Word can insert thousands of symbols and special characters that aren’t on your keyboard, from © and ™ to °, €, arrows, check marks, and Greek letters. There are several ways to do it: a menu, keyboard codes, AutoCorrect shortcuts, and more. This guide covers each method on Windows and Mac, with a quick reference table of the most-used symbols.
Quick answer
Click where you want the symbol, go to the Insert tab, click Symbol on the far right, and pick one from the list. Choose More Symbols to browse every available character, select the one you want, and click Insert.
- Click in your document where the symbol should go.
- Open the Insert tab.
- Click Symbol in the Symbols group. A short list of common and recently used symbols appears.
- Click a symbol to insert it, or choose More Symbols for the full set.
- In the Symbol dialog, change the Font or Subset (such as Greek and Coptic, Currency Symbols, or Arrows) to narrow the list.
- Select a character and click Insert, then Close.
The Special Characters tab in the same dialog lists items like the em dash, en dash, nonbreaking space, section sign, and paragraph mark, along with their keyboard shortcuts.
Useful special character shortcuts in Word for Windows
- Em dash (—): Ctrl + Alt + minus on the number pad
- En dash (–): Ctrl + minus on the number pad
- Nonbreaking space: Ctrl + Shift + Space, which keeps two words together on the same line
- Nonbreaking hyphen: Ctrl + Shift + Hyphen, which stops a hyphenated word from splitting across lines
- Optional hyphen: Ctrl + Hyphen, which shows a hyphen only if the word breaks at the end of a line
Method 2: Type a Unicode code and press Alt + X
Every character has a Unicode number. In Word for Windows, type the code and press Alt + X to convert it into the symbol. For example, type 03C0 then press Alt + X to get π, or 2713 for a check mark. You can see a character’s code in the Character code box of the Symbol dialog.
Method 3: Use Alt codes
Hold Alt and type a number on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. This works in most Windows apps, not just Word, but you need a keyboard with a number pad and Num Lock turned on.
| Symbol | Name | Windows Alt code | Mac shortcut |
|---|---|---|---|
| © | Copyright | Alt + 0169 | Option + G |
| ® | Registered | Alt + 0174 | Option + R |
| ™ | Trademark | Alt + 0153 | Option + 2 |
| ° | Degree | Alt + 0176 | Shift + Option + 8 |
| € | Euro | Alt + 0128 | Shift + Option + 2 |
| • | Bullet | Alt + 0149 | Option + 8 |
| — | Em dash | Alt + 0151 | Shift + Option + Hyphen |
| § | Section | Alt + 0167 | Option + 6 |
| ± | Plus-minus | Alt + 0177 | Shift + Option + = |
Mac shortcuts are for the standard U.S. keyboard layout.
Method 4: Let AutoCorrect type it for you
Word automatically turns some typed sequences into symbols:
- (c) becomes ©
- (r) becomes ®
- (tm) becomes ™
- –> becomes →
- 🙂 becomes a smiley
To add your own, open the Symbol dialog, select a character, and click AutoCorrect. Type a short code, such as “ckm” for a check mark, and click Add. If you don’t want a conversion, press Ctrl + Z right after it happens.
Method 5: Assign a keyboard shortcut
For a symbol you use constantly, open More Symbols, select it, and click Shortcut Key. Press the key combination you want, click Assign, and close the dialog.
In Word for the web
Word for the web has a simpler version of the same tool. Go to Insert > Symbol and choose from the grid. Alt + X and custom shortcuts aren’t available there, so copy and paste from the desktop app or your computer’s emoji and symbol panel when you need something not listed.
On a Mac
In Word for Mac, go to Insert > Symbol (or Advanced Symbol) to open the symbol browser. You can also press Control + Command + Space to open the macOS Character Viewer, which works in every app.
Math symbols and equations
For fractions, square roots, and other math, use Insert > Equation or press Alt + =. The Equation tab includes a full symbol gallery. For single characters such as π, see how to add a pi symbol in Word.
Guides for specific symbols
Related: Underline text in Word.
Related: Type the section symbol on Windows.
Related: Stop Word from auto-capitalizing.
Related: Add superscript in Word.
Related: Put a line over a letter in Word.
Related: Make the cents symbol in Word.
Related: How to add accent marks in Word.
Related: How to type the mu symbol in Word.
Related: How to type the delta symbol in Word.
Related: Type emojis on Windows.
Related: Make a heart in Word.
Related: Disable add-ins in Word.
The degree sign has several shortcuts of its own, collected in how to type the degree symbol on Windows.
Frequently asked questions
Why don’t Alt codes work on my laptop?
Alt codes need a numeric keypad. Many laptops don’t have one, so use the Symbol menu or Unicode with Alt + X instead.
Why does my symbol show as a box?
The font you’re using doesn’t include that character. Change the font to one that does, such as Segoe UI Symbol.
How do I insert emoji in Word?
On Windows, press Windows + period (.) to open the emoji panel, which also has a symbols tab. On a Mac, use Control + Command + Space.
Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.