Four and a half out of five in circles Made of U+25CF and U+25D0. 4.5 out of 5 in circles.
Half out of five in circles Made of U+25D0 and U+25CB. 0.5 out of 5 in circles.
One and a half out of five in circles Made of U+25CF, U+25D0 and U+25CB. 1.5 out of 5 in circles.
Two and a half out of five in circles Made of U+25CF, U+25D0 and U+25CB. 2.5 out of 5 in circles.
White circle U+25CB. The empty point of a rating in circles. Alt+9 on a number pad, &cir; in HTML.

Other half-filled shapes 8

Diamond with left half black U+2B16. A diamond with its left half filled. Added in version 5.0 (2006).
Diamond with right half black U+2B17. A diamond with its right half filled.
First quarter moon symbol U+1F313. An emoji, so it draws in colour. Unicode's alias: half moon. It cross-references this one to ◐.
Last quarter moon symbol U+1F317. The other half moon emoji, which Unicode cross-references to ◑.
Left half black circle U+25D6. The left half of a filled circle on its own, as ⯨ is the left half of a star. In Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).
Right half black circle U+25D7. The right half of a filled circle. With ◖ before it the two make a whole.
Square with left half black U+25E7. A square with its left half filled, for a rating in boxes. Added in version 1.1 (1993).
Square with right half black U+25E8. A square with its right half filled.

True half stars, may be an empty box 7

Four and a half stars out of five, true half star Made of U+2605 and U+2BEA. 4.5 out of 5 with U+2BEA.
Half a star out of five, true half star Made of U+2BEA and U+2606. 0.5 out of 5 with U+2BEA. Every row of this kind shows an empty box wherever ⯪ does.
One and a half stars out of five, true half star Made of U+2605, U+2BEA and U+2606. 1.5 out of 5 with U+2BEA.
Right half black star U+2BE9. The right half of a filled star on its own: the right-to-left partner of ⯨. Added in version 11.0 (2018).
Star with right half black U+2BEB. The mirror image of ⯪, for right-to-left text such as Arabic or Hebrew, where the half star stands to the left of the whole ones. Added in version 11.0 (2018).
Three and a half stars out of five, true half star Made of U+2605, U+2BEA and U+2606. 3.5 out of 5 with U+2BEA, the kind of row the four half stars were proposed for.
Two and a half stars out of five, true half star Made of U+2605, U+2BEA and U+2606. 2.5 out of 5 with U+2BEA.

How this list was compiled: Names, and the code points they belong to, are checked against UnicodeData.txt, version 18.0.0 (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/UnicodeData.txt, checked 2026-09-19), and printed in sentence case. Notes that say Unicode's note, Unicode's alias, Unicode files it or cross-references quote the headings, aliases, notes and cross-references of NamesList.txt of the same version (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/NamesList.txt); the version a character was added in is from DerivedAge.txt (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/ucd/DerivedAge.txt), block names are from Blocks.txt, the Emoji property and the text style and emoji style sequences are from emoji-data.txt and emoji-variation-sequences.txt of the same version, and the years are from https://www.unicode.org/history/publicationdates.html. Alt codes are from the code page 437 table (https://www.unicode.org/Public/MAPPINGS/VENDORS/MICSFT/PC/CP437.TXT), the PC graphics table for codes 1 to 31 (https://www.unicode.org/Public/MAPPINGS/VENDORS/MISC/IBMGRAPH.TXT) and the code page 1252 table (https://www.unicode.org/Public/MAPPINGS/VENDORS/MICSFT/WINDOWS/CP1252.TXT). HTML entity names are from https://html.spec.whatwg.org/entities.json, the HTML 4 name first where there is one, else the shortest. LaTeX macros are listed only when LaTeX's own fontdef.dtx or ltoutenc.dtx (https://github.com/latex3/latex2e/tree/develop/base) or the amssymb and amsfonts sources (https://mirrors.ctan.org/fonts/amsfonts/source/) define them, matched to a code point through unicode-math-table.tex (https://github.com/latex3/unicode-math). The last group holds characters that one ordinary computer had no font for on the day this list was checked; your device may differ. Star ratings, all checked on 2026-09-19 at https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Star_%28classification%29: half stars as a critic's option and as a lowest mark, Scheuer's scale from half a star to four, Ebert and Siskel's zero to four, three stars as the lowest positive mark on a five-star scale, hotel ratings of one to five, Michelin's one to three stars since 1931, black and white meaning solid and outlined, the left half forms for left-to-right text and the right half forms for right-to-left text, and the 2016 proposal L2/16-254 for the four half stars. The emoji list (https://www.unicode.org/Public/18.0.0/emoji/emoji-test.txt) has no emoji with the word half in its name, checked the same day. Licence: own work (facts from the Unicode Character Database, Unicode License v3, and from Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 4.0, restated in our own words; aliases and notes marked as Unicode's are quoted from NamesList.txt, Copyright © 1991-2026 Unicode, Inc., https://www.unicode.org/license.txt)