Emoji Lookalikes: How to Tell Similar Emojis Apart
Sent ๐ when you meant ๐? You are not alone. Unicode has dozens of emoji that differ by one eyebrow, one tear or one squint, and at the size of a chat bubble most people cannot tell them apart. Below are the 21 groups that cause the most mix-ups, the single detail that separates each emoji in them, and a measurement of how similar each pair really is on four emoji sets.
The 10 hardest pairs to tell apart
On 2026-10-19 we pulled every emoji on this page from four emoji sets (Apple, Google's Noto, Twemoji for Twitter/X, and OpenMoji), scaled each to 64 by 64 pixels on a white background, and counted how many pixels visibly change between the two emoji of a pair. The lower the figure, the less there is to look at. Each pair below is listed once, on the set where it is hardest to tell apart. OpenMoji's thin-line style wins most of them, because a face drawn in outline has fewer pixels to change.
| # | Pair | Emoji set | Pixels that differ |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |   slightly frowning face / frowning face | OpenMoji | 0.3% |
| 2 |   neutral face / face without mouth | OpenMoji | 0.9% |
| 3 |  neutral face / expressionless face | OpenMoji | 1.0% |
| 4 |   grinning face / grinning face with smiling eyes | OpenMoji | 1.4% |
| 5 |  grinning face with smiling eyes / beaming face with smiling eyes | OpenMoji | 1.5% |
| 6 |   face with tongue / squinting face with tongue | OpenMoji | 1.7% |
| 7 |  grinning face / grinning face with big eyes | OpenMoji | 1.9% |
| 8 | expressionless face / face without mouth | OpenMoji | 1.9% |
| 9 |   hushed face / anguished face | Apple | 2.0% |
| 10 |   hushed face / astonished face | OpenMoji | 2.2% |
Why so many emoji look the same
Many of the faces on this page date from the first emoji batch of 2010, when Unicode took in the sets used by Japanese mobile carriers. Those carriers had each drawn their own slightly different smiles and frowns, and Unicode kept most of them as separate characters instead of merging them. Later additions such as ๐ and ๐ were added to fill gaps beside them. Every vendor then redrew each character from its name, so 'grinning face with smiling eyes' and 'beaming face with smiling eyes' ended up as two drawings of almost the same idea.
How we measured how alike they are
On 2026-10-19 we fetched the same image files our emoji pages display: Apple from the emoji-datasource set, Google's Noto, Twemoji 14 and OpenMoji. Each image was flattened onto white, resized to 64 by 64, and compared pixel by pixel; a pixel counts as different when its red, green and blue values change by more than 96 out of 765 in total, which ignores anti-aliasing noise. 119 pairs were compared on each set. A small figure means the two emoji share almost every pixel. It does not say which detail differs, which is what the 'how to spot it' column is for.
Every group, side by side
Each table shows the emoji as your device draws it (tap to copy), then the same emoji as drawn by the four sets we measured, so you can see whether the confusion is in the design or just in your font.
Grinning faces: ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
All four are a grin. Look at the eyes first, then the mouth. ๐ and ๐ keep their eyes open, and ๐'s are taller ovals. ๐ closes its eyes into happy arcs while the mouth stays wide open. ๐ also has closed, smiling eyes, but the mouth is a clenched row of teeth, which is why it can read as a nervous grimace rather than pure joy.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| grinning face | Open round eyes, open grin |    | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| grinning face with big eyes | Taller oval eyes, open grin |    | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| grinning face with smiling eyes | Closed arc eyes, open mouth |    | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| beaming face with smiling eyes | Closed arc eyes, clenched teeth |    | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/๐ 1.8% ยท Google ๐/๐ 2.6% ยท Twitter/X ๐/๐ 7.8% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ 1.4%
Laughing faces: ๐ ๐ ๐คฃ ๐
The tell is what comes out of the eyes. ๐ squeezes them shut into two angle brackets and sheds nothing. ๐ sits upright with a tear on each side. ๐คฃ has the same tears but the whole face is tipped over, which is the 'rolling on the floor' of its name. ๐ is the odd one out: a single bead of sweat on the forehead turns the laugh into relief or awkwardness.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| grinning squinting face | Eyes squeezed into > <, no tears |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| face with tears of joy | Upright, a tear on each side |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| rolling on the floor laughing | Tilted sideways, tears flying |     | Emoji 3.0 (2016) | |
| grinning face with sweat | One sweat drop on the forehead |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/๐ 8.8% ยท Google ๐/๐ 8.7% ยท Twitter/X ๐/๐ 13.8% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ 4.9%
Gentle smiles: ๐ ๐ โบ๏ธ ๐
