How to Type a Check Mark (✓ ✔) and Cross (✗ ✘) Symbol
Check marks and crosses are perfect for lists, forms and comparison tables. Unlike hearts and arrows, though, the tick ✓ lives high in the Unicode Dingbats block — above codepoint 255 — so it has no working keypad Alt code. Any site listing "Alt+10003" for it is listing a code that does nothing on a normal PC.
Here are the methods that actually work.
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.
| Char | Name | Windows | Mac | HTML | Word (Alt+X) | Unicode |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | Check Mark | Copy / paste | Copy / paste | ✓ |
2713 + Alt+X |
U+2713 |
| ✔ | Heavy Check Mark | Copy / paste | Copy / paste | ✔ |
2714 + Alt+X |
U+2714 |
| ✗ | Ballot X | Copy / paste | Copy / paste | ✗ |
2717 + Alt+X |
U+2717 |
Reliable methods
Copy and paste: the simplest — click the character in the table below.
Word / Outlook: type 2713 then press Alt+X for ✓ (or 2714 for the heavy ✔, 2717 for the cross ✗).
HTML: ✓ (✓), ✓, or ✗ (✗).
Phones: open the emoji keyboard and search "check" for ✅ ✔️, or "cross" for ❌ ✖️.
The Wingdings shortcut in Office
In Word, Excel and PowerPoint you can also insert a tick by typing a lowercase or capital letter and setting its font to Wingdings: in Wingdings, "ü" shows a check mark and "û" shows a heavier one. It’s handy for checklists, but remember it’s a font trick — change the font and the tick turns back into a letter, so it won’t survive being pasted as plain text.
Handy tips
- The green check ✅ and red cross ❌ are emoji — great for messages, but they carry colour and may look informal in documents.
- For a checkbox you can tick, use Word’s Developer → Check Box content control rather than a symbol.
- In Excel, a plain ✓ character sorts and filters as text — fine for a status column.
Frequently asked questions
Is there an Alt code for a check mark?
Not a working one on a standard Windows keypad — ✓ is above codepoint 255. Use copy-paste, Word’s 2713 + Alt+X, or the Wingdings font trick.
How do I insert a tick in Word?
Type 2713 then press Alt+X, or use Insert → Symbol, or set a letter to the Wingdings font.
What’s the HTML code for a check mark?
Use the numeric entity ✓ for ✓ or ✗ for the cross ✗.
Related symbols
Looking for something else? Browse 1,000+ copy-paste symbols, the full Alt Codes finder, or the emoji picker.