How to Type ≥ and ≤ (Greater/Less Than or Equal To)

Quick answer: On Windows, hold Alt and type 242 on the numeric keypad for ≥, or 243 for ≤. On a Mac, press Option + . (period) for ≥ and Option + , (comma) for ≤. In HTML, write ≥ and ≤. Or copy them here:

≥Greater Than or Equal ToU+2265CopyDetails
≤Less Than or Equal ToU+2264CopyDetails

These are the real mathematical characters — greater-than or equal to (U+2265) and less-than or equal to (U+2264) — not the two-character substitutes >= and <= that spreadsheets and programming languages use. Knowing which one a given context expects is most of the battle, so this guide covers both.

Reference table

Type ≥ and ≤ on Windows

1. Turn Num Lock on.
2. Hold Alt.
3. Type 2 4 2 on the numeric keypad for ≥, or 2 4 3 for ≤.
4. Release Alt.

Note that there is no leading zero on these codes. That is not a typo. Codes without a leading zero come from the old DOS code page 437, which is where ≥ and ≤ live; codes with a leading zero, such as Alt + 0176 for the degree sign, come from Windows-1252. Adding a zero to 242 gives you a completely different character. Our guide to Alt codes explains the two systems, and the Alt code finder lets you check any character before you type it.

Alt codes need the numeric keypad — the number row above the letters does not work. If your laptop has no keypad, press Windows + . to open the emoji and symbol panel, switch to the Symbols tab and look under math symbols. Character Map (run charmap) works too; see our guide to the Windows Character Map and emoji panel.

Type ≥ and ≤ on a Mac

macOS gives both symbols direct Option shortcuts, which is unusually convenient for math characters:

• ≥ — Option + . (period)
• ≤ — Option + , (comma)

The mnemonic is easy once you notice it: the period and comma keys already carry > and < on the shifted layer, so Option gives you the “or equal to” versions of the same keys. These work in every app, on US, UK and Australian Mac layouts.

Nearby math shortcuts worth remembering: Option + = gives ≠, Option + X gives ≈, and Option + V gives √. If you prefer to browse, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and use the Math Symbols section. More in our guide to typing special characters on a Mac.

Microsoft Word

Word gives you three routes, in increasing order of formality.

Alt+X conversion

Type the code point and convert it in place: type 2265, then press Alt + X, and the digits become ≥. Use 2264 for ≤. If the characters immediately before the code are also hex digits, select just the four digits first so Word converts the right thing.

Insert > Symbol

Go to Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, set the subset to Mathematical Operators, and pick the character. Recently used symbols then appear in the dropdown for one-click reuse. See inserting symbols in Microsoft Word for the details.

The equation editor

For real mathematical writing, use Insert > Equation. Inside an equation field, typing \ge or \le followed by a space produces the symbol with correct mathematical spacing and italics handling. This is the right choice for a thesis or a paper; for a single inequality in a sentence, Alt+X is faster.

Excel and Google Sheets: formulas vs symbols

Spreadsheets are the place this gets genuinely confusing, because two different things are both called “greater than or equal to”.

In a formula, you must use the two-character operator >=. Formulas such as =IF(A1>=10,"Pass","Fail") or =COUNTIF(B:B,">=100") only understand >=. Typing the Unicode ≥ into a formula produces an error — Excel and Sheets do not recognize it as an operator. The same applies to <= and <> (not equal). This is true in Excel, Google Sheets and essentially every programming language.

In a cell’s text, use the Unicode character. If you are labeling a column “Orders ≥ 50” or writing a note, the real symbol is correct and looks far better. Ways to get it into a cell:

• In Excel, =UNICHAR(8805) returns ≥ and =UNICHAR(8804) returns ≤. Those are the decimal values of U+2265 and U+2264.
• In Excel on Windows, the Alt codes work directly while editing a cell.
• In Excel, Insert > Symbol inserts into the active cell.
• In Google Sheets there is no Insert > Special characters menu. Use =UNICHAR(8805), or copy the character from this page and paste it. Google Docs does have Insert > Special characters — see inserting special characters in Google Docs — so some people build the string in Docs and paste it across.

One more spreadsheet trap: if you paste ≥ into a cell and the cell is formatted as a number, nothing happens to the value — the cell simply becomes text. Keep symbols in label cells, and keep comparisons in formulas.

In HTML and code

On a UTF-8 page you can paste the characters directly. Entities remain useful in one specific case: writing a literal < or > in HTML requires < and >, so if you are documenting the >= operator on a web page you will need them. Both ≥ and ≤ are genuine named entities, so either form is safe. If you are unsure which code points a string actually contains, the SymbolHero Unicode converter will show you.

In source code, use >= and <=. Almost no language accepts ≥ as an operator, and pasting one into code produces a syntax error that is hard to spot because the character looks reasonable on screen.

When to use which

• ≥ / ≤ — prose, headings, slides, chart labels, printed reports, anything a person reads.
• >= / <= — spreadsheet formulas, code, query strings, config files, anything a machine parses.
• Do not mix them in one document. A report that says “orders ≥ 50” in the text and >=50 in a caption looks careless.

Also keep ≥ distinct from ≫ and ≪, which mean “much greater than” and “much less than” — a different claim entirely — and from the plain > and <, which exclude equality.

Why it isn’t working

• The Alt code did nothing. Num Lock is off, or you used the top-row numbers. Alt codes need the numeric keypad.
• You got a strange letter instead. You probably added a leading zero. Alt + 242 and Alt + 0242 are different characters.
• Your Excel formula returns an error. Replace the Unicode ≥ with >=. Formulas do not accept the symbol.
• Option + period does nothing on your Mac. Check that you are using a Latin input source; some non-Latin input methods remap the Option layer.
• You see a box or a fallback glyph. The font lacks the character; switching the text to a font with mathematical coverage fixes it.

Related symbols

• Greater-than or equal to (≥)
• Less-than or equal to (≤)
• Not equal to (≠) — the third comparison symbol you will need.
• Almost equal to (≈) — for approximations, not comparisons.
• Identical to (≡) — identity and congruence.
• Plus-minus (±) — for tolerances and margins of error.

The full set is in the math symbols category, and every operator, Greek letter and set symbol is searchable in the symbol finder. For definitions rather than shortcuts, read our reference on common math symbols and their meanings and the plus-minus symbol guide.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Alt code for greater than or equal to?

Alt + 242 on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on, with no leading zero. Alt + 243 gives ≤.

How do I type ≥ on a Mac?

Option + . (period). Option + , (comma) gives ≤. No keypad or extra setup is needed.

Can I use ≥ in an Excel formula?

No. Excel, Google Sheets and programming languages require the two-character operator >=. The Unicode symbol is for display text only; using it in a formula causes an error.

Is ≥ the same as ⩾?

They mean the same thing but they are different Unicode characters. ⩾ is GREATER-THAN OR SLANTED EQUAL TO (U+2A7E), drawn with a slanted bar and preferred in some mathematical traditions. ≥ (U+2265) is the standard choice and has far wider font support.

How do I type ≥ without a numeric keypad on Windows?

Use the emoji and symbol panel (Windows + .), Character Map, or in Word type 2265 and press Alt + X. Copying the character from this page also works anywhere.