Kaomoji (顔文字) are Japanese emoticons: the word joins kao, face, and moji, character. Western emoticons like :-) are read sideways; kaomoji are read upright, with the eyes and mouth facing you, as in (^_^).
They're built from ordinary characters of many writing systems, picked for their shape. The bear ʕ•ᴥ•ʔ, for example, is made of ʕ (U+0295 LATIN LETTER PHARYNGEAL VOICED FRICATIVE), ᴥ (U+1D25 LATIN LETTER AIN) and ʔ (U+0294 LATIN LETTER GLOTTAL STOP).
How to type kaomoji
Copy them from this page: tap one, then paste it anywhere you can type.
On Windows 11, press Windows + . (period) while typing to open the emoji panel, which also has a kaomoji section.
Tap several to collect them in the box at the top, then copy them all at once.
Why some kaomoji show boxes
Kaomoji borrow characters from many writing systems, and some collections online use characters added to Unicode only recently, which older phones and computers can't draw. Every kaomoji here uses characters that have been in Unicode since 2010 or earlier, checked one by one, and none uses letters written right to left, which can scramble a face.
Frequently asked questions
What's the difference between kaomoji and emoji?
An emoji is a single picture character that your device draws in color. A kaomoji is made of several ordinary characters, so it takes the style of the text around it.
How do I make my own kaomoji?
Put together an outline, eyes and a mouth: an outline like ( ), ʕ ʔ or ⊂ ⊃; eyes like ◕ ◕, ^ ^ or • •; and a mouth like ‿, ω or ᴥ. Type or paste the pieces into the box at the top and copy the result.
Do kaomoji work on Instagram, TikTok and Discord?
They paste like any other text. If one shows a box, the app or device has no font for one of its characters; try another face from the same group.
Are these kaomoji free to use?
Yes. Copy as many as you like; there's nothing to install or sign up for.
Fonts