SymbolHub

Integral Symbol (∫)

The integral symbol ∫ is Unicode U+222B, the elongated S of integral calculus. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard, or type it with Option + B on a Mac.

Unicode
U+222B
HTML
∫
Word
222B Alt+X
Mac
Option + B

How to type the integral symbol (∫)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ∫ yourself, use the method for your device below. On a Mac it is Option + B.

Windows

  1. In Word or Outlook, type 222B and press Alt + X. Alt + X converts the hex code before the cursor into the character, and back again.
  2. Press Win + R, type charmap and press Enter. Tick “Advanced view”, search for Integral, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

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

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 222b, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

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

Android

  1. Copy ∫ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 222B, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 222B in “Character code” and click Insert.
  3. On a Mac, Option+B works in Word too.

Google Docs

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

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(8747) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ∫ or ∫ in your HTML.

What does ∫ mean?

∫ is the integral sign. Gottfried Wilhelm Leibniz introduced it in 1675 as an elongated letter S, the “long s” of summa, because an integral is the limit of a sum of thin slices. A definite integral carries limits, ∫ₐᵇ f(x) dx, and gives an area or accumulated total; an indefinite integral has none and stands for the family of antiderivatives, with a constant + C.

The dx at the end names the variable of integration and is part of the notation, not decoration. Typographers set it upright with a thin space before it, so ∫ x² dx rather than ∫x²dx. Related characters cover double ∬ and triple ∭ integrals over areas and volumes and the contour integral ∮ around a closed path.

A single text character cannot stack the limits neatly. For anything beyond a quick note, use an equation editor or LaTeX, where \int_a^b places them correctly.

Common uses

  • Definite integrals: ∫₀¹ x² dx = ⅓
  • Physics: work W = ∫ F · ds
  • Probability: total probability ∫ f(x) dx = 1

Integral 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+222B
HTML entity (named)∫
HTML decimal∫
HTML hex∫
CSS contentcontent: "\222B";
JavaScript"\u222B"
Python"\u222B"
Python (by name)"\N{INTEGRAL}"
Java / C#"\u222B"
LaTeX\int
UTF-8 bytesE2 88 AB
UTF-16222B
URL encoded%E2%88%AB
Mac shortcutOption + B

∫ 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
Esh
U+0283		Latin small letter esh, an IPA phonetic symbol for the “sh” sound.
Contour Integral
U+222E		Contour integral, with a small circle on the stem.
N-Ary Summation
U+2211		Summation, the discrete counterpart of ∫.

Symbols similar to ∫

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

∫ character properties

Official Unicode name
INTEGRAL
Also known as
integral sign, integration symbol, long s
Code point
U+222B
Unicode block
Mathematical Operators (U+2200–U+22FF)
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

Why is the integral sign an S?

Leibniz chose a long S for summa, Latin for “sum”, because an integral is the limit of a sum of infinitely thin strips.

How do I write an integral with limits in Word?

Press Alt + = to open the equation editor, type \int_a^b and a space, then the function. Word draws the limits in the right place.

Is there an alt code for the integral symbol?

No. ∫ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 222B then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the integral symbol on a Mac?

Press Option + B. 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 integral symbol?

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

What is the Unicode for the integral symbol?

∫ is U+222B, officially named INTEGRAL, in the Mathematical Operators block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).