Xi Symbol (ξ)
The xi symbol ξ is Unicode U+03BE, the fourteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.
- Unicode
U+03BE- HTML
ξ- Word
03BE Alt+X
How to type the xi symbol (ξ)
The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ξ yourself, use the method for your device below.
Windows
- In Word or Outlook, type 03BE 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 Small Letter Xi, 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 xi and double-click it.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 03BE.
Linux & ChromeOS
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 3be, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.
iPhone & iPad
- Copy ξ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;xi. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.
Android
- Copy ξ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.
Microsoft Word
- Type 03BE, then press Alt + X.
- Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 03BE in “Character code” and click Insert.
Google Docs
- Insert → Special characters, then search for “xi” or draw it in the box.
Excel & Google Sheets
- Enter
=UNICHAR(958)in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.
HTML
- Write
ξorξin your HTML.
What does ξ mean?
Xi (ξ, capital Ξ) is the fourteenth letter of the Greek alphabet. English speakers say “zai” or “ksai”; in Greek it is “ksee”, for the ks sound it represents. The lowercase is famously hard to write by hand. Mathematicians use ξ for random variables and auxiliary variables, and particle physicists name the Xi baryons with it. The capital Ξ, three horizontal bars, is also used decoratively.
Common uses
- Probability: a random variable ξ
- Particle physics: the Ξ⁻ baryon
- Stylised names and logos: ΞMPIRE
Xi Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming
Every code below produces ξ. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.
| Unicode code point | U+03BE | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML entity (named) | ξ | |
| HTML decimal | ξ | |
| HTML hex | ξ | |
| CSS content | content: "\3BE"; | |
| JavaScript | "\u03BE" | |
| Python | "\u03BE" | |
| Python (by name) | "\N{GREEK SMALL LETTER XI}" | |
| Java / C# | "\u03BE" | |
| LaTeX | \xi | |
| UTF-8 bytes | CE BE | |
| UTF-16 | 03BE | |
| URL encoded | %CE%BE |
ξ vs look-alike characters
These characters look similar to ξ 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 ZetaU+03B6 | Greek small zeta, a similar curly letter with only one bend at the top. | |
Identical toU+2261 | Identical to (U+2261), three bars without the Ξ’s shorter middle stroke. | |
Greek capital XiU+039E | Greek capital Xi (U+039E). |
Symbols similar to ξ
Click to copy, or open a symbol for its codes. See the full greek letters collection.
- Greek Alpha Details
- Greek Beta Details
- Greek Gamma Details
- Greek Epsilon Details
- Greek Zeta Details
- Greek Eta Details
- Greek Theta Details
- Greek Iota Details
- Greek Kappa Details
- Greek Lamda Details
- Greek Mu Details
- Greek Nu Details
- Greek Omicron Details
- Greek Pi Details
- Greek Rho Details
- Greek Tau Details
- Greek Upsilon Details
- Greek Phi Details
- Greek Chi Details
- Greek Psi Details
ξ character properties
- Official Unicode name
- GREEK SMALL LETTER XI
- Also known as
- xi, greek letter xi, ksi
- Code point
- U+03BE
- 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
How do you pronounce xi?
In English, “zai” or “ksai”. In modern Greek it is “ksee”.
Is there an alt code for the xi symbol?
No. ξ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 03BE then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.
How do I type the xi symbol on a Mac?
There is no single Option shortcut for ξ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “xi” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.
What is the HTML code for the xi symbol?
Use the named entity ξ or the numeric reference ξ (hex ξ). All three display ξ in every browser.
What is the Unicode for the xi symbol?
ξ is U+03BE, officially named GREEK SMALL LETTER XI, in the Greek and Coptic block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).