SymbolHub

Psi Symbol (ψ)

The psi symbol ψ is Unicode U+03C8, the Greek letter that stands for psychology. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.

Unicode
U+03C8
HTML
ψ
Word
03C8 Alt+X

How to type the psi symbol (ψ)

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

Windows

  1. In Word or Outlook, type 03C8 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 Greek Small Letter Psi, then Select and Copy. Character Map is built into every version of Windows.

Mac

  1. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for psi and double-click it.
  2. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 03C8.

Linux & ChromeOS

  1. Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 3c8, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.

iPhone & iPad

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

Android

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

Microsoft Word

  1. Type 03C8, then press Alt + X.
  2. Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 03C8 in “Character code” and click Insert.

Google Docs

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

Excel & Google Sheets

  1. Enter =UNICHAR(968) in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

HTML

  1. Write ψ or ψ in your HTML.

What does ψ mean?

Psi (ψ, capital Ψ) is the twenty-third Greek letter, pronounced “sai” or “psee”. It begins the Greek word ψυχή (psyche, the soul), so Ψ is the international symbol of psychology and psychiatry. In quantum mechanics ψ is the wave function in Schrödinger’s equation. The shape resembles a trident, which makes it popular in logos. Note that “psi” as a pressure unit means pounds per square inch and has nothing to do with the letter.

Common uses

  • Psychology departments and logos: Ψ
  • Quantum physics: ψ(x, t)
  • Parapsychology: “psi phenomena”

Psi Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming

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

Unicode code pointU+03C8
HTML entity (named)ψ
HTML decimalψ
HTML hexψ
CSS contentcontent: "\3C8";
JavaScript"\u03C8"
Python"\u03C8"
Python (by name)"\N{GREEK SMALL LETTER PSI}"
Java / C#"\u03C8"
LaTeX\psi
UTF-8 bytesCF 88
UTF-1603C8
URL encoded%CF%88

ψ vs look-alike characters

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

CharNameWhen to use it
Greek capital Psi
U+03A8		Greek capital Psi (U+03A8), the version used as the psychology symbol.
Cyrillic Small Letter Psi
U+0471		Cyrillic small psi (U+0471), from Old Church Slavonic.

Symbols similar to ψ

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

ψ character properties

Official Unicode name
GREEK SMALL LETTER PSI
Also known as
psi, greek letter psi, psychology symbol
Code point
U+03C8
Unicode block
Greek and Coptic (U+0370–U+03FF)
General category
Lowercase letter (Ll)
Added in
Unicode 1.1 (1993)
Plane
Basic Multilingual Plane (0)
Emoji
No, it is a text symbol

Frequently asked questions

Why is ψ the symbol of psychology?

Because psychology comes from the Greek psyche (ψυχή), meaning mind or soul, which starts with the letter psi.

Is there an alt code for the psi symbol?

No. ψ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 03C8 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.

How do I type the psi symbol on a Mac?

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

What is the HTML code for the psi symbol?

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

What is the Unicode for the psi symbol?

ψ is U+03C8, officially named GREEK SMALL LETTER PSI, in the Greek and Coptic block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).