Copy ™, ®, or ℠ from the panel above. Microsoft documents Ctrl-Alt-T for ™ and Ctrl-Alt-R for ® in Word, while Character Viewer on Mac, the Google Docs picker, and HTML character references cover apps that never see a Word shortcut.
The three marks are not interchangeable. Unicode gives each one its own code point, and the United States Patent and Trademark Office sets different conditions for using them.
Identify the trademark, registered, and service mark signs
Unicode names ™ TRADE MARK SIGN at U+2122, ® REGISTERED SIGN at U+00AE, and ℠ SERVICE MARK at U+2120. The Unicode Character Database records ™ and ℠ as compatibility superscripts of T and M and of S and M.
Lookalikes paste easily by accident. Ⓡ is CIRCLED LATIN CAPITAL LETTER R at U+24C7, not ®. The pair ᵀᴹ is two modifier letters, U+1D40 and U+1D39. The copyright sign © at U+00A9 belongs to copyright notices.
Usage differs too. The USPTO states that TM for goods and SM for services may be used whether or not an application has been filed, and that ® applies only after registration and only for the goods or services in that registration. This page covers those conventions, not legal advice.
Trademark notices often sit next to a copyright symbol on the same page, and legal documents that discuss registrations cite statutes with the section sign, so both characters have their own typing guides.
Insert ™ and ® in Microsoft Word
Microsoft's Word shortcut reference lists Ctrl-Alt-T for the trademark symbol and Ctrl-Alt-R for the registered trademark symbol, and describes the US keyboard layout.
Word also takes legacy numeric input. Microsoft's legal-symbol table lists Alt-0153 for ™ and Alt-0174 for ®, and requires the numeric keypad rather than the number row, with Num Lock on where needed.
For a visible list, go to Insert, Symbol, and More Symbols. Typed replacements live in AutoCorrect, where Microsoft documents putting trigger text in the Replace box and the mark in the With box; the entry then works across the Office programs that support AutoCorrect.
Type ℠ with its Unicode value
The service mark sign has no legacy Alt number in Microsoft's table, so use Unicode conversion. Type 2120, then hold Alt and press X. The route also returns ™ from 2122 and ® from 00AE. If Alt-X takes the wrong code, select the code first or precede it with U+, as in 1U+2120. Microsoft notes that some programs cannot convert codes at all.
Copy the marks with Windows Character Map
Character Map is Microsoft's fallback when code entry is unavailable. Open it, find ™, ®, or ℠, copy the character, and paste it. The mark moves as ordinary text, so it lands in apps that ignore Word shortcuts.
Insert the marks with Mac Character Viewer
Apple documents opening Character Viewer with Fn-E or the Globe key and E, or by choosing Edit and then Emoji & Symbols. Its search field finds each mark by name, so no key position has to be remembered.
Insert the marks in Google Docs or Slides
In Google Docs or Slides, choose Insert, Symbols, and Special characters, then find the mark by category, by drawing it, or by entering a Unicode value such as 2122. Google states that special characters cannot be inserted directly in Sheets.
Use the marks in HTML
A UTF-8 page can contain ™, ®, and ℠ directly. HTML also defines the named references ™ for U+2122 and ® for U+00AE, plus numeric forms such as ™. The service mark sign has no named reference, so write it as ℠ or ℠.
Fix the wrong output
- 1.Confirm the pasted character is U+2122, U+00AE, or U+2120, not a circled letter or two modifier letters.
- 2.Use the numeric keypad for Alt-0153 and Alt-0174, with Num Lock on if the keyboard needs it.
- 3.Switch to the Alt-X route without a numeric pad, selecting the code first when adjacent text holds hexadecimal digits.
- 4.Fall back to Character Map, Character Viewer, or the Google Docs picker when a program cannot convert codes.
- 5.Check the mark against USPTO guidance, because ® on an unregistered mark is an accuracy problem, not a typing one.
Common questions
Can I use ® before the mark is registered?
No. The USPTO states that the registration symbol may be used only once the trademark is federally registered, and only with the goods or services in that registration. TM and SM carry no such condition.
What separates ™ from ℠?
TM marks goods and SM marks services under USPTO guidance, and Unicode keeps them as separate characters, U+2122 and U+2120.
Official references
- Unicode Letterlike Symbols chart
- Unicode Latin-1 Supplement chart
- Unicode Character Database
- Keyboard shortcuts in Word
- Microsoft ASCII and Unicode characters
- Insert a symbol in Word
- AutoCorrect entries in Word
- Apple emoji and symbols on Mac
- Google Docs special-character guide
- HTML named character references
- USPTO trademark basics
