How to Type the Plus-Minus Sign (±): Alt+0177 and More

How-To Guides · 2 min read · Published October 25, 2026

Quick answer: on Windows, hold Alt and type 0177 (or 241) on the numeric keypad to get ±. On a Mac press Shift+Option+=. In Word, 00B1 then Alt+X also works, and in HTML use ±.

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.

What ± is used for

• Tolerances and errors: 25 ± 0.5 mm means "between 24.5 and 25.5 mm"; 52% ± 3% gives a margin of error.
• Maths: both roots of an equation at once, as in the quadratic formula, or √9 = ±3.
• Approximate values: ±10 minutes means "about ten minutes either way".

Windows: two real Alt codes

± is in both of Windows' old character tables, so both codes work: Alt+0177 (Windows-1252) and Alt+241 (DOS code page 437). Hold the left Alt key, type the digits on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on, and release. Without a numeric keypad, use Win+. → Symbols, or see Alt codes not working.

Mac

Press Shift+Option+=. Without Shift, Option+= types ≠ instead. The Character Viewer (search "plus-minus") is the fallback on other layouts.

Word, Google Docs and Excel

• Word: Alt+0177, or 00B1 then Alt+X. In an equation (Alt+=), type \pm and a space; \mp gives ∓.
• Google Docs: Insert → Special characters → search "plus minus", or Insert → Equation and type \pm.
• Excel: type Alt+0177 in a cell, or use =UNICHAR(177). To keep a number calculable but show a tolerance, put the tolerance in a separate cell or use a custom number format such as "±"0.0.

iPhone and Android

Many Android keyboards (Gboard included) show ± on the second symbols page. On iPhone there is no ± key: copy it once and save a text replacement such as ;pm → ±.

HTML and code

HTML ± or ±; the minus-plus sign is ∓. CSS "\00B1", JavaScript "±". In LaTeX, \pm and \mp.

Don't use +/- or +-

Writing "+/-" or "+-" is a common workaround, but the single ± character is clearer, shorter and reads correctly in screen readers ("plus or minus"). Since it has real Alt codes and a Mac shortcut, there is rarely a reason not to use it.

Related: × multiplication, ÷ division, ≠ ≈ ≤ ≥, and our plus sign symbols collection.

Frequently asked questions