Play symbol

A right-pointing triangle that starts playback.

Also known as: Play button, Right triangle, Start button

Everyday & digitalEngineering & technicalStandard profile

Meanings

A triangle pointing right starts playback. The direction is not arbitrary: it follows the tape moving forward past the head on the reel-to-reel machines the controls were designed for.

Common modern usageVerified fact
Starts or resumes playback of audio or video.
Contexts: Software
Historically documentedDocumented interpretation
Points right because the controls were designed for tape machines, where playback moved the tape forward — left to right in the standard diagram.
Reel-to-reel and cassette era onward · Contexts: Software

Visual description

A solid triangle with one point facing right and a flat vertical edge at the left.

Symmetry: horizontal
Orientation: upright

Part of the same system as: Pause symbol
Both belong to the standard set of media transport controls.

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is defined by a current official standard.

Sources

Media control symbols
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for widely-agreed identity and origin summary, not for contested detail or exact dates.
Unicode Code Chart: Geometric Shapes (U+25A0–U+25FF)
The Unicode Consortium · retrieved 2026-07-31
Authoritative for the character's code point, name and block only. Unicode assigns identity; it does not define what a symbol means in use.

Last reviewed 2026-07-31

Part of

Interface and connectivity symbols

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Meanings

A triangle pointing right starts playback. The direction is not arbitrary: it follows the tape moving forward past the head on the reel-to-reel machines the controls were designed for.

Common modern usageVerified fact

Starts or resumes playback of audio or video.

Contexts: Software

Historically documentedDocumented interpretation

Points right because the controls were designed for tape machines, where playback moved the tape forward — left to right in the standard diagram.

Reel-to-reel and cassette era onward · Contexts: Software

Confidence

IdentityHigh confidence: High confidence because the identity is defined by a current official standard.
Historical originLow confidence: Low confidence because the historical origin is documented in encyclopedic references, but only a single source has been found so far, but the regional or cultural match to this specific claim is not precise.
Current useHigh confidence: High confidence because the current use is documented in encyclopedic references.
Visual matchHigh confidence: High confidence because the visual match is defined by a current official standard.

Sources

Media control symbols
Wikipedia · retrieved 2026-07-31
Tertiary reference. Used for widely-agreed identity and origin summary, not for contested detail or exact dates.
Unicode Code Chart: Geometric Shapes (U+25A0–U+25FF)
The Unicode Consortium · retrieved 2026-07-31
Authoritative for the character's code point, name and block only. Unicode assigns identity; it does not define what a symbol means in use.

Last reviewed 2026-07-31

Meanings

Visual description

Related & commonly confused symbols

Meanings

Visual description

Related & commonly confused symbols