These four get swapped constantly, and some sets make it worse by drawing โบ๏ธ almost exactly like ๐. ๐ has open dot eyes and a small, closed smile, which many people read as polite or even passive-aggressive. ๐ closes its eyes and adds rosy cheeks. โบ๏ธ is the older 'smiling face' character and usually has the same blush. ๐ is calm rather than happy: closed eyes, relaxed brows, a soft mouth.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| slightly smiling face | Open dot eyes, small smile |     | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| smiling face with smiling eyes | Closed eyes, rosy cheeks |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| smiling face | Older text-style smile, often blushing |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| relieved face | Closed eyes, relaxed brows, calm |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple โบ๏ธ/๐ 4.1% ยท Google ๐/๐ 5.5% ยท Twitter/X ๐/๐ 14.5% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ 3.0%
Drops on the face: ๐ข ๐ญ ๐ฅ ๐ ๐ช
Five faces, five different drops. Check where the drop sits and what shape it is. ๐ข has one tear on the cheek. ๐ญ has two streams pouring from the eyes. ๐ฅ has a sweat drop at the side of the forehead and raised brows, closer to 'phew' than to grief. ๐ has a cold sweat drop above downcast eyes. ๐ช is the famous trap: the drop hangs from the nose, a manga sign for sleep, not a tear.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| crying face | One tear running down the cheek |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| loudly crying face | Two streams of tears |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| sad but relieved face | Sweat drop at the temple, brows up |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| downcast face with sweat | Sweat drop over lowered eyes |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| sleepy face | Bubble from the nose: asleep |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐ข/๐ฅ 14.0% ยท Google ๐ข/๐ฅ 17.9% ยท Twitter/X ๐ข/๐ฅ 18.8% ยท OpenMoji ๐ข/๐ 7.5%
Downcast faces: ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ โน๏ธ
Read the eyebrows. ๐ and ๐ both close or lower their eyes, but ๐ tilts the brows into a thoughtful slant, which is why it is named 'pensive'. ๐ keeps its eyes open and pinches its brows up with worry. ๐ and โน๏ธ are the same idea at two strengths: a plain face with a small or a full frown. That last pair is the most identical one we measured anywhere on this page.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| disappointed face | Eyes closed, mouth turned down |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| pensive face | Eyes lowered, slanted brows |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| worried face | Eyes open, brows pinched up |     | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| slightly frowning face | Plain face, slight frown |    | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| frowning face | Plain face, deeper frown |    | Emoji 0.7 (2014) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/โน๏ธ 4.6% ยท Google ๐/โน๏ธ 4.7% ยท Twitter/X ๐/โน๏ธ 6.2% ยท OpenMoji ๐/โน๏ธ 0.3%
Angry faces: ๐ ๐ก ๐คฌ ๐ค
Colour is the quickest check. ๐ is angry but usually stays yellow. ๐ก turns red, and its original Unicode name was 'pouting face', a Japanese sense of sulking fury. ๐คฌ adds a black bar of censored symbols over the mouth. ๐ค blows two puffs of steam from its nose, and its original name was 'face with look of triumph', so in many chats it means proud, not furious.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| angry face | Frowning brows, usually yellow |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| pouting face | Red face |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| face with symbols on mouth | Symbols covering the mouth |     | Emoji 5.0 (2017) | |
| face with steam from nose | Steam from the nose |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐ก/๐คฌ 23.8% ยท Google ๐ก/๐คฌ 23.5% ยท Twitter/X ๐ก/๐คฌ 27.1% ยท OpenMoji ๐ก/๐คฌ 12.4%
Open-mouthed faces: ๐ฎ ๐ฏ ๐ฒ ๐ฆ ๐ง
Five open mouths, separated by brows and mouth shape. ๐ฎ is a simple round 'oh' with no eyebrows. ๐ฏ is 'hushed': the same small mouth with raised brows. ๐ฒ widens the eyes and drops the jaw for real astonishment. ๐ฆ turns the open mouth into a frown. ๐ง does the same with worried, raised brows, and on Apple it is barely 2% away from ๐ฏ.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| face with open mouth | Round mouth, no brows |     | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| hushed face | Small mouth, raised brows |   | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| astonished face | Wide eyes, jaw dropped |    | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| frowning face with open mouth | Open mouth turned into a frown |     | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| anguished face | Frowning open mouth, worried brows |    | Emoji 1.0 (2015) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐ฏ/๐ง 2.0% ยท Google ๐ฆ/๐ง 3.8% ยท Twitter/X ๐ฆ/๐ง 3.9% ยท OpenMoji ๐ฏ/๐ฒ 2.2%
Faces with no expression: ๐ ๐ ๐ถ
