Forex Trading Must-Know: The Complete Guide to Global Money Symbols and Quick Input Methods

RektDetective · 2026-01-06T13:10:52+00:00

In forex trading, mastering the currency symbols of various countries is crucial for improving trading efficiency. The article provides symbols for major global currencies and quick input methods, and reminds traders to distinguish common confusing symbols such as "￥" and "$". Understanding the currency pair mechanism is also key to successful trading, helping traders respond quickly in the market.

RektDetective

2026-01-06 13:10:52

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Essential Knowledge of Currency Symbols for Traders

When trading in the forex market, you encounter various currency symbols every day. These seemingly simple symbols represent the value of currencies from different regions around the world and are key to quickly identifying and tracking trading pairs. Compared to lengthy currency names, using standardized symbols can significantly improve trading efficiency—writing “$100” is much faster and more intuitive than writing “100 US dollars,” which is why international transactions universally adopt currency symbols.

Quick Reference Table of Major Global Currency Symbols

The table below summarizes the currency symbols and their codes for major trading regions, allowing traders to quickly consult and reference:

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

How to Quickly Input Common Currency Symbols

Whether you use Mac or Windows, mastering shortcut input methods can greatly enhance your efficiency during trading. Here are the most common currency symbols and their quick input methods:

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	—

How to Distinguish Confusing Currency Symbols

In actual trading, some symbols are used in multiple countries, which can cause confusion. Here are the correct ways to distinguish them:

Dual Meaning of ￥ Symbol

The “￥” symbol is used by several Asian countries. In Japan, it represents the Yen (JPY); in China, it indicates the Renminbi (CNY). To accurately differentiate, traders should use the country code prefix: CNY￥100 means “100 Renminbi,” while JPY￥100 means “100 Yen.”

The $ Symbol Used Worldwide

The “$” symbol appears to represent the US dollar but is actually used as the local currency symbol in over 30 countries and regions. Common distinctions include:

US$ : US Dollar
NT$ : Taiwan New Dollar
C$ : Canadian Dollar
R$ : Brazilian Real
HK$ : Hong Kong Dollar
S$ : Singapore Dollar
A$ : Australian Dollar
NZ$ : New Zealand Dollar

฿ Symbol’s Dual Identity

The “฿” symbol is typically used in the forex market to denote the Thai Baht. However, in the cryptocurrency market, the same symbol represents Bitcoin. Depending on the trading environment, the meaning of the symbol can change entirely, so traders need to interpret it based on context.

Application of Currency Symbols in Forex Trading

In the forex market, currency symbols usually appear in pairs, representing the exchange rate between two different currencies. For example, EUR/USD indicates the Euro to US Dollar rate, and GBP/JPY indicates the British Pound to Japanese Yen rate.

Taking USD/GBP as an example, it means how many British Pounds one US Dollar can buy. The first currency, USD, is called the base currency, and the second, GBP, is the quote currency. Traders buy or sell specific currency pairs to profit from fluctuations in exchange rates.

Mastering the knowledge of global currency symbols not only speeds up recognition but also helps you make more agile decisions in the fast-changing forex market.

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