Delta Symbol (Δ)
The delta symbol Δ is Unicode U+0394, the Greek capital letter used for “change in”. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.
- Unicode
U+0394- HTML
Δ- Word
0394 Alt+X
How to type the delta symbol (Δ)
The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type Δ yourself, use the method for your device below.
Windows
- In Word or Outlook, type 0394 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
- Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Greek Capital Letter Delta, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.
Mac
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for delta and double-click it.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 0394.
Linux & ChromeOS
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 394, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.
iPhone & iPad
- Copy Δ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;delt. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.
Android
- Copy Δ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.
Microsoft Word
- Type 0394, then press Alt + X.
- Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 0394 in “Character code” and click Insert.
Google Docs
- Insert → Special characters, then search for “delta” or draw it in the box.
Excel & Google Sheets
- Enter
=UNICHAR(916)in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.
HTML
- Write
ΔorΔin your HTML.
What does Δ mean?
Delta is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. The capital Δ is the one people usually mean by “delta symbol”, because in maths and science it means change in or difference: Δt is a change in time, ΔT a change in temperature, and Δx the distance between two points. The lowercase δ is used for small changes, the Kronecker delta and the Dirac delta function.
The shape also gave its name to river deltas, the triangular landforms at a river mouth, and to the Delta variant of COVID-19. In business slang, “the delta” is simply the difference between two numbers. The lowercase δ has a Windows alt code, Alt + 235; the capital does not, so use Alt + X in Word (type 0394) or copy it from this page.
Common uses
- Physics: Δv = v₂ − v₁, ΔE for a change in energy
- Chemistry: ΔH for enthalpy change, δ+ and δ− for partial charges
- Finance and options trading: an option’s delta
- Spreadsheets and reports: “Δ vs last month”
Delta Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming
Every code below produces Δ. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.
| Unicode code point | U+0394 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML entity (named) | Δ | |
| HTML decimal | Δ | |
| HTML hex | Δ | |
| CSS content | content: "\394"; | |
| JavaScript | "\u0394" | |
| Python | "\u0394" | |
| Python (by name) | "\N{GREEK CAPITAL LETTER DELTA}" | |
| Java / C# | "\u0394" | |
| LaTeX | \Delta | |
| UTF-8 bytes | CE 94 | |
| UTF-16 | 0394 | |
| URL encoded | %CE%94 |
Δ vs look-alike characters
These characters look similar to Δ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.
| Char | Name | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
IncrementU+2206 | Increment (U+2206), the maths operator version. It is what Option + J types on a Mac and what Gboard shows on its symbols page. Unicode recommends Δ for the Greek letter. | |
NablaU+2207 | Nabla (U+2207), an upside-down triangle for the gradient operator. Not the same as delta. | |
Up-Pointing TriangleU+25B2 | Black up-pointing triangle, a geometric shape for bullets and sort indicators. | |
Greek DeltaU+03B4 | Greek small delta (U+03B4), used for small or partial changes. |
Symbols similar to Δ
Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full triangle symbols collection.
Δ character properties
- Official Unicode name
- GREEK CAPITAL LETTER DELTA
- Also known as
- delta, greek capital delta, change symbol, triangle delta
- Code point
- U+0394
- Unicode block
- Greek and Coptic (U+0370–U+03FF)
- General category
- Uppercase letter (Lu)
- Added in
- Unicode 1.1 (1993)
- Plane
- Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
- Emoji
- No, it is a text symbol
Frequently asked questions
What does Δ mean in maths?
Δ means “change in” or “difference”. Δx is the change in x between two points, calculated as the final value minus the initial value.
How do I type delta on a Mac?
Option + J types ∆ (the increment sign), which looks the same and is fine for most uses. For the true Greek capital Δ, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search “delta”.
What is the lowercase delta symbol?
The lowercase is δ (U+03B4). On Windows you can type it with Alt + 235.
Is there an alt code for the delta symbol?
No. Δ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 0394 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.
How do I type the delta symbol on a Mac?
There is no single Option shortcut for Δ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “delta” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.
What is the HTML code for the delta symbol?
Use the named entity Δ or the numeric reference Δ (hex Δ). All three display Δ in every browser.
What is the Unicode for the delta symbol?
Δ is U+0394, officially named GREEK CAPITAL LETTER DELTA, in the Greek and Coptic block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).