These differ by one or two strokes, so they are the easiest to send by accident. ๐ has open dot eyes and a flat line for a mouth. ๐ turns the eyes into flat lines too, a deader 'seriously?' stare. ๐ถ keeps the eyes and removes the mouth entirely, which people use for being speechless or keeping quiet.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| neutral face | Dot eyes, flat mouth |    | Emoji 0.7 (2014) | |
| expressionless face | Line eyes, flat mouth |    | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| face without mouth | Dot eyes, no mouth |    | Emoji 1.0 (2015) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/๐ 2.6% ยท Google ๐/๐ 2.9% ยท Twitter/X ๐/๐ถ 2.7% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ถ 0.9%
Tongue-out faces: ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐คช
Same tongue, different eyes. ๐ has both eyes open. ๐ winks one of them. ๐ screws both shut into > < like ๐ does. ๐คช is the 'zany face': one eye big, one small, and often a tilted head, so it reads as goofy rather than cheeky.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| face with tongue | Both eyes open |    | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| winking face with tongue | One eye winking |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| squinting face with tongue | Both eyes squeezed shut |    | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| zany face | One big eye, one small |     | Emoji 5.0 (2017) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/๐ 3.9% ยท Google ๐/๐ 4.5% ยท Twitter/X ๐/๐ 6.1% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ 1.7%
Hand gestures: ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
The best known mix-up on this page. ๐ is two palms pressed together, which Unicode calls 'folded hands' and people use for please, thank you or prayer; it is not a high five, although it is often read as one. ๐ raises both hands in celebration. ๐ claps, usually with motion lines. ๐ shows two open palms facing out, read as a hug or jazz hands.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| raising hands | Both hands raised high |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| clapping hands | Clapping, motion lines |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| folded hands | Palms pressed together |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| open hands | Two open palms facing out |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/๐ 38.3% ยท Google ๐/๐ 31.3% ยท Twitter/X ๐/๐ 31.0% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ 47.5%
The three wise monkeys: ๐ ๐ ๐
Check which part of the face the hands cover. ๐ covers the eyes (see no evil), the one people send when something is embarrassing to watch. ๐ covers the ears (hear no evil). ๐ covers the mouth (speak no evil), used after saying something you should not have.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| see no evil monkey | Hands over the eyes |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| hear no evil monkey | Hands over the ears |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| speak no evil monkey | Hands over the mouth |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/๐ 26.4% ยท Google ๐/๐ 18.0% ยท Twitter/X ๐/๐ 25.3% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ 19.8%
Pink hearts: ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐
All pink, so count the hearts and look for movement. ๐ is two hearts floating together. ๐ is two hearts circling each other, often with an orbit line. ๐ is one heart with vibration marks, beating. ๐ is a heart with smaller hearts nested inside, growing. ๐ is one heart with sparkles on it.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| two hearts | Two hearts side by side |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| revolving hearts | Two hearts orbiting |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| beating heart | One heart with beat marks |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| growing heart | Hearts nested inside a heart |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| sparkling heart | One heart with sparkles |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/๐ 17.9% ยท Google ๐/๐ 21.2% ยท Twitter/X ๐/๐ 6.7% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ 3.3%
Red hearts: โค๏ธ โฅ๏ธ โฃ๏ธ
โค๏ธ is the classic red heart. โฅ๏ธ is the heart suit from playing cards, drawn in the shape of a card symbol and often in a slightly different red; it is a separate character, so a search for one will not find the other. โฃ๏ธ is a heart sitting on a dot like an exclamation mark. Without the hidden emoji selector, โค and โฅ can also appear as small black text symbols.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| red heart | Rounded red heart |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| heart suit | Playing-card heart suit |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| heart exclamation | Heart above a dot, like ! |     | Emoji 1.0 (2015) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple โค๏ธ/โฅ๏ธ 24.4% ยท Google โค๏ธ/โฅ๏ธ 11.6% ยท Twitter/X โค๏ธ/โฅ๏ธ 18.4% ยท OpenMoji โค๏ธ/โฅ๏ธ 30.0%
Suns and full moons: โ๏ธ ๐ ๐ ๐
