Forex Trading Must-Know: Quick Guide to Recognizing Global Currencies like the US Dollar Symbol, TWD Symbol, and More

Why Do Traders Need to Master Currency Symbols of Different Countries?

In the forex market, currency symbols are key to quickly identifying trading instruments. When you monitor the market, seeing the euro symbol (€) immediately indicates EUR-related currency pairs; seeing the dollar symbol ($) may involve USD trading. This visual recognition method helps traders save valuable reaction time, especially in highly volatile markets.

For professionals engaged in international investments and forex trading for years, familiarizing themselves with each country’s currency symbols is as important as recognizing their trading tools. It not only helps you quickly track the fluctuation trends of different currencies but also allows you to rapidly locate key information within large datasets. For example, common currency pairs like EUR/USD, EUR/JPY require a clear understanding of the euro symbol.

Complete List of Major Global Currency Symbols

Below are the most common currencies and their symbols in trading markets:

Americas

• United States: US Dollar (USD), symbol $
• Canada: Canadian Dollar (CAD), symbol $
• Brazil: Brazilian Real (BRL), symbol R$

Asia

• China: Renminbi (CNY), symbol ￥ or 元
• Taiwan: New Taiwan Dollar (TWD), symbol NT$
• Hong Kong: Hong Kong Dollar (HKD), symbol $ or HK
• Japan: Japanese Yen (JPY), symbol ¥
• Singapore: Singapore Dollar (SGD), symbol $
• South Korea: South Korean Won (KRW), symbol ₩
• India: Indian Rupee (INR), symbol ₹
• Indonesia: Indonesian Rupiah (IDR), symbol Rp
• Malaysia: Malaysian Ringgit (MYR), symbol RM
• Philippines: Philippine Peso (PHP), symbol ₱
• Thailand: Thai Baht (THB), symbol ฿
• Vietnam: Vietnamese Dong (VND), symbol ₫

Pacific Region

• Australia: Australian Dollar (AUD), symbol $
• New Zealand: New Zealand Dollar (NZD), symbol $

Europe

• United Kingdom: British Pound (GBP), symbol £
• Eurozone: Euro (EUR), symbol €
• Russia: Russian Ruble (RUB), symbol ₽
• Ukraine: Ukrainian Hryvnia (UAH), symbol ₴
• Turkey: Turkish Lira (TRY), symbol ₺

Middle East & Africa

• UAE: UAE Dirham (AED), symbol د.إ
• Israel: Israeli Shekel (ILS), symbol ₪
• Nigeria: Nigerian Naira (NGN), symbol ₦
• Kenya: Kenyan Shilling (KES), symbol Ksh
• South Africa: South African Rand (ZAR), symbol R

Quick Input Tips on Mac and Windows Keyboards

Want to quickly input common currency symbols during daily trading or documents? Here are the most used shortcut keys:

Euro (€)

• Mac: Press Shift + Option + 2
• Windows: Press Alt + E

Pound (£)

• Mac: Press Option + 3
• Windows: Press Alt + L

Dollar ($)

• Mac: Press Shift + 4
• Windows: Press Shift + 4

Yen (¥)

• Mac: Press Option + Y
• Windows: No universal shortcut; usually copy-paste needed

Commonly Confused Symbols in Trading

The Dual Identity of ￥

The symbol “￥” is used for two different currencies in Asia, which can cause confusion. In Japan, it represents Yen (JPY); in China, it represents Renminbi (CNY). To avoid misunderstandings, the market convention is to add the currency code: “CNY￥100” for 100 RMB, “JPY￥100” for 100 Yen.

The Global Spread of $

The dollar symbol ($) seems simple but is used as the local currency symbol in over 30 countries worldwide. This can lead to ambiguity when seeing just “$”. Therefore, formal trading documents usually include country or region codes, such as:

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

฿ Symbol in Different Contexts

The “฿” symbol traditionally represents Thailand’s currency—the Baht (THB). However, in the cryptocurrency domain, the same symbol is used to denote Bitcoin. Traders need to interpret the meaning based on the trading context.

Meaning and Trading Logic of Forex Currency Pairs

Forex currency pairs refer to the exchange rate between two different currencies, separated by a slash. For example, EUR/USD represents the euro to US dollar exchange rate; GBP/JPY represents the British pound to Japanese yen.

Taking “USD/GBP” as an example, it means the rate of US dollar (USD) against the British pound (GBP), i.e., how many pounds one dollar can buy. In this currency pair, USD is called the “base currency,” and GBP is the “quote currency” or “counter currency.”

Investors profit by buying or selling a currency in the forex market to exchange for another. Mastering these currency symbols and the notation of currency pairs is fundamental to becoming a professional forex trader.