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U+03B2 · Greek and Coptic

Beta (β)

The lowercase beta β is the second letter of the Greek alphabet. In statistics it marks regression coefficients and Type II error, in finance it measures a stock’s volatility relative to the market, and in physics it names beta decay. Software teams use beta for a feature-complete release still being tested by real users.

UnicodeU+03B2
HTMLβ
βU+03B2

Character codes

Unicode code pointU+03B2
Decimal946
HTML named entityβ
HTML (hex)β
HTML (decimal)β
CSS\03B2
JavaScript\u03B2
Python\u03B2
UTF-8 bytesCE B2
UTF-1603B2
URL-encoded%CE%B2

Character details

Official nameGREEK SMALL LETTER BETA
Unicode blockGreek and Coptic
General categoryLowercase Letter (Ll)
SymbolHero categoryGreek Letters
UppercaseΒ Greek Capital Letter Beta
EmojiNo

How to type β

Windows

  • In Microsoft Word or Outlook: type 03B2 then press Alt + X.
  • Open Character Map (search “Character Map” in Start), tick “Advanced view”, search for “greek small letter beta”, then Select and Copy.

Mac

  • Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “greek small letter beta”, and double-click the result.
  • With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 03B2.

iPhone & Android

  • Tap Copy at the top of this page, then long-press where you want it and choose Paste.

Docs & web

  • Google Docs: Insert → Special characters, then search “greek small letter beta” or enter U+03B2.
  • HTML: β or β
  • Excel / Google Sheets: =UNICHAR(946)

Examples

  • β = 1.2 relative to the S&P 500
  • β-carotene
  • y = β₀ + β₁x + ε
  • β-blocker medication

Good to know

Don’t mix it up: It is frequently confused with the German sharp s ß (U+00DF), which has a flatter bottom and does not descend below the line.

Tip: Never use β as a substitute for ß in German words like Straße; they are different letters in different scripts.

Display: the character itself is always the same code point, but its shape comes from the font on the device showing it. If you see an empty box, the font lacks this glyph—the text is still correct.

Guides

Greek Alphabet Symbols: Every Letter to Copy and Paste

Similar greek letters

Greek Capital Letter Gamma
Capital Delta (Δ)
Greek Capital Letter Theta
Capital Sigma (Σ)
Greek Capital Letter Phi
Omega (Capital)
Alpha (α)
Gamma (γ)
Delta (δ)
Epsilon (ε)
Theta (θ)
Lambda (λ)
Mu (μ)
Pi Symbol
Sigma (σ)
Greek Small Letter Tau
Phi (φ)
Omega (ω)
Greek Capital Letter Heta

See all 333 greek letters →

Questions

What is the Unicode for β?

It is U+03B2 (GREEK SMALL LETTER BETA), decimal 946.

Is there a Windows Alt code for it?

No standard Alt code exists for this character. In Word type 03B2 then Alt+X, or copy it from this page.

How do I type it on a Mac?

There is no built-in Option shortcut. Use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) and search “greek small letter beta”, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code?

Use the named entity β or the numeric reference β.