Proportional To Symbol (∝)

Q: What is the HTML code for the proportional to symbol?

Use the named entity &prop; or the numeric reference ∝ (hex ∝). All three display ∝ in every browser.

The proportional to symbol ∝ is Unicode U+221D, meaning “is proportional to”. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode: U+221D
HTML: &prop;
Word: 221D Alt+X

How to type the proportional to symbol (∝)

The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ∝ yourself, use the method for your device below.

Windows

In Word or Outlook, type 221D 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 Proportional to, 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 proportional and double-click it.
With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 221D.

Linux & ChromeOS

Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 221d, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

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

Android

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

Microsoft Word

Type 221D, then press Alt + X.
Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 221D in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

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

Excel & Google Sheets

Enter =UNICHAR(8733) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

Write &prop; or ∝ in your HTML.

What does ∝ mean?

∝ means “is proportional to”: y ∝ x says that y = kx for some constant k, so doubling x doubles y. Physics uses it constantly, for example F ∝ 1/r² for gravity, before the constant is pinned down. The sign resembles an open-ended infinity sign or a Greek alpha, and it is regularly mistyped as α. A quick check: ∝ is symmetric and has no tail on the right.

Common uses

Physics: I ∝ 1/d²
Scaling rules in engineering and statistics

Proportional To 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.

Codes for ∝
Unicode code point	`U+221D`
HTML entity (named)	`&prop;`
HTML decimal	`∝`
HTML hex	`∝`
CSS content	`content: "\221D";`
JavaScript	`"\u221D"`
Python	`"\u221D"`
Python (by name)	`"\N{PROPORTIONAL TO}"`
Java / C#	`"\u221D"`
LaTeX	`\propto`
UTF-8 bytes	`E2 88 9D`
UTF-16	`221D`
URL encoded	`%E2%88%9D`

∝ 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.

Char	Name	When to use it
	Greek Alpha `U+03B1`	Greek small letter alpha.
	Infinity `U+221E`	Infinity.
	Tilde Operator `U+223C`	Tilde operator, “of the same order”.

Symbols similar to ∝

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

∝ character properties

Official Unicode name: PROPORTIONAL TO
Also known as: proportional, varies as, proportionality sign
Code point: U+221D
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

What does y ∝ x² mean?

y changes in proportion to the square of x: if x doubles, y becomes four times larger.

Is there an alt code for the proportional to 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 221D then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the proportional to symbol on a Mac?

There is no single Option shortcut for ∝ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “proportional” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code for the proportional to symbol?

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

What is the Unicode for the proportional to symbol?

∝ is U+221D, officially named PROPORTIONAL TO, in the Mathematical Operators block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).