Rays mean sun, no rays means moon. โ๏ธ is a plain sun with rays. ๐ is the sun with a smiling face. ๐ looks similar but has no rays: it is a full moon with a face, often paler and marked with craters. ๐ is the full moon without a face.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| sun | Sun with rays, no face |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| sun with face | Sun with rays and a face |     | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| full moon face | Moon with a face, no rays |     | Emoji 1.0 (2015) | |
| full moon | Plain full moon |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/๐ 24.4% ยท Google ๐/๐ 12.6% ยท Twitter/X ๐/๐ 9.2% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ 6.6%
Dark moons: ๐ ๐
๐ is the new moon phase, a dark disc that belongs with ๐ ๐ ๐ ๐. ๐ is the same disc with a face, and its sideways, knowing look made it a meme for creepy or suggestive messages. If you only want the moon, use ๐.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| new moon | Dark disc, no face |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| new moon face | Dark disc with a sly face |     | Emoji 1.0 (2015) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/๐ 30.2% ยท Google ๐/๐ 64.4% ยท Twitter/X ๐/๐ 8.3% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ 5.4%
Check marks: โ โ๏ธ โ๏ธ
โ is a white tick inside a coloured button, green on most sets. โ๏ธ is the bare heavy tick with no box. โ๏ธ is a ticked ballot box, the outlined square from forms. They are three separate characters, so a โ will not match a โ๏ธ in a search or filter.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| check mark button | Tick inside a green button |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| check mark | Bare tick, no box |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| check box with check | Tick inside an outlined box |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple โ๏ธ/โ๏ธ 90.9% ยท Google โ /โ๏ธ 76.3% ยท Twitter/X โ /โ๏ธ 94.9% ยท OpenMoji โ๏ธ/โ๏ธ 21.4%
Crosses: โ โ โ๏ธ
โ is a red cross and the one most people want for 'no'. โ is a cross inside a button, which most sets colour green, the same green as โ , so it can look like approval at a glance. โ๏ธ is the multiplication sign, usually dark grey or black.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cross mark | Red X, no box |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| cross mark button | X inside a button, usually green |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| multiplication sign | Multiplication sign, dark |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple โ/โ๏ธ 50.5% ยท Google โ/โ๏ธ 59.4% ยท Twitter/X โ/โ๏ธ 40.9% ยท OpenMoji โ/โ๏ธ 23.6%
Black squares: โฌ โผ๏ธ โพ โช๏ธ
Four sizes of the same square, from large to small: โฌ large, โผ๏ธ medium, โพ medium-small and โช๏ธ small. They matter in emoji art and pixel grids, where mixing sizes breaks the alignment. โฌ and โพ show as emoji by default; โผ and โช are text characters first and may render flat without the emoji selector.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| black large square | Large |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| black medium square | Medium |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| black medium small square | Medium-small |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| black small square | Small |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple โพ/โช๏ธ 23.9% ยท Google โพ/โช๏ธ 18.3% ยท Twitter/X โพ/โช๏ธ 24.7% ยท OpenMoji โพ/โช๏ธ 10.2%
Stars and sparkles: โญ ๐ โจ ๐ซ
โญ is one plain yellow star. ๐ is the same star with a glow or rays around it. โจ is a cluster of small four-pointed sparkles, the one people put around words for emphasis. ๐ซ is a star trailing a swirl, named 'dizzy', from the cartoon stars that circle a dazed head.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| star | One plain star |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| glowing star | Star with a glow |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| sparkles | Cluster of small sparkles |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| dizzy | Star with a swirling trail |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple โญ/๐ 21.9% ยท Google โญ/๐ 6.5% ยท Twitter/X โญ/โจ 27.1% ยท OpenMoji โญ/๐ 25.6%
Cats and dogs: ๐ฑ ๐ ๐ถ ๐
Each animal comes twice: a face and a whole body. ๐ฑ and ๐ถ are the faces, the ones most people mean when they say 'cat emoji' or 'dog emoji'. ๐ and ๐ are the full-length animals. ๐โโฌ black cat and ๐โ๐ฆบ service dog are built on top of the full-body versions.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cat face | Cat face |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| cat | Whole cat |     | Emoji 0.7 (2014) | |
| dog face | Dog face |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| dog | Whole dog |     | Emoji 0.7 (2014) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐/๐ 45.3% ยท Google ๐ฑ/๐ 41.7% ยท Twitter/X ๐ฑ/๐ 45.3% ยท OpenMoji ๐/๐ 25.7%
Flowers that look alike: ๐ธ ๐ฎ ๐ต๏ธ
๐ธ is the pink cherry blossom. ๐ฎ 'white flower' is not really a flower: it comes from the stamp Japanese teachers press on good homework, and some sets write 'well done' inside it. ๐ต๏ธ is a rosette, a decorative flower badge.
