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U+03B8 · Greek and Coptic

Theta (θ)

The lowercase theta θ is the eighth letter of the Greek alphabet and the standard symbol for an unknown angle in geometry and trigonometry, as in sin θ. Statisticians use it for an unknown parameter, and phoneticians use it for the voiceless th sound in words like think. In Greek text it is pronounced as that same th sound.

UnicodeU+03B8
HTMLθ
θU+03B8

Character codes

Unicode code pointU+03B8
Decimal952
HTML named entityθ
HTML (hex)θ
HTML (decimal)θ
CSS\03B8
JavaScript\u03B8
Python\u03B8
UTF-8 bytesCE B8
UTF-1603B8
URL-encoded%CE%B8

Character details

Official nameGREEK SMALL LETTER THETA
Unicode blockGreek and Coptic
General categoryLowercase Letter (Ll)
SymbolHero categoryGreek Letters
UppercaseΘ Greek Capital Letter Theta
EmojiNo

How to type θ

Windows

  • In Microsoft Word or Outlook: type 03B8 then press Alt + X.
  • Open Character Map (search “Character Map” in Start), tick “Advanced view”, search for “greek small letter theta”, then Select and Copy.

Mac

  • Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “greek small letter theta”, and double-click the result.
  • With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), hold Option and type 03B8.

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 theta” or enter U+03B8.
  • HTML: θ or θ
  • Excel / Google Sheets: =UNICHAR(952)

Examples

  • sin²θ + cos²θ = 1
  • θ = 30°
  • IPA: think /θɪŋk/
  • Estimate θ by maximum likelihood.

Good to know

Don’t mix it up: It is sometimes confused with the theta symbol ϑ (U+03D1), a cursive variant used as a separate symbol in some math and physics texts.

Tip: In IPA transcriptions, θ is the voiceless th and ð (U+00F0) is the voiced th, as in this.

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)
Epsilon (ε)
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
Greek Numeral Sign

See all 333 greek letters →

Questions

What is the Unicode for θ?

It is U+03B8 (GREEK SMALL LETTER THETA), decimal 952.

Is there a Windows Alt code for it?

No standard Alt code exists for this character. In Word type 03B8 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 theta”, or copy it from this page.

What is the HTML code?

Use the named entity θ or the numeric reference θ.