What do I type on my keyboard to get a UK pounds sign on a US keyboard. I have a macbook and a macbook pro. But the shift + 3 doesnt work??
MacBook, Mac OS X (10.5.8)
Now if your a younger person like me, you might not get the "option/alt + 3" thing. The easier way to explain is technically "option/alt AND 3". If you still find that hard then it's basically just the Option key and the Number 3 key together.
It is option/alt + 3
Sorry to disagree, but Option + 3 gives what Americans call "pound", but what Europeans call "hash". The GP pound symbol (as in Sterling currency) looks like this: £ which is produced by shift+3.....at least on my 2014 MacbookPro....
nicholascharles wrote:
The GP pound symbol (as in Sterling currency) looks like this: £ which is produced by shift+3.....at least on my 2014 MacbookPro....
In that case you have a British keyboard, not a US keyboard (like the OP said he had). On a US keyboard, shift + 3 produces #, and option + 3 produces £.
To see how Apple keyboards differ depending the country, you can check
I have just bought a MacBook Air with a US keyboard and I can definitely say that with mine option + 3 produces #, while shift + 3 produces £.
Macjohnkayson wrote:
I have just bought a MacBook Air with a US keyboard and I can definitely say that with mine option + 3 produces #, while shift + 3 produces £.
Which key does what actually has nothing to do with the hardware keyboard. It's determined by the software layout you have active in system prefs/keyboard/input sources. Shift + 3 giving £ means you have the "British" or "British PC" layout active. If you switched to US, Shift + 3 would be #. Is that not what is printed on the 3 key?
If you have £ printed on your 3 key, it is a British hardware keyboard and not a US one.
The machine was bought in LA so I'm not sure how it can have a British hardware keyboard. However, under System Preferences, Keyboard, Input Sources, I have selected British. Would that explain the difference?
Macjohnkayson wrote:
under System Preferences, Keyboard, Input Sources, I have selected British. Would that explain the difference?
Yes, if you have selected British, then Shift + 3 will produce £, regardless of whether your hardware keyboard is US, British, Russian, Hebrew, or Chinese.
Surely you can see what is printed above the 3 on your 3 key. If it is #, then it's US hardware, if it is £, then it is British hardware. The US online Apple store does sell MBA's with the British hardware keyboard.
Yes I can see what's printed on the keys thank you very much. What I now appreciate is that the selection of keyboard preferences can cause confusion in discussions such as this, especially when in your last entry on March 6 you talk about having "a British keyboard, not a US keyboard" and then only in a later entry today referring to the keyboard preferences.
As for buying at the online Apple Store, it's actually cheaper to buy it in a store in LA, providing of course you're in LA to start off with!
You are right, the earlier discussion was over simplified in the interest of giving the OP the easiest way to make the £ sign and then explaining to Nicolascharles why Shift + 3 may not work for £ for all English speakers. I can see how the way it was done could be misleading.
I presume you do have a US keyboad with # printed on the 3 key. I don't know whether machines with British keyboards with £ on that key sometimes get carried by retail stores. Were you able to save a significant amount, like 10%?
After taking into account the various taxes, yes it was around that number. Obviously the downside is that you get a slightly different keyboard which sometimes leaves not-so-techy-savvy people like myself trying to find symbols which are not there. Anyway, thanks for helping out with this; I've now found out another shortcut. Cheers.
Perfect and simple answer.
For £ sign. Press SHIFT key and then 3, while still holding down Shift key
For # sign. Press OPTION key and then 3, while still holding down Option key
ayyazfromlondon wrote:
Perfect and simple answer.
For £ sign. Press SHIFT key and then 3, while still holding down Shift key
For # sign. Press OPTION key and then 3, while still holding down Option key
This answer only applies when you have the British keyboard layout chosen in your system preferences. If you have the US or US International PC keyboard layout chosen, it is the opposite. If it is the British PC layout, the # sign is at over at the right edge of the keyboard, no shift or option needed.
Thanks Tom, shift/3 is the £ sign on my Retina Macbook. Was driving me nuts so grateful thanks.
keyboard shortcuts to pounds sign
