What Are Slot Machine Symbols Called? 9 Types Explained

Updated 6 September 2026 · How slots work

Slot machine symbols go by several names depending on what they do. If time is short, the two groups worth knowing are standard symbols, which build the base paytable, and special symbols, such as wilds and scatters, which trigger extra features. Everything below sits under one of those two umbrellas, with a few behaviours added on top.

Standard symbols that make up the paytable

These are the icons that appear most often and form the backbone of the game. They pay out when enough of them land in a qualifying combination on a payline, and their value is fixed by the paytable rather than by chance on any given spin.

Low-value card symbols

Many video slots use playing-card ranks — 9, 10, J, Q, K, A — as filler symbols. They land frequently and pay the smallest amounts. Suits to look for: they're a quick way to spot a lower-tier game, since heavily themed slots often skip cards entirely in favour of icons matched to the theme.

Also worth reading: What Do Slot Machine Symbols Mean and Slot Machine Lines Explained: Paylines and How They Work.

High-value themed symbols

These match the game's setting — gems, animals, characters, or objects tied to a story. They pay more than card symbols but appear less often. A game's identity usually rests on these; they're the ones shown in marketing art and on the game's title screen.

Fruit symbols

Cherries, lemons, bells, bars — the classic set inherited from mechanical slot machines. Modern games that use fruit symbols are usually deliberately styled as retro or simplified, with fewer paylines and a smaller symbol set overall. They suit players who want a plain, uncluttered layout rather than a story-driven theme.

Special symbols that add features

Special symbols don't just pay on their own (though some do); they change how a spin behaves. Their exact rules always depend on the individual game, so the paytable or help screen is the only reliable source for specifics.

Wild symbols

A wild substitutes for other symbols to complete a winning combination, similar to a joker in cards. Some wilds only substitute for standard symbols and not for scatters or bonus icons — that restriction is stated in the paytable, not assumed. Wilds are the symbol most players ask about, since they can turn a near-miss into a win.

Scatter symbols

Scatters typically pay or trigger a feature regardless of position on the reels — they don't need to line up on a payline the way standard symbols do. Landing three or more scatters commonly starts free spins or a bonus round. Because the trigger condition varies by game, the number required is worth checking before assuming a pattern.

Bonus symbols

Bonus symbols are similar to scatters but are usually tied to a specific mini-game or pick-and-click round rather than free spins. Some games use both scatter and bonus symbols side by side, each unlocking a different feature. It's easy to confuse the two at a glance, so the paytable's icon key is the place to confirm which is which.

Multiplier symbols

These multiply a win by a fixed or variable amount when they appear as part of a winning line, or sometimes anywhere on the reels during a bonus round. A multiplier symbol doesn't change the odds of winning; it changes the size of a win that has already happened.

Symbol behaviours worth knowing

Beyond the names above, some symbols carry a behaviour tag that affects how they act on the reels rather than what they pay.

Stacked and expanding symbols

A stacked symbol appears multiple times in a single column, increasing the chance of a matching line. An expanding symbol starts as one icon and grows to fill its whole reel once it lands. Both are usually applied to wild or high-value symbols to make a feature more visible.

Sticky symbols

A sticky symbol stays locked in place for one or more following spins, often during a bonus round. This is a design choice built into the round's rules, not a sign the machine is "due" for anything — each spin remains an independent, random event, and no pattern in sticky symbols predicts future outcomes.

Across all of these, the underlying mechanics don't change: a win requires symbols to line up in a combination the paytable recognises, and the exact set of symbols, their names, and their values differ from one game to the next. There's no universal list that applies to every slot. Slot machines are intended for adult players, and no reading of symbols, however careful, changes the built-in house edge or predicts what the next spin will show.