To type the degree symbol (°), hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad in Windows, or press Option + Shift + 8 on a Mac. On a phone, press and hold the 0 key on the number keyboard. You can also copy it right here:
°DetailsThe degree sign is Unicode character U+00B0 DEGREE SIGN. It is used for temperatures (72 °F, 22 °C), angles (90°), and geographic coordinates (40° 42′ N). Below you will find every reliable way to enter it, plus the lookalike characters that often get typed by mistake.
Degree symbol codes at a glance
| Method | What to type |
|---|---|
| Windows Alt code (Windows-1252) | Alt + 0176 on the numeric keypad |
| Windows Alt code (legacy code page 437) | Alt + 248 on the numeric keypad |
| Mac (US layout) | Option + Shift + 8 |
| Microsoft Word | Type 00B0, then press Alt + X |
| Excel / Google Sheets formula | =UNICHAR(176) |
| HTML | °, ° or ° |
| Unicode code point | U+00B0 (decimal 176) |
How to type the degree symbol on Windows
Method 1: Alt code (keyboards with a numeric keypad)
- Make sure Num Lock is on.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- Type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the number row above the letters).
- Release Alt. The ° appears.
The shorter code Alt + 248 also produces °. The difference is the character table Windows uses: a code without a leading zero comes from the old DOS code page 437, while a code with a leading zero comes from Windows-1252. For the degree sign both tables happen to agree, so either code works. Our Alt code finder lists both versions for every symbol that has one.
Method 2: Emoji and symbol panel (works on laptops)
If your laptop has no numeric keypad, Alt codes will not work. Use the built-in panel instead:
- Press Windows + . (period) or Windows + ; (semicolon).
- Open the Symbols tab (the Ω icon).
- Look in the Latin symbols or Math symbols group and click °.
Recently used symbols stay at the front of the panel, so after the first time the degree sign is one click away.
Method 3: Character Map
Search the Start menu for “Character Map” (or run charmap). Tick Advanced view, type “degree” in the Search for box, select °, click Select, then Copy, and paste it wherever you need it.
How to type the degree symbol on a Mac
On the standard US keyboard layout, press Option + Shift + 8. This works in virtually every Mac app, including Pages, Word, Safari, Mail and Messages.
A common mistake is pressing Option + K. That produces ˚ (U+02DA ring above), a spacing accent mark that looks similar but is a different character. It sits slightly higher and may be smaller, and search engines and spreadsheets will not treat it as a degree sign.
If you use a non-US layout or cannot remember the shortcut, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space (or choose Edit > Emoji & Symbols), type “degree” in the search field, and double-click °.
How to insert the degree symbol in Word, Excel and Google Docs
Microsoft Word
- Alt+X: type
00B0and press Alt + X. Word converts the code into °. If the code follows a digit or letter (as in2500B0), Word reads too many characters; select just00B0before pressing Alt + X, or type a space first and delete it afterwards. - Menu: Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, set the font to “(normal text)”, and pick ° from the Latin-1 Supplement subset. Word adds it to the recently used grid for next time.
Microsoft Excel
Use Insert > Symbol, or build it with a formula. =UNICHAR(176) returns °, so =A2&UNICHAR(176)&"F" turns 72 in cell A2 into 72°F. If you only want the sign to appear in a number format while the cell stays numeric, add it to a custom format such as 0.0"°C" (paste the ° into the format box).
Google Docs and Google Sheets
In Google Docs, choose Insert > Special characters, type “degree” into the search box, and click the result. You can also draw a small circle in the drawing pad. Google Sheets has no special characters menu, but =UNICHAR(176) works the same way it does in Excel.
How to type the degree symbol on iPhone and Android
- iPhone and iPad: tap 123 to open the number keyboard, then press and hold the 0 key. Slide your finger to ° in the pop-up and release.
- Android: on most keyboards, including Gboard, open the symbols keyboard and go to the second symbols page (=<), where ° is usually listed. Some keyboards also show it when you long-press 0.
If you type it often, create a text replacement on iPhone (Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement): paste ° as the phrase and use a shortcut such as ddeg.
Degree symbol in HTML, CSS and code
In HTML, the named entity ° and the numeric references ° and ° all render °. If your page is saved as UTF-8 you can also paste the character directly. In CSS content values use " 0B0", and in JavaScript or JSON strings use "u00B0". In UTF-8 the character is stored as the two bytes C2 B0. The Unicode converter shows every one of these formats for any character you paste in.
Degree sign vs. similar characters
Several characters look almost identical to °. They are not interchangeable, and mixing them up can break searches, sorting and screen-reader output.
| Character | Name | Code point | Correct use |
|---|---|---|---|
| ° | Degree sign | U+00B0 | Temperatures, angles, coordinates |
| º | Masculine ordinal indicator | U+00BA | Spanish and Portuguese ordinals such as 1º |
| ˚ | Ring above | U+02DA | A spacing diacritic, not a unit symbol |
| ℃ | Degree Celsius | U+2103 | A single-character compatibility form of °C |
| ℉ | Degree Fahrenheit | U+2109 | A single-character compatibility form of °F |
For normal writing, type the degree sign followed by an ordinary C or F. The single-character ℃ and ℉ exist mainly for compatibility with East Asian character sets and are not supported by every font. The ordinal indicator º is often underlined or sits on a different baseline, which is a quick way to spot it. If you are not sure which one a document contains, paste it into the Unicode lookup tool to see the exact code point.
Why the degree symbol shortcut is not working
- You used the top-row numbers. Windows Alt codes only work with the numeric keypad. Laptop number rows are ignored.
- Num Lock is off. With Num Lock off, the keypad acts as arrow and navigation keys.
- Your laptop has no keypad. Use Windows + ., Character Map, or copy the symbol from this page instead. Some laptops have a hidden keypad activated with an Fn key, but this varies by manufacturer.
- Alt+X gave the wrong result in Word. Characters before the code were included. Select only
00B0and try again. - The Mac shortcut produced ˚. You pressed Option + K. Use Option + Shift + 8.
- The Mac shortcut produced something else entirely. Option shortcuts depend on the keyboard layout. Check the active layout in the menu bar input menu, or use the Character Viewer.
Related symbols
- ℃ Degree Celsius and ℉ Degree Fahrenheit
- ′ Prime and ″ Double prime, used for minutes and seconds of arc in coordinates
- ± Plus-minus sign, common in temperature tolerances
- º Masculine ordinal indicator
Browse the full math symbols category or search any character in the symbol finder.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alt code for the degree symbol?
Alt + 0176 or Alt + 248, typed on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on. Both produce the same character, U+00B0.
How do I type the degree symbol on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
Press Windows + ., open the Symbols tab, and choose °. You can also use Character Map or copy it from this page.
Should there be a space between the number and the degree sign?
For angles, no: write 90°. For temperatures, style guides differ. The SI convention is 22 °C, with a space before the degree sign, while many American publications write 72°F with no spaces. Pick one style and use it consistently.
Is º the same as °?
No. º is the masculine ordinal indicator (U+00BA) used in Spanish and Portuguese, while ° is the degree sign (U+00B0). They look similar in many fonts but are different characters.
What is the HTML code for the degree symbol?
Use °, ° or °. All three render °.