SymbolHub

Division Symbol (÷)

The division symbol ÷ is Unicode U+00F7, the obelus, read “divided by”. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard, or type it with Alt + 0247 on Windows or Option + / on a Mac.

Unicode
U+00F7
HTML
÷
Windows
Alt + 0247
Mac
Option + /

How to type the division symbol (÷)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ÷ yourself, use the method for your device below. On Windows the alt code is Alt + 0247. On a Mac it is Option + /.

Windows

  1. Hold Alt and type 0247 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Num Lock must be on. This uses the Windows-1252 code page, so it works in almost every Windows app.
  2. Hold Alt and type 246 on the numeric keypad. This older code (from code page 437) works in Notepad, Word and most desktop apps.
  3. In Word or Outlook, type 00F7 and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  4. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Division Sign, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Division symbol on Windows

Mac

  1. Press Option+/. On the standard US and US-International layouts.
  2. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for division and double-click it.

Division symbol on Mac

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type f7, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.
  2. Press your Compose key, then : -. Needs a Compose key set in your keyboard settings.

iPhone & iPad

  1. Copy ÷ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;divi. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.

Division symbol on iPhone

Android

  1. In Gboard, tap ?123, then =\<. ÷ is on that page.
  2. Copy ÷ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Division symbol on Android

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 00F7, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 00F7 in “Character code” and click Insert.
  3. On a Mac, Option+/ works in Word too.

Google Docs

  1. Insert → Special characters, then search for “division” or draw it in the box.

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(247) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write &divide; or &#247; in your HTML.

What does ÷ mean?

÷ is the obelus, read “divided by”: 12 ÷ 4 = 3. The Swiss mathematician Johann Rahn introduced it for division in 1659. Today it is mostly a school and calculator sign. Algebra and science write division as a fraction bar or a slash (a/b), and the ISO 80000-2 standard advises against ÷ for division.

The obelus is also the source of a famous ambiguity. Is 6 ÷ 2(1 + 2) equal to 1 or 9? Modern convention reads it left to right as 9, but many older textbooks treated implied multiplication as binding tighter. Writing the expression as a fraction removes the doubt. Some countries, including Norway and Denmark, have also used ÷ to mean subtraction, so for international readers the slash is safer.

Common uses

  • Primary-school arithmetic: 20 ÷ 5 = 4
  • Calculator keys and on-screen keypads
  • Recipes and quick calculations in plain text

Division Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming

Every code below produces ÷. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.

Unicode code pointU+00F7
HTML entity (named)&divide;
HTML decimal&#247;
HTML hex&#xF7;
CSS contentcontent: "\F7";
JavaScript"\u00F7"
Python"\u00F7"
Python (by name)"\N{DIVISION SIGN}"
Java / C#"\u00F7"
LaTeX\div
UTF-8 bytesC3 B7
UTF-1600F7
URL encoded%C3%B7
Windows Alt codeAlt + 0247
Alt code (CP437)Alt + 246
Mac shortcutOption + /

÷ vs look-alike characters

These characters look similar to ÷ but have a different meaning and code. Pasting the wrong one can break search, sorting and screen readers.

CharNameWhen to use it
Solidus
U+002F		The keyboard slash, used for division in programming and spreadsheets.
Division Slash
U+2215		Division slash (U+2215), a mathematical slash for inline fractions.
Fraction Slash
U+2044		Fraction slash (U+2044). Placed between digits it can form a fraction such as 3⁄8.
Divides
U+2223		Divides (U+2223): a ∣ b means a divides b exactly. It is a relation, not an operation.

Symbols similar to ÷

Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full math symbols collection.

÷ character properties

Official Unicode name
DIVISION SIGN
Also known as
obelus, divide sign, division sign, divided by
Code point
U+00F7
Unicode block
Latin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF)
General category
Math symbol (Sm)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

What is the division symbol called?

Its traditional name is the obelus. Its Unicode name is DIVISION SIGN (U+00F7).

How do I divide in Excel?

Excel uses the slash, not ÷: type =A1/B1. The ÷ sign is only text in a spreadsheet and cannot be used in formulas.

What is the alt code for the division symbol?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0247 on the numeric keypad to get ÷. The shorter code Alt + 246 also works in most desktop apps. On a laptop without a keypad, copy it from this page or use 00F7 then Alt + X in Word.

How do I type the division symbol on a Mac?

Press Option + /. It works in every app on the US keyboard layout. You can also open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search for it.

What is the HTML code for the division symbol?

Use the named entity ÷ or the numeric reference ÷ (hex ÷). All three display ÷ in every browser.

What is the Unicode for the division symbol?

÷ is U+00F7, officially named DIVISION SIGN, in the Latin-1 Supplement block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).