The word
٥
khamsa
five · 5What it is
٥ is the Arabic five.
It's 5 in the Eastern Arabic numerals, the digits printed alongside Arabic script in Egypt, the Levant, Iraq and the Gulf. North Africa west of Libya uses the same 0 to 9 you do. The Arabic name for the number is khamsa (خَمْسة).
A small ring. This is the one that gets misread as a zero, and it is the most common mistake in the whole set. Numbers inside Arabic text run left to right even though the words run right to left, so ٢٠٢٦ reads 2026.
Character٥
Value5
Namekhamsa خَمْسة
UnicodeU+0665
Looks likeA small ring. This is the one that gets misread as a zero, and it is the most common mistake in the whole set.
How to type it
Getting ٥ out of your keyboard.
There's no special key. With an Arabic layout switched on, the number row usually types these digits instead of 0 to 9, and the layout that ships with every OS is a two-minute setup.
- WindowsSwitch to Arabic (101) with Win+Space and press 5 on the number row. The row types Arabic digits while that layout is active; the numpad keeps typing 0 to 9.
- iPhoneHold the globe key, pick Arabic, then tap ١٢٣. The number layer is the Arabic row, with ٥ in the same place 5 would be.
- AndroidSame idea on Gboard and Samsung Keyboard: switch to Arabic, open the number layer. If it shows 0 to 9 instead, the keyboard's settings have a native-digits toggle.
- MacApple ships several Arabic input sources and they don't agree about the number row. Open Keyboard Viewer with yours active and look at the top row; if it shows 0 to 9, try the plain “Arabic” source instead of the PC one.
- AnywhereCopy it from the card above. In Word, type 0665 and press Alt+X.
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