All Check Mark and Tick Symbols

Unicode gives you dozens of ways to write a tick or a cross. Whether you need the simple plain-text ✓ for a document, the bold ✔ for a to-do list, the ballot-box ☑ for a form, or the stylised green ✅ for a mobile notification, there is a precise code point waiting for you. This guide maps every check mark and X mark in Unicode, explains when each variant is appropriate, and provides ready-to-paste HTML entities and keyboard shortcuts.

Quick Copy-Paste Table

Plain Text Check Marks (U+2713 – U+2718)

These four code points form the core of Unicode check and cross marks. They render using the current font's text colour and scale cleanly in every HTML element or word-processor paragraph style.

✓ Check Mark — U+2713

The lightest of the group. Historically derives from the handwritten checkmark used by clerks to mark completed items. Works well at small sizes and in dense tables because of its open stroke weight.

<span>&#x2713; Done</span>

✔ Heavy Check Mark — U+2714

A bolder, more visually prominent variant. Use this when the symbol must stand out against a background or when the document uses a strong visual hierarchy.

<span>&#x2714; Verified</span>

✗ Ballot X — U+2717

The cross counterpart to the plain check mark. The name "ballot" reflects the original use in paper voting forms. Unlike ✘, the strokes are relatively thin and the character reads as "incorrect" or "unavailable" without being aggressive.

<span>&#x2717; Unavailable</span>

✘ Heavy Ballot X — U+2718

Bold version of ✗. Use this wherever you use ✔ (heavy check) on the positive side so that the visual weight matches across a pass/fail pair.

<span>&#x2714; Pass &nbsp; <span style="color:red">&#x2718; Fail</span></span>

Ballot Boxes (U+2610 – U+2612)

These three characters render as literal square boxes, reflecting their origin in printed paper forms.

<!-- Accessible fake checkbox in plain HTML -->
<span aria-label="selected" role="checkbox" aria-checked="true">&#x2611;</span>

Important note for developers: These are presentational characters, not interactive controls. For actual form checkboxes always use <input type="checkbox">. The ballot box characters are useful in static documents, PDFs, email newsletters, and Markdown files where a real checkbox is unavailable.

Emoji Check Marks

Emoji variants are rendered using the platform's color emoji font (Apple Color Emoji on macOS/iOS, Noto Color Emoji on Android/Chrome OS, Segoe UI Emoji on Windows). They appear as a green background tile on most platforms.

The variation selector U+FE0F forces emoji rendering; U+FE0E forces text rendering for characters with both forms.

# Emoji vs text rendering in Python
check_text  = "\u2714"        # ✔ text style
check_emoji = "\u2714\ufe0f"  # ✔️ emoji style (platform colours)

Circle and Shield Variants

Keyboard Shortcuts

Windows

macOS

The Unicode Hex Input method (macOS)

1. Open System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources.
2. Add Unicode Hex Input.
3. Hold Option and type the four-hex-digit code (e.g., 2714).
4. Release Option — the character appears.

Usage Guidelines

When to use ✓ vs ✔ vs ✅

Pairing check marks with crosses

Always match stroke weights. Mixing a heavy check ✔ with a light ballot X ✗ creates visual imbalance. Recommended pairs:

• ✓ / ✗ (light pair, U+2713 / U+2717)
• ✔ / ✘ (heavy pair, U+2714 / U+2718)
• ✅ / ❌ (emoji pair, U+2705 / U+274C)

CSS Pseudo-element Pattern

A common pattern is to use ::before with a Unicode check mark rather than an image, keeping HTML clean and enabling CSS theming.

.feature-list li::before {
  content: "\2714"; /* ✔ Heavy Check Mark */
  color: #22c55e;    /* Tailwind green-500 */
  font-weight: bold;
  margin-right: 0.5em;
}

<ul class="feature-list">
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Check Marks in Markdown

Standard Markdown has no native checkbox syntax outside of task lists. GitHub Flavoured Markdown (GFM) supports interactive task list checkboxes in issues and pull requests:

- [x] Completed task
- [ ] Pending task

For static Markdown (README files, documentation), paste the Unicode character directly:

| Feature | Supported |
|---------|-----------|
| UTF-8 input | ✔ |
| RTL text | ✔ |
| Emoji | ✅ |
| Legacy encodings | ✗ |

Full Reference: All Check/Cross Code Points

Summary

Unicode check marks range from the simple clerical tick (✓ U+2713) to the platform-rendered green emoji tile (✅ U+2705). The key principle is consistency: match the weight and presentation style across your check/cross pairs, choose text characters for CSS-controlled layouts, and reserve emoji variants for contexts where colour rendering is expected and desired.