| Emoji | Name | How to spot it | Apple ยท Google ยท Twitter ยท OpenMoji | Added |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| cherry blossom | Pink cherry blossom |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| white flower | White 'well done' stamp |     | Emoji 0.6 (2010) | |
| rosette | Decorative rosette |     | Emoji 0.7 (2014) |
Closest pair on each set: Apple ๐ธ/๐ฎ 51.8% ยท Google ๐ธ/๐ฎ 38.4% ยท Twitter/X ๐ธ/๐ฎ 54.2% ยท OpenMoji ๐ธ/๐ฎ 31.3%
The invisible difference: text symbols and emoji
Some lookalikes are not two emoji at all but one character in two styles. โค and โค๏ธ, โ and โ๏ธ, โผ and โผ๏ธ are the same code point; the emoji version is followed by an invisible variation selector, U+FE0F, which asks for the colourful picture. Without it many apps draw a small flat symbol instead. That is why a heart can paste in black, and why our tables show code points: two things that look different can be identical, and two that look identical can be different.
Which mix-ups actually cause trouble
Most confusions are harmless. A few change the message. Sending ๐ when you meant a celebration reads as a plea. ๐ช sent as 'sad' reads as 'bored' to anyone who knows the sleep bubble. ๐ค can mean proud or furious depending on who reads it. โ looks like approval because of its green. And because every one of these is a separate character, the wrong one will not show up when the other person searches their chat for it.
Flags that are literally the same picture
Some flags go further than looking alike. Our measurement on 2026-10-18 found that Apple draws 10 flags as exact pixel copies of another flag, such as ๐ณ๐ด Norway and ๐ธ๐ฏ Svalbard, while OpenMoji draws ๐ฎ๐ฉ Indonesia and ๐ฒ๐จ Monaco identically. The full table is on our flag troubleshooting page.
See every identical flagEmoji meaningsAll smiley emojiWhat emoji is this?Which emoji your device supportsEmoji glossary
Emoji lookalikes: questions
What is the difference between ๐ and ๐?
Only the eyes. ๐ grinning face has round dot eyes, while ๐ grinning face with big eyes has taller oval ones; the open grin is the same. On Apple's set the two differ by 2.7% of pixels in our measurement.
Is ๐ a high five or praying?
Unicode names it 'folded hands', two palms pressed together. People use it for please, thank you and prayer. Some read it as a high five, but no vendor draws it as one, so it rarely lands that way.
Why does the sleepy face ๐ช have a tear?
It is not a tear. The drop hanging from the nose is a snot bubble, a Japanese manga shorthand for someone fast asleep. That is why the emoji is named 'sleepy face' and means tired rather than sad.
Which two emoji look the most alike?
In our measurement the closest pair was ๐ / โน๏ธ on OpenMoji, where only 0.3% of pixels differ. The ten closest pairs are listed in the table near the top of this page, and every one of them is a face.
Why does my friend see a different face from the one I sent?
Each company draws its own version from the Unicode name, so a detail that separates two emoji on an iPhone may be much smaller on Android or Windows. Check the art columns in the tables above to see each set side by side.