How to insert symbols in Word

1. The Ribbon Symbol dialog

The standard way to insert symbols in Word is through the Ribbon interface. Click the Insert tab at the top of the window, look for the Symbols group on the far right, and click Symbol. A drop-down menu displays your twenty most recently used symbols for quick access.

If the symbol you need is not in the recent list, click More Symbols at the bottom of the menu. This opens the full Symbol dialog box, which contains two tabs: Symbols and Special Characters. In the Symbols tab, select a font such as “(normal text)” to keep symbols matching your current document typography, or choose a specialized font like Segoe UI Symbol or Cambria Math for technical notation.

Use the Subset drop-down menu in the top-right corner to jump directly to specific Unicode ranges, such as Currency Symbols, Mathematical Operators, Arrows, or Box Drawing. When you locate your character, select it and click Insert. The dialog stays open so you can insert several symbols consecutively without reopening the window.

2. The Alt + X hexadecimal code toggle

Microsoft Word includes a built-in keyboard feature that turns any hexadecimal Unicode code into its corresponding symbol on the fly. To use it, type the four-character or five-character hexadecimal code of the symbol directly into your document, and then immediately press Alt + X.

Word instantly converts the hexadecimal numbers into the appropriate glyph. For example, typing 00B0 followed by Alt + X produces the degree symbol (°). Typing 2713 and pressing Alt + X generates a clean check mark (✓). Typing 20AC turns into the euro sign (€), and 221E becomes the infinity symbol (∞).

This shortcut works bidirectionally. If you encounter an unfamiliar character in a document, place your text cursor immediately to the right of the symbol and press Alt + X. Word replaces the glyph with its official hexadecimal code point, letting you identify mysterious characters instantly. Pressing Alt + X once more converts the code back into the visible glyph.

3. Built-in Office keyboard shortcuts

Microsoft Word comes preconfigured with dedicated keyboard shortcuts for frequently used typographic and legal marks. These key combinations work out of the box on Windows versions of Word:

Notice that the dash shortcuts require the minus key on the dedicated numeric keypad. If you work on a laptop without a numeric pad, use the Ribbon menu, the Alt + X method, or configure custom shortcuts.

4. Using Math AutoCorrect outside equations

Word features a comprehensive Math AutoCorrect engine that replaces backslash commands with mathematical symbols, identical to LaTeX syntax. By default, these shortcuts only trigger inside equation boxes (inserted with Alt + =), but you can enable them across regular prose.

To turn this on, go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options. Select the Math AutoCorrect tab and check the box labeled “Use Math AutoCorrect rules outside of math regions”. Click OK to save the setting.

Once enabled, you can type intuitive shorthand anywhere in your document: typing alpha produces α, eta produces β, imes inserts ×, pm inserts ±, and e inserts ≠. This is especially useful for students, scientists, and engineers who frequently draft reports containing Greek letters and mathematical notation. You can find comprehensive sets of these glyphs in our math symbols collection and Greek letters collection.

5. Assigning custom keyboard shortcuts

If you insert a specific symbol repeatedly, you can assign your own memorable keystroke to it. Open the Ribbon Symbol dialog via Insert > Symbol > More Symbols. Browse to the symbol you wish to map, such as the section sign (§) or delta (Δ).

Click the Shortcut Key... button at the bottom of the dialog window. Place your cursor into the “Press new shortcut key” field and press the key combination you prefer, such as Alt + S or Ctrl + Shift + D. Look at the “Currently assigned to” prompt below to ensure you are not overwriting a crucial command like Save or Copy. Choose whether to save the shortcut in your current document or the global Normal.dotm template, and click Assign.

Similar techniques apply when working in spreadsheets; read our dedicated guide on inserting symbols in Excel or see how cloud processors handle glyphs in our guide on special characters in Google Docs.