Capital delta Δ means change. Type 0394 then Alt+X in Word. It is the triangle you see in Δx or ΔT, meaning the difference between two values. The lowercase δ carries a related but narrower sense of a very small quantity.
01 All shortcuts at a glance
| Platform | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| Windows (any app) | Win+. or Win+; emoji/symbol picker, or Character Map (Win+R → charmap) |
|
| Mac | Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer, search "Greek Capital Letter Delta" |
|
| Word / Outlook | Type 0394, then press Alt+X |
|
| Linux (IBus) | Ctrl+Shift+U, then 0394, then Enter |
|
| HTML / CSS | Δ · \0394 (CSS) |
02 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform, not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
Windows
- Open Character Map: Win+R, type charmap, press Enter.
- Search or scroll for Greek Capital Letter Delta (U+0394).
- Select it, click Copy, then paste where you need it.
Mac
- Press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer.
- Type "Greek Capital Letter Delta" in the search field.
- Double-click the result to insert it.
Microsoft Word
- Type 0394.
- Press Alt+X immediately after, it converts the hex code to Δ.
03 Characters in this set
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ∆ (U+2206) | Increment, a maths operator | The formally correct character for a difference in typeset mathematics. |
| △ (U+25B3) | White up-pointing triangle, a geometric shape | A drawing element. It has no mathematical meaning and different spacing. |
| δ (U+03B4) | Lowercase delta | For an infinitesimal quantity or a partial change, not a measured difference. |
05 FAQ
What is the Unicode code point for delta?
Capital delta is U+0394 and lowercase is U+03B4. The separate increment operator sits at U+2206.
What does Δ mean in an equation?
It means the change in whatever follows it. So ΔT is a temperature difference, calculated as the final value minus the initial one.
Should I use Δ or ∆?
They look the same in most fonts. The Greek capital at U+0394 is what a Greek keyboard produces, and the increment at U+2206 is the semantically correct maths operator. Either reads correctly to a human.
What is the difference between Δ and δ?
The capital denotes a finite, measurable change. The lowercase denotes an infinitesimally small one, and it appears in limits and in the definition of a derivative.
Why is a river mouth called a delta?
Herodotus named the Nile's fan-shaped mouth after the triangular capital letter. The geographic term came from the letter, not the other way round.