What is a tilde key on an English keyboard?

The tilde key is located on the upper left-hand side of the U.S. keyboard underneath the "Esc" key. The symbol is typed by pressing the "Shift" key at the same time. The tilde symbol shares a key with the back quote symbol.

The tilde symbol is used in foreign languages, including Spanish and Portuguese, to emphasize certain letters. It is also used to shorten file names in Windows 95 and later. In math, the tilde is used to represent an approximate number. The symbol has several uses in computer languages, including accessing settings consoles in programs and games, and representing a bitwise NOT operation.