diff --git a/lisp/which-key.el b/lisp/which-key.el
index 1de599e5497..7d986b7cb05 100644
--- a/lisp/which-key.el
+++ b/lisp/which-key.el
@@ -239,12 +239,20 @@ which-key-highlighted-command-list
   :package-version "1.0" :version "30.1")
 
 (defcustom which-key-special-keys '()
-  "These keys will automatically be truncated to one character.
+  "These keys will be truncated to first character or provided unicode symbol.
 They also have `which-key-special-key-face' applied to them.  This
-is disabled by default.  An example configuration is
-
-\(setq which-key-special-keys \\='(\"SPC\" \"TAB\" \"RET\" \"ESC\" \"DEL\")\)"
-  :type '(repeat string)
+is disabled by default.  Example configurations are
+
+\(setq which-key-special-keys \\='(\"SPC\" \"TAB\" \"RET\" \"ESC\" \"DEL\")\) OR
+
+\(setq which-key-special-keys
+      \\='((\"SPC\" . \"␣\")
+        (\"TAB\" . \"↹\")
+        (\"RET\" . \"⏎\")
+        (\"ESC\" . \"⎋\")
+        (\"DEL\" . \"⌦\")
+        (\"backspace\" . \"⌫\"))\)"
+  :type '(repeat (choice string cons))
   :package-version "1.0" :version "30.1")
 
 (defcustom which-key-buffer-name " *which-key*"
@@ -1686,7 +1694,10 @@ which-key--propertize-key
 `which-key-special-key-face'."
   (let ((key-w-face (which-key--propertize key 'face 'which-key-key-face))
         (regexp (concat "\\("
-                        (mapconcat #'identity which-key-special-keys
+                        (mapconcat #'identity
+                                   (if (consp (car which-key-special-keys))
+                                       (mapcar #'car which-key-special-keys)
+                                     which-key-special-keys)
                                    "\\|")
                         "\\)"))
         (case-fold-search nil))
@@ -1695,8 +1706,12 @@ which-key--propertize-key
                (string-match regexp key))
           (let ((beg (match-beginning 0)) (end (match-end 0)))
             (concat (substring key-w-face 0 beg)
-                    (which-key--propertize (substring key-w-face beg (1+ beg))
-                                           'face 'which-key-special-key-face)
+                    (which-key--propertize
+                     (or (cdr
+                          (assoc (substring key-w-face beg end)
+                                 which-key-special-keys #'string=))
+                         (substring key-w-face beg (1+ beg)))
+                     'face 'which-key-special-key-face)
                     (substring key-w-face end
                                (which-key--string-width key-w-face))))
         key-w-face))))