The Essential Quick Reference Guide to Forex Symbols You Must Know | Complete Guide to Global Currency Codes

2025-12-24 13:04:33

Why Do Traders Need to Recognize Exchange Rate Symbols?

In the Forex market, correctly identifying each country’s currency symbol is fundamental. Whenever you see the € symbol, your mind should immediately associate it with the Euro, involving currency pairs like EUR/USD or EUR/JPY. Similarly, seeing £ makes you think of the British Pound, while $ could represent USD, HKD, or TWD—this quick recognition ability directly impacts your trading efficiency.

The core purpose of exchange rate symbols is simple: to quickly identify a currency with minimal strokes. Compared to writing out “100 US dollar,” writing “US$100” not only saves time but also makes market information clearer at a glance. For traders who need to constantly monitor global currency movements, this visual quick recognition is an essential skill.

Major Global Currencies and Their Symbols Quick Reference Table

Below is a continent-based table of commonly used currency symbols, allowing you to quickly look up currency codes and their corresponding symbols:

Continent	Country	Currency Name	Currency Code	Currency Symbol
Americas	USA	US Dollar	USD	$
	Canada	Canadian Dollar	CAD	$
	Brazil	Brazilian Real	BRL	R$
Asia	China	Renminbi	CNY	￥/元
	Taiwan	New Taiwan Dollar	TWD	NT$
	Hong Kong	Hong Kong Dollar	HKD	$ / HK$
	Japan	Japanese Yen	JPY	¥
	Singapore	Singapore Dollar	SGD	$
	Korea	South Korean Won	KRW	₩
	India	Indian Rupee	INR	₹
	Indonesia	Indonesian Rupiah	IDR	Rp
	Malaysia	Malaysian Ringgit	MYR	RM
	Philippines	Philippine Peso	PHP	₱
	Thailand	Thai Baht	THB	฿
	Vietnam	Vietnamese Dong	VND	₫
Oceania	Australia	Australian Dollar	AUD	$
	New Zealand	New Zealand Dollar	NZD	$
Europe	UK	British Pound	GBP	£
	Eurozone	Euro	EUR	€
	Russia	Russian Ruble	RUB	₽
	Ukraine	Ukrainian Hryvnia	UAH	₴
	Turkey	Turkish Lira	TRY	₺
Middle East & Africa	UAE	UAE Dirham	AED	د.إ
	Israel	Israeli Shekel	ILS	₪
	Nigeria	Nigerian Naira	NGN	₦
	Kenya	Kenyan Shilling	KES	Ksh
	South Africa	South African Rand	ZAR	R

Quick Keyboard Input for These Exchange Rate Symbols

Traders often need to quickly input currency symbols on trading platforms or reports. Here are useful shortcuts for Mac and Windows:

Currency	Code	Symbol	Mac Shortcut	Windows Shortcut
Euro	EUR	€	Shift+option+2	Alt+E
Pound Sterling	GBP	£	Option+3	Alt+L
US Dollar	USD	$	Shift+4	Shift+4
Japanese Yen	JPY	¥	Option+Y	Alt+Y

Beware of These Confusing Currency Symbols

￥ Symbol’s Dual Identity

The “￥” symbol is used by two countries in Asia. Japan uses it to represent the Yen (JPY), while China uses it for the Renminbi (CNY). To avoid confusion, you can add the country code in front: “CNY￥100” for 100 Yuan Renminbi, “JPY￥100” for 100 Yen.

$ Symbol Used in Over 30 Countries

Be cautious when you see the “$” symbol—it doesn’t only stand for the US dollar. Over 30 countries or regions use this symbol for their local currencies. Common ways to distinguish include:

Currency Name	Official Name	Distinguishing Method
US Dollar	United States dollar	US$
TWD	New Taiwan dollar	NT$
CAD	Canadian dollar	C$
BRL	Brazilian real	R$
HKD	Hong Kong dollar	HK$
SGD	Singapore dollar	S$
AUD	Australian dollar	A$
NZD	New Zealand dollar	NZ$

฿ Symbol’s Two Meanings

The “฿” symbol represents the Thai Baht in Forex. However, in the crypto market, the same symbol is used to denote Bitcoin. Context is needed to distinguish whether it refers to traditional Forex or digital assets.

Meaning and Trading Applications of Currency Pairs

Forex currency pairs refer to the exchange rate between two different currencies. EUR/USD indicates the Euro against the US dollar, GBP/JPY indicates the British Pound against the Japanese Yen. Traders buy or sell one currency to exchange for the other, seeking profit from exchange rate fluctuations.

For example, with the USD/GBP currency pair:

This pair indicates the exchange rate of US dollars (USD) against British Pounds (GBP). Specifically, how many GBP one USD can buy. The first currency, USD, is called the base currency or quote currency, and the second, GBP, is called the counter currency or relative currency. When USD/GBP rises, it means the dollar is appreciating, requiring more GBP to buy 1 USD; when it falls, the dollar is depreciating.

Mastering these exchange rate symbols and currency pair concepts helps you quickly interpret market trends in Forex trading and make sharper trading decisions.

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