Arabic-Indic digit one

It means the number one in Arabic-script writing.

Arabic-Indic numerals developed from Indian decimal notation, where a digit's position determines its value. A 662 AD report by the scholar Severus Sebokht describes Indian calculation using nine number signs; it records the broader tradition, not this exact Arabic-script form.

In 776 AD, al-Mansur ordered an Indian astronomical work translated into Arabic. By the ninth century, Arabic scholars were explaining Indian place-value methods. They also adapted dust-board calculation—writing numerals on a surface that could be wiped—for pen and paper.

How do I type ١ in Word?

As of 2026, type 0661 in Word for Windows and press Alt+X.

Word converts the hexadecimal character code into the corresponding character. An Arabic keyboard layout may also offer ١; check its number-key mapping because layouts can produce different digit forms.

Why is ١ different from 1 or ۱?

All three mean one; each belongs to a different numeral set.

Common Arabic-language conventions use ١ in places such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Iraq. Persian and Urdu commonly use ۱, while many Arabic-speaking areas in the Maghreb, including Algeria and Morocco, use 1. These are regional conventions, not rules for every writer.

In mixed right-to-left text, a digit string such as ١٢٣ keeps its internal order from left to right. Nearby punctuation can shift with the surrounding text's direction, changing placement rather than the number's value.