01 Alt codes at a glance
| Character | Windows Alt code | Universal (any codepoint) | Mac | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| N-ary Summation | none | Alt+X after typing 2211 (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 2211 (Linux) |
Character page → | |
| Plus-minus Sign | Alt+0177 |
Alt+X after typing 00B1 (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 00b1 (Linux) |
Character page → | |
| Division Sign | Alt+0247 |
Alt+X after typing 00F7 (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 00f7 (Linux) |
Character page → | |
| Multiplication Sign | Alt+0215 |
Alt+X after typing 00D7 (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 00d7 (Linux) |
Option + hex input, or copy above |
|
| Not Equal To | none | Alt+X after typing 2260 (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 2260 (Linux) |
Character page → | |
| Square Root | none | Alt+X after typing 221A (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 221a (Linux) |
Character page → | |
| Infinity | none | Alt+X after typing 221E (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 221e (Linux) |
Character page → | |
| Integral | none | Alt+X after typing 222B (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 222b (Linux) |
Character page → | |
| Therefore | none | Alt+X after typing 2234 (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 2234 (Linux) |
Character page → | |
| Almost Equal To | none | Alt+X after typing 2248 (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 2248 (Linux) |
Character page → | |
| Less-than Or Equal To | none | Alt+X after typing 2264 (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 2264 (Linux) |
Character page → | |
| Greater-than Or Equal To | none | Alt+X after typing 2265 (Word) · Ctrl+Shift+U then 2265 (Linux) |
Character page → |
3 of 12 characters here have a legacy Windows Alt+NNNN code, that code only exists for the Latin-1 Supplement range and Windows-1252's fixed special-character block, not for Unicode generally. Every character has the universal hex-based method though: type the hex codepoint, then press Alt+X in Word to convert it.
02 Type it yourself
Type or paste here to confirm a character renders in your own font before you use it.
03 FAQ
How do Windows Alt codes work?
Hold the Alt key and type the number on the numeric keypad (with Num Lock on), then release Alt. The character appears. Legacy Alt+NNNN codes only exist for the Latin-1 Supplement range and the Windows-1252 special-character block, so most Unicode characters do not have one.
What if a character has no Alt code?
Use the universal method instead: type the hex code point shown in the table, then press Alt+X in Microsoft Word to convert it into the character. On Linux, press Ctrl+Shift+U followed by the hex code point.
Is there an Alt code method on a Mac?
Macs do not use the Windows Alt+NNNN system. Instead, hold Option (or Option+Shift) for the built-in accent and symbol shortcuts, or press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer. Each character page lists its exact Mac shortcut.
Can I just copy and paste these characters instead?
Yes, tap any key in the table above to copy the character to your clipboard, then paste it wherever you need it. That works on every device with no codes to memorise.