pencil

pencil meaning

A yellow pencil. It stands for writing, drawing and editing — and specifically for the impermanence of pencil, which can be erased. That distinction matters more than it sounds: writing in pencil means a draft, a plan that can still change.

Meaning

A yellow pencil. It stands for writing, drawing and editing — and specifically for the impermanence of pencil, which can be erased. That distinction matters more than it sounds: writing in pencil means a draft, a plan that can still change. It appears in study, writing and design contexts, and it is the emoji of a decision not yet final.

Trend over time

Wikipedia pageviews (CC-BY-SA) — Pencil

How to use it

• In pencil, so it can change ✏️
• Drafting, not committing ✏️
• Sketching it out first ✏️

How it looks

✏️

PNG SVG

Google Noto Color Emoji — SIL OFL 1.1 (font) / Apache 2.0 (code).

PNG SVG

Twemoji by Twitter/X contributors — CC-BY-4.0 (jdecked/twemoji).

PNG SVG

OpenMoji by the HfG Karlsruhe — CC-BY-SA-4.0.

PNG SVG

Blobmoji — Apache-2.0 (derivative of Noto).

Emoji look different on Apple, Google, Samsung, and other platforms.

Related emoji

• 📝
• ✒️
• 🖋️
• 🖊️
• 🖌️
• 🖍️
• 🗳️
• 📮

This emoji in other languages

Available in 100 languages

Technical details

Codepoints

U+270F U+FE0F

Emoji version

0.6

Shortcodes

:pencil:

Category

Objects

FAQ

What does the pencil emoji (✏️) mean?

A yellow pencil. It stands for writing, drawing and editing — and specifically for the impermanence of pencil, which can be erased. That distinction matters more than it sounds: writing in pencil means a draft, a plan that can still change.

How do you type the pencil emoji?

Copy the pencil emoji ✏️ directly from this page and paste it anywhere — messages, social media, documents, or code. On mobile, long-press to copy.

What category is the pencil emoji in?

The pencil emoji belongs to the Objects category.