A backslash is the character that looks like this: \. It leans backward (to the left), which is how it got its name. You'll find it on your keyboard, usually near the Enter key or above it.

The backslash became important with computers. Programmers use it as a special signal in code, like telling the computer “treat the next character differently than usual.” In file paths on Windows computers, backslashes separate folder names: C:\Users\Documents\MyFile.txt shows the route to find a file, with each backslash marking a step deeper into the folders.

Don't confuse the backslash with its mirror image, the forward slash (/), which leans the other way. Web addresses use forward slashes (www.example.com/page), while Windows file paths use backslashes. This confuses many people because the two characters look so similar but serve different purposes.

The backslash is also used in special character codes. If you're writing something and want to show a quotation mark that the computer might misunderstand, you might type a backslash first. The backslash tells the computer “this quotation mark is part of the text, not a command.”