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U+03B5 · Greek and Coptic

Epsilon (ε)

The lowercase epsilon ε is the fifth letter of the Greek alphabet. Mathematicians use it for an arbitrarily small positive number, most famously in epsilon-delta limit proofs. It also stands for strain and permittivity (ε₀) in physics, the error term in statistical models, and machine epsilon, the smallest meaningful difference in floating-point arithmetic.

WindowsAlt 238
UnicodeU+03B5
HTMLε
εU+03B5

Character codes

Unicode code pointU+03B5
Decimal949
HTML named entityε
HTML (hex)ε
HTML (decimal)ε
CSS\03B5
JavaScript\u03B5
Python\u03B5
UTF-8 bytesCE B5
UTF-1603B5
URL-encoded%CE%B5

Character details

Official nameGREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON
Unicode blockGreek and Coptic
General categoryLowercase Letter (Ll)
SymbolHero categoryGreek Letters
UppercaseΕ Greek Capital Letter Epsilon
EmojiNo

How to type ε

Windows

  • Hold Alt and type 238 on the numeric keypad (Num Lock on), then release Alt. Alt 238 uses the code page 437.
  • In Microsoft Word or Outlook: type 03B5 then press Alt + X.
  • Open Character Map (search “Character Map” in Start), tick “Advanced view”, search for “greek small letter epsilon”, then Select and Copy.

Mac

  • Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “greek small letter epsilon”, and double-click the result.
  • With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 03B5.

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 epsilon” or enter U+03B5.
  • HTML: ε or ε
  • Excel / Google Sheets: =UNICHAR(949)

Examples

  • |f(x) − L| < ε
  • y = β₀ + β₁x + ε
  • ε₀ ≈ 8.854 × 10⁻¹² F/m
  • Machine ε for doubles ≈ 2.2 × 10⁻¹⁶

Good to know

Don’t mix it up: It looks similar to the element-of sign ∈ (U+2208), which has a horizontal bar through the middle and means set membership.

Tip: Some fonts draw a lunate form ϵ (U+03F5); pick one style and use it consistently throughout a document.

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)
Beta (β)
Gamma (γ)
Delta (δ)
Theta (θ)
Lambda (λ)
Mu (μ)
Pi Symbol
Sigma (σ)
Greek Small Letter Tau
Phi (φ)
Omega (ω)
Greek Capital Letter Heta
Greek Small Letter Heta
Greek Capital Letter Archaic Sampi
Greek Small Letter Archaic Sampi

See all 333 greek letters →

Questions

What is the Unicode for ε?

It is U+03B5 (GREEK SMALL LETTER EPSILON), decimal 949.

Is there a Windows Alt code for it?

Yes: Alt 238 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 epsilon”, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code?

Use the named entity ε or the numeric reference ε.