U+03B4 · Greek and Coptic
Delta (δ)
The lowercase delta δ is the fourth letter of the Greek alphabet. In calculus it names a small quantity in epsilon-delta proofs, and in physics it marks tiny variations and the Dirac delta function. Chemists use δ for chemical shift in NMR and for partial charges, as in δ+ and δ−.
Character codes
| Unicode code point | U+03B4 | |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 948 | |
| HTML named entity | δ | |
| HTML (hex) | δ | |
| HTML (decimal) | δ | |
| CSS | \03B4 | |
| JavaScript | \u03B4 | |
| Python | \u03B4 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | CE B4 | |
| UTF-16 | 03B4 | |
| URL-encoded | %CE%B4 |
Character details
| Official name | GREEK SMALL LETTER DELTA |
|---|---|
| Unicode block | Greek and Coptic |
| General category | Lowercase Letter (Ll) |
| SymbolHero category | Greek Letters |
| Uppercase | Δ Capital Delta (Δ) |
| Emoji | No |
How to type δ
Windows
- Hold Alt and type 235 on the numeric keypad (Num Lock on), then release Alt. Alt 235 uses the code page 437.
- In Microsoft Word or Outlook: type
03B4then press Alt + X. - Open Character Map (search “Character Map” in Start), tick “Advanced view”, search for “greek small letter delta”, then Select and Copy.
Mac
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “greek small letter delta”, and double-click the result.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type
03B4.
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 delta” or enter
U+03B4. - HTML:
δorδ - Excel / Google Sheets:
=UNICHAR(948)
Examples
- For every ε > 0 there exists δ > 0.
- δ+ on the hydrogen atom
- Chemical shift δ = 7.26 ppm
- Dirac delta δ(x)
Good to know
Don’t mix it up: It is often confused with the partial differential sign ∂ (U+2202), which curls back to the left at the top.
Tip: Use ∂ for partial derivatives and δ for variations or small quantities; they are not interchangeable in equations.
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.
Similar greek letters
Questions
What is the Unicode for δ?
It is U+03B4 (GREEK SMALL LETTER DELTA), decimal 948.
Is there a Windows Alt code for it?
Yes: Alt 235 on the numeric keypad.
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 delta”, or copy it from this page.
What is the HTML code?
Use the named entity δ or the numeric reference δ.