How to Insert Symbols in Word: 5 Methods (Alt+X, Insert Symbol & More)

How-To Guides · 5 min read · Published October 25, 2026

Quick answer: in Word for Windows, the fastest way to insert any symbol is to type its Unicode hex code and press Alt+X. For example, 2192 then Alt+X gives →. If you don't know the code, use Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. Common symbols such as ®, ™ and the dashes also have built-in shortcuts, and anything you type often can become an AutoCorrect entry.

Quick reference: every method

Every Alt code below is verified against the real Windows code pages — where none exists we say so, rather than list one that won’t work.

Which method should you use?

Method 1: Type the code, then press Alt+X

Every symbol has a Unicode code point, written like U+2192. The four (sometimes five) characters after "U+" are what Word needs. Every symbol page on this site lists the code under "Word Alt+X Code", and the table above shows a few common ones.

1. Click where the symbol should go.
2. Type the hex code, for example 20AC.
3. Press Alt+X. The code turns into €.

It also works the other way round: put the cursor just after a symbol and press Alt+X to see its code, then press Alt+X again to turn it back. This is a handy way to find out exactly which character you are looking at.

The one catch: Word reads hex digits backwards from the cursor, and the letters A–F count as hex digits. If you type cafe00E9 and press Alt+X, Word may grab too many characters. Microsoft's fix is either to select just the code before pressing Alt+X, or to put U+ in front of it (U+00E9). Typing a space before the code works too.

Method 2: Insert → Symbol

1. Go to the Insert tab and select Symbol. A short list of recently used symbols appears; select one to insert it.
2. For everything else, choose More Symbols.
3. Leave Font set to (normal text) and use the Subset list to jump to a group such as Arrows or Mathematical Operators.
4. If you know the code, type it in Character code with from: Unicode (hex) selected, and Word jumps straight to it.
5. Select Insert.

The Special Characters tab in the same dialog lists dashes, non-breaking spaces, ©, ®, ™ and similar characters together with their shortcuts. Two buttons at the bottom of the Symbols tab, Shortcut Key and AutoCorrect, let you attach your own shortcut to the selected symbol (see method 5).

Method 3: Word's built-in shortcuts

Microsoft lists these in its Word keyboard shortcuts reference:

For more on these, see our guides to ©, ® and ™ and to em and en dashes.

Method 4: Alt codes on the numeric keypad

Word accepts the classic Windows Alt codes: hold Alt and type, for example, 0176 on the numeric keypad for °. These codes only exist for 256 characters (values 0–255), so they cover accented letters and a few common signs but not arrows, check marks or most math symbols. If a code does nothing or gives the wrong character, our guide Alt codes not working walks through the usual causes, and the Alt codes finder lists every verified code.

Method 5: Make your own shortcut

A key combination: in Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, select the symbol, choose Shortcut Key, press the keys you want, then choose Assign. Before assigning, check the Currently assigned to line: many Ctrl+Alt combinations already do something (Ctrl+Alt+2, for example, applies Heading 2), and assigning yours replaces that.

A typed shortcut (AutoCorrect): go to File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options. Type a trigger in Replace (for example ;arrow) and paste the symbol into With, then choose Add. Microsoft notes that this list is shared by the Office programs that support AutoCorrect, so the same entry also works in Outlook and PowerPoint. Our text replacement guide suggests triggers that won't fire by accident.

Math symbols: the equation editor

For formulas, press Alt+= to insert an equation. Inside it, Word's Math AutoCorrect turns names into symbols as you type: \alpha followed by a space gives α, \infty gives ∞. This is the quickest way to type Greek letters in a formula; for Greek in normal text, see how to type Greek letters.

Avoid the Wingdings trap

Decorative fonts such as Wingdings and Symbol don't contain real symbols. They draw a picture on top of an ordinary letter, so a "check mark" from Wingdings is really the letter ü in disguise. It looks right on your screen but turns into that letter in another font, an email, a web page or on a computer without the font. To avoid this, insert symbols with Font: (normal text) or with Alt+X, which always inserts the real Unicode character.

PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook

Insert → Symbol works the same way in PowerPoint and Excel. Microsoft notes that some Office programs, PowerPoint among them, cannot convert Unicode codes with Alt+X, so use the Symbol dialog, Alt codes or copy and paste there. AutoCorrect entries you create in Word are shared with the other Office programs.

Word for Mac

Word for Mac has no Alt+X. Use Insert → Advanced Symbol for the full symbol dialog, the Mac's own Option-key shortcuts (the table above lists the verified ones), or the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space. Our guide to Mac keyboard symbols explains the ⌘ and ⌥ signs used in those shortcuts.

Sources

• Microsoft Support: Insert ASCII or Unicode Latin-based symbols and characters
• Microsoft Support: Keyboard shortcuts in Word
• Microsoft Support: AutoCorrect options

Frequently asked questions