U+03B3 · Greek and Coptic
Gamma (γ)
The lowercase gamma γ is the third letter of the Greek alphabet. It represents gamma rays and photons in physics, the Lorentz factor in special relativity, and the surface tension or specific heat ratio in engineering. Photographers and display engineers know it from gamma correction, which describes how brightness values map to perceived light.
Character codes
| Unicode code point | U+03B3 | |
|---|---|---|
| Decimal | 947 | |
| HTML named entity | γ | |
| HTML (hex) | γ | |
| HTML (decimal) | γ | |
| CSS | \03B3 | |
| JavaScript | \u03B3 | |
| Python | \u03B3 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | CE B3 | |
| UTF-16 | 03B3 | |
| URL-encoded | %CE%B3 |
Character details
| Official name | GREEK SMALL LETTER GAMMA |
|---|---|
| Unicode block | Greek and Coptic |
| General category | Lowercase Letter (Ll) |
| SymbolHero category | Greek Letters |
| Uppercase | Γ Greek Capital Letter Gamma |
| Emoji | No |
How to type γ
Windows
- In Microsoft Word or Outlook: type
03B3then press Alt + X. - Open Character Map (search “Character Map” in Start), tick “Advanced view”, search for “greek small letter gamma”, then Select and Copy.
Mac
- Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “greek small letter gamma”, and double-click the result.
- With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type
03B3.
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 gamma” or enter
U+03B3. - HTML:
γorγ - Excel / Google Sheets:
=UNICHAR(947)
Examples
- γ-ray burst
- γ = 1 / √(1 − v²/c²)
- Display gamma γ = 2.2
- γ-aminobutyric acid (GABA)
Good to know
Don’t mix it up: It resembles the Latin small letter gamma ɣ (U+0263), used in the International Phonetic Alphabet and some African languages.
Tip: Use Greek γ in scientific notation and ɣ only in phonetic transcription or orthographies that call for it.
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 γ?
It is U+03B3 (GREEK SMALL LETTER GAMMA), decimal 947.
Is there a Windows Alt code for it?
No standard Alt code exists for this character. In Word type 03B3 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 gamma”, or copy it from this page.
What is the HTML code?
Use the named entity γ or the numeric reference γ.