Tilde facts for kids

The tilde (~) is a small wavy mark. You can see it used in many different ways! It's often placed over letters in words, especially in languages like Spanish and Portuguese. This makes it a type of diacritic, which is a special mark added to a letter.

What the Tilde Means

The tilde has several cool uses, depending on where you see it.

Tilde in Languages

In some languages, the tilde changes how a letter sounds.

Spanish Language

In Spanish, the tilde is always placed over the letter "N" to create the special letter "Ñ" (pronounced "enye"). This letter sounds like the "ny" in the English word "canyon." For example, "piñata" uses the "ñ" sound.

Portuguese Language

In Portuguese, the tilde is used over the vowels "a" (ã) and "o" (õ). When you see a tilde on these letters, it means you should make the sound through your nose. This is called "nasalizing" the vowel.

Tilde in Computers

Computers also use the tilde for special meanings.

Home Directory Symbol

In UNIX operating systems, which are a type of computer software, the tilde (~) is a quick way to represent a user's "home" directory. This is like your personal folder where all your files are stored.

Tilde for Estimates

Sometimes, you'll see a tilde used in numbers.

About a Number

When a tilde is placed before a number, like ~24, it means "approximately" or "about" that number. So, ~24 means "about 24." It's used when you don't have an exact amount but want to give a close guess.

How to Type a Tilde

On most QWERTY keyboards, which are the most common type, typing a tilde is easy! You usually hold down the "Shift" key and then press the key with the "`" (single back quote) symbol. This key is usually in the top-left corner of your keyboard, right below the "Esc" (escape) key and to the left of the "1" key.

Tilde for Wikipedia Editors

If you ever become a Wikipedia editor, you'll use tildes often! Editors sign their comments on Talk pages by typing four tildes (~~~~). When you save your comment, these tildes automatically turn into your username and the date and time.

Images for kids

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  Text of Exeter Domesday Book of 1086

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  Raised tilde from a dot matrix printer