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How to type the plus minus symbol in Excel

To type the plus minus symbol ± in an Excel cell, hold Alt and type 0177 on the numeric keypad. In a formula, =CHAR(177) or =UNICHAR(177) returns ±, so you can build tolerance labels like 5.0 ± 0.2 from two numeric cells.

By Sudarshan BabarUpdated 1 min read

All codes for ±U+00B1

Quick answer

Alt + 0177 in a cell. Formula: =A2&" "&CHAR(177)&" "&B2.

Step by step

  1. Keep the numbers separate

    Store the nominal value in one column (A) and the tolerance in another (B) so both stay numeric.

  2. Build the label

    In C2 enter =TEXT(A2,"0.0")&" "&CHAR(177)&" "&TEXT(B2,"0.0").

  3. Fill down

    Drag the formula down the column. Each row shows, for example, 5.0 ± 0.2.

A number format for tolerances

If every value in a column has the same tolerance, you can bake it into the display. Select the cells, press Ctrl + 1 → Custom and enter 0.00" ± 0.05". The cell stays a number you can calculate with, and it reads “12.40 ± 0.05”. For a prefix instead, "±"0.0 shows ±3.5 for a value of 3.5, handy for columns of uncertainty values.

Alt codes and CHAR

Alt + 0177 uses the Windows-1252 code page, where ± is 177; that is also why CHAR(177) works. The older Alt + 241 from code page 437 produces the same character. On a Mac, press Option + Shift + =. UNICHAR(177) behaves identically everywhere, so use it in workbooks shared between Windows and Mac.

Calculating the range

The symbol is only a label. To get the lower and upper limits, subtract and add the tolerance: =A2-B2 and =A2+B2. To test whether a measurement is in spec, =ABS(D2-A2)<=B2 returns TRUE when it is. Combine with the tick formula from check marks in Excel to flag passes visually.

The minus-plus sign

For the rarer ∓ (minus-or-plus), use =UNICHAR(8723). It appears in formulas where the opposite sign is taken, such as cos(a ± b) = cos a cos b ∓ sin a sin b.

More on the plus-minus symbol ±, the full math symbols list and typing ± anywhere on Windows.

Frequently asked questions

What is the alt code for ± in Excel?

Alt + 0177 on the numeric keypad. Alt + 241 also works.

What is the CHAR code for plus minus?

=CHAR(177) in Windows Excel, or =UNICHAR(177) on any platform.

How do I show ± without turning numbers into text?

Use a custom number format such as 0.00" ± 0.05" so the value remains numeric.