How to Type the Section (§) and Paragraph (¶) Signs
The section sign § and the pilcrow (paragraph sign) ¶ show up constantly in legal citations, contracts, academic writing and proofreading. Both have real, verified Windows Alt codes.
Section §: Windows Alt+0167, Mac Option+6. Pilcrow ¶: Windows Alt+0182, Mac Option+7.
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| § | Section Sign | Alt+0167 |
Option+6 |
§ |
00A7 + Alt+X |
U+00A7 |
| ¶ | Pilcrow Sign | Alt+0182 |
Option+7 |
¶ |
00B6 + Alt+X |
U+00B6 |
When to use each
The section sign § marks a numbered section of a law or document — e.g. "§ 12" or "§§ 3–5" for multiple sections. The pilcrow ¶ marks the start of a paragraph, and is the symbol Word shows when you turn on "show formatting marks".
In HTML they are § (§) and ¶ (¶).
Handy tips
- Doubling the section sign — §§ — means "sections" (plural) in legal writing.
- Both signs are Windows-1252 characters, so use the leading-zero Alt codes (Alt+0167, Alt+0182).
- In Word you can also type 00A7 + Alt+X for § and 00B6 + Alt+X for ¶.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alt code for the section sign?
Alt+0167 on Windows for §. On Mac, press Option+6.
What is the Alt code for the paragraph (pilcrow) sign?
Alt+0182 on Windows for ¶. On Mac, press Option+7.
What does § mean?
It marks a section of a legal or formal document, e.g. "§ 4". Two of them (§§) means multiple sections.
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