The quickest way to make a smiley face
A smiley face on your keyboard is just three characters typed in order: a colon, a hyphen, and a closing parenthesis. Type :-) and you have a sideways smiley. Most messaging apps and email programs will recognize this and either leave it as-is or convert it to a small emoji automatically.
The reason it looks sideways is because you're meant to tilt your head to the left to see the face. The colon makes the eyes, the hyphen is the nose, and the parenthesis curves into a smile. Once you know this pattern, you can make variations by changing any of the three characters.
You don't need any special software, plugins, or settings. Any keyboard and any text box will work — email, text messages, social media, documents, chat programs, everything.
Key Takeaways
- Type :-) to create a basic smiley face that works in any text box on any device.
- Change the middle character to alter the expression: :-D for a big grin, :-P for a tongue out, :-( for a frown.
- Remove the hyphen for a simpler look: :) works just as well and is faster to type.
- Most modern apps convert these text faces into emoji automatically, though you can usually turn that off in settings if you prefer the typed version.
Common smiley variations and what they mean
Once you understand the basic structure, you can create dozens of expressions by swapping out the mouth character. The eyes stay as a colon in most cases, but the middle and end characters change the mood.
:-D is a big grin or laugh. :-P sticks the tongue out, usually to show you're joking or being silly. :-( is a frown. :-O shows surprise. :-/ expresses doubt or confusion. ;-) is a wink, which uses a semicolon instead of a colon for one eye.
You can also skip the nose entirely. :) is just as readable as :-) and faster to type. :D, :P, :(, and ;) all work the same way. Pick whichever version feels natural to you — there's no wrong choice.
Why your smiley might turn into an emoji
When you type :-) in many modern apps — Gmail, Facebook, Slack, iMessage, and others — the program automatically converts it into a small yellow emoji face. This happens because these apps have emoji conversion turned on by default.
If you prefer to keep the typed version and see :-) instead of an emoji, you can usually turn this off. In Gmail, look for Settings and search for "Smart Compose" or emoji options. In Slack, go to Preferences and look for "Convert emoticons to emoji." On iPhone, go to Settings, then Keyboard, and toggle off "Emoji Conversion." The exact location varies by app, but the setting is usually in preferences or settings.
Some apps don't offer this choice — they convert automatically and that's it. If you strongly prefer typed emoticons, stick to apps that let you control the conversion or that don't do it at all.
Typing smiley faces on different devices
The method is identical on Windows, Mac, iPhone, and Android. You're just typing characters, so any keyboard works. On a physical keyboard, find the colon (usually Shift and semicolon), the hyphen (the key to the right of zero), and the parenthesis (Shift and nine).
On a phone keyboard, tap the number and symbol key to access the hyphen and parenthesis. The colon is usually on the main keyboard or one tap away. It takes slightly longer on a phone because you're switching between keyboards, but the characters are the same.
If you're using a non-English keyboard layout, the character positions may be different. The colon, hyphen, and parenthesis still exist, but you may need to hunt for them. Check your keyboard layout guide or use the character map tool on your computer to find their locations.
Making more complex emoticons
Once you're comfortable with basic smileys, you can build more elaborate faces by adding characters before or after. O:-) adds a halo for an angelic look. :-X shows a sealed mouth. :-| is a neutral or unimpressed face. 3:-) creates a devil with a pitchfork (the 3 looks like a pointed ear).
You can also make faces that aren't sideways. ^_^ is a happy face viewed straight-on, with the caret characters as eyes and the underscore as a closed, smiling mouth. T_T shows tears. These take more characters and look less like traditional emoticons, but they work in any text box.
The more characters you add, the less likely modern apps are to convert them to emoji, so complex emoticons tend to stay as typed text. This can be useful if you want a specific look that doesn't have an emoji equivalent.
Emoticons versus emoji — what's the difference
An emoticon is what you type with keyboard characters: :-), :P, ;-). An emoji is a small picture that represents an expression or object. When you type an emoticon in Gmail or Slack, the app converts it to an emoji, but they're two different things.
Emoticons are faster to type if you're on a computer with a physical keyboard, and they work in any text box, even very old systems. Emoji are more colorful and expressive, but they require either an emoji keyboard or an app that recognizes emoticons and converts them. Neither is better — it's just a matter of what you prefer and what your app supports.
If you're writing in a plain text file or an old system that doesn't support emoji, emoticons are your only option. If you're in a modern app and emoji conversion is on, you'll see emoji whether you want them or not.
Frequently Asked Questions
Does :-) work in every app and website?
The characters themselves work everywhere, but the result depends on the app. In most modern messaging and email apps, :-) converts to an emoji automatically. In plain text editors, forums, and older systems, it stays as typed characters. If you're unsure, just type it and see what happens — you can always delete and retype if you don't like the result.
What's the difference between :) and :-)?
They mean the same thing and both work identically. :) is faster because it's two characters instead of three. :-) is the original emoticon format from the 1980s and some people prefer how it looks. Use whichever you like — most apps treat them the same way.
Can I make a smiley face without a hyphen?
Yes. :) works just as well as :-) and is actually more common now. You can also remove the hyphen from any variation: :D instead of :-D, :P instead of :-P. The hyphen was part of the original design, but it's optional.
Why does my smiley face look weird on my phone?
This usually happens because your phone converted the emoticon to an emoji, and the emoji style is different from what you expected. Different phones and apps use different emoji designs, so the same emoticon can look different on iPhone versus Android. If you want the typed version, turn off emoji conversion in your keyboard settings.
Can I use emoticons in professional emails?
It depends on your workplace culture. In casual internal emails or with colleagues you know well, a smiley is usually fine and can soften the tone of a message. In formal emails to clients or senior leadership, it's safer to skip emoticons and use clear language instead. When in doubt, match the tone of the person you're writing to.