Zeta Symbol (ζ)
The zeta symbol ζ is Unicode U+03B6, the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet. Press Copy to put it on your clipboard.
- Unicode
U+03B6- HTML
ζ- Word
03B6 Alt+X
How to type the zeta symbol (ζ)
The quickest way is to press Copy above and paste. To type ζ yourself, use the method for your device below.
Windows
- In Word or Outlook, type 03B6 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 Zeta, 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 zeta and double-click it.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 03B6.
Linux & ChromeOS
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 3b6, then press Enter or Space. Works in GTK and IBus apps (GNOME, Firefox, Chrome, LibreOffice) and on ChromeOS.
iPhone & iPad
- Copy ζ from this page, then go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and add it with a shortcut such as ;zeta. The shortcut then turns into the symbol as you type, in every app.
Android
- Copy ζ here, then open Gboard settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add it with a shortcut.
Microsoft Word
- Type 03B6, then press Alt + X.
- Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Set “from” to Unicode (hex), type 03B6 in “Character code” and click Insert.
Google Docs
- Insert → Special characters, then search for “zeta” or draw it in the box.
Excel & Google Sheets
- Enter
=UNICHAR(950)in a cell. It works in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.
HTML
- Write
ζorζin your HTML.
What does ζ mean?
Zeta (ζ, capital Ζ) is the sixth letter of the Greek alphabet, pronounced “ZAY-tuh” or “ZEE-tuh”. Its best-known job is the Riemann zeta function ζ(s), at the heart of one of the most famous unsolved problems in mathematics. Engineers also use ζ for the damping ratio of a vibrating system. The capital Ζ is identical to the Latin Z, so in practice only the lowercase is written as a symbol.
Common uses
- Number theory: ζ(2) = π²/6
- Control engineering: a damping ratio ζ of 0.7
- Chemistry: the zeta potential of a colloid
Zeta Symbol codes for HTML, CSS and programming
Every code below produces ζ. Use the HTML entity in web pages, the CSS escape in content, and the escape sequence in source code.
| Unicode code point | U+03B6 | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML entity (named) | ζ | |
| HTML decimal | ζ | |
| HTML hex | ζ | |
| CSS content | content: "\3B6"; | |
| JavaScript | "\u03B6" | |
| Python | "\u03B6" | |
| Python (by name) | "\N{GREEK SMALL LETTER ZETA}" | |
| Java / C# | "\u03B6" | |
| LaTeX | \zeta | |
| UTF-8 bytes | CE B6 | |
| UTF-16 | 03B6 | |
| URL encoded | %CE%B6 |
ζ vs look-alike characters
These characters look similar to ζ 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 XiU+03BE | Greek small xi (U+03BE). Both have curly tails, but xi has three horizontal strokes. |
Symbols similar to ζ
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 Eta Details
- Greek Theta Details
- Greek Iota Details
- Greek Kappa Details
- Greek Lamda Details
- Greek Mu Details
- Greek Nu Details
- Greek Xi 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
ζ character properties
- Official Unicode name
- GREEK SMALL LETTER ZETA
- Also known as
- zeta, greek letter zeta
- Code point
- U+03B6
- 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 zeta?
In English it is usually “ZAY-tuh” in the US and “ZEE-tuh” in the UK. In modern Greek it is “ZEE-tah”.
Is there an alt code for the zeta symbol?
No. ζ is outside the Windows-1252 and code page 437 character sets, so no Alt + number code produces it. Copy it from this page, type 03B6 then Alt + X in Word, or find it in Character Map.
How do I type the zeta symbol on a Mac?
There is no single Option shortcut for ζ on the US layout. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “zeta” and double-click it, or copy it from this page.
What is the HTML code for the zeta symbol?
Use the named entity ζ or the numeric reference ζ (hex ζ). All three display ζ in every browser.
What is the Unicode for the zeta symbol?
ζ is U+03B6, officially named GREEK SMALL LETTER ZETA, in the Greek and Coptic block. It has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).