The psi symbol is ψ. In Word, type 03C8 and press Alt+X. In Excel and Google Sheets, enter =UNICHAR(968) in a cell. There is no standard Windows Alt code for ψ in the Western code page, so the plain decimal shortcut 03C8 then Alt+X in Word works only in apps that read Unicode.
On a Mac, open the Character Viewer with Ctrl+Cmd+Space and search for “psi. “
| Method | Input | Works in |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Alt code (Western code page) | No standard Alt code exists | Not available |
| Windows, Unicode-aware apps | 03C8 then Alt+X in Word (decimal, numeric keypad) | Word, WordPad, modern editors |
| Windows symbol panel | Win + . then the Ω tab | Windows 10 and 11 |
| Word Alt+X | 03C8 (hex) then Alt+X | Word, Outlook, OneNote |
| Mac | Character Viewer, Ctrl + Cmd + Space | Most Mac apps |
| Excel / Google Sheets | =UNICHAR(968) | Excel, Google Sheets |
| Google Docs | Insert → Special characters | Google Docs |
| Chromebook / Linux | Ctrl + Shift + U then 03c8 (hex) | ChromeOS, Linux |
| HTML | ψ or ψ or ψ | Web pages |
| CSS | \03C8 | Stylesheets |
| LaTeX | \psi | LaTeX, MathJax, math fields |
| Unicode code point | U+03C8 (hex) | Universal |
Type the psi symbol on Windows
ψ has no Alt code in the Western (CP1252) code page, so the usual hold-Alt-and-type-numbers trick has nothing to give you there. Our Alt code finder shows which characters do have codes. Three routes work for psi instead.
- Unicode-aware apps: turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, type 968 on the numeric keypad, then release. This produces ψ in Word, WordPad, and most modern editors, but it fails in programs that do not accept Unicode input, and it needs a real numeric keypad. The top-row number keys will not work.
- Symbol panel: press Win + . (Windows key plus period), click the Ω tab, and pick ψ from the Greek letters. No keypad required.
- Character Map: search “charmap” in the Start menu, find ψ in the Greek and Coptic block, click Select, then Copy, and paste it in.
If a page tells you to press Alt with some number to get ψ in a plain text field, it is probably wrong. The full Alt code list explains why the code page decides which characters have a code.
Type ψ on a Mac
Mac has no Option shortcut for psi, so use the Character Viewer. It is the same tool for every Greek letter.
- Press Ctrl + Cmd + Space to open the Character Viewer.
- Type “psi” in the search box, or the full name “greek small letter psi.”
- Double-click ψ to drop it into your document.
If you write Greek often, add the Greek input source under System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources. With the Greek layout active, the C key types ψ directly.
Type ψ in Word and PowerPoint
Word gives you the quickest desktop method for the psi sign, and it has four routes worth knowing.
- Alt+X: type the hex code 03C8, then press Alt+X. Word turns it into ψ. Type just the four characters, with no “U+” prefix. This works in Word, Outlook, and OneNote, but not in Excel or PowerPoint.
- Insert → Symbol → More Symbols: set the subset to “Greek and Coptic,” pick ψ, and click Insert. This same Insert → Symbol route also works in PowerPoint and Excel.
- Equation editor: press Alt + = to start an equation, type
\psi, then press the spacebar. It converts to ψ. - AutoCorrect: open File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options and add an entry that replaces a trigger word with ψ. After that it types itself.
One catch with Alt+X: it reads the four characters immediately before the cursor. If 03C8 sits against other digits or letters, select just 03C8 first, then press Alt+X.
Type ψ in Excel and Google Sheets
Both spreadsheets can build the character from its decimal code, which is faster than any menu.
- Excel and Google Sheets: put
=UNICHAR(968)in a cell and press Enter. It returns ψ. Join it to text with & like="Wavefunction "&UNICHAR(968). - Excel also has Insert → Symbol, using the Greek and Coptic subset.
- Google Sheets has no Insert Symbol menu at all. Use the formula, or paste ψ into the cell. To use an operating-system input method (such as Ctrl+Shift+U on a Chromebook) inside a cell, press F2 first to enter edit mode.
Type ψ in Google Docs
- Open Insert → Special characters.
- Type “psi” in the search box, or draw the shape in the sketch panel.
- Click ψ to insert it.
Type ψ on iPhone and Android
Neither phone keyboard has a psi key, so the fastest move is to copy ψ from the top of this page and paste it. For repeat use, set it up once.
- iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement. Tap +, put ψ in the Phrase field and a trigger like “psii” in the Shortcut field.
- Android (Gboard): Settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary. Add ψ with a shortcut word.
- Gboard can also show a Greek layout if you add Greek as a keyboard language, then switch to it to type Greek letters directly.
Type ψ on a Chromebook
ChromeOS has no Alt codes, and plugging in a USB numeric keypad will not change that. Use the Unicode shortcut.
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U. A small underlined u appears.
- Type the hex code 03c8, letters and numbers only, with no “U+”.
- Press Enter or Space to confirm. ψ appears.
You can also open the symbol picker with Launcher + Shift + Space; newer Chromebooks have a dedicated Quick Insert key. If a website’s text box swallows Ctrl+Shift+U, paste ψ instead.
Type ψ in Notion, Slack, Discord, and Canva
None of these apps has a built-in psi shortcut. The reliable move is the same in all four: copy ψ and paste it. To stop looking it up, set an operating-system text replacement (Windows under Settings, Mac under System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements) so a trigger word expands to ψ everywhere you type.
Notion adds one option. Inside an equation block (type /equation), it accepts LaTeX, so \psi renders as ψ.
Put ψ on a web page (HTML and CSS)
- HTML: the named entity
ψis the easiest. The numeric formsψ(decimal) andψ(hex) produce the same character. - CSS: use the escape
\03C8, for examplecontent: "\03C8";. - LaTeX and MathJax:
\psifor the lowercase ψ, and\Psifor the capital.
Troubleshooting the psi symbol
- Box or blank glyph: if ψ shows as □ or an empty rectangle, the current font has no Greek block. Display and decorative fonts often skip it. Switch that run to Arial, Calibri, Cambria, or Times New Roman.
- Wrong case: ψ (U+03C8) is the lowercase letter. If you meant the capital used as the psychology emblem, that is a separate character, Ψ, with its own code point. Grab it from Insert → Symbol or the Character Viewer rather than shift-typing the lowercase.
- Mixed up with phi: in physics the wavefunction ψ and the letter φ sit side by side, and the loops make them easy to confuse. φ has a single stroke through an oval; ψ has a central stem with a cup on top. When a formula looks off, check which one you pasted. Our guide to typing the phi symbol (φ) covers that letter in full.
- Font swap in Word: when your body font lacks Greek, Word quietly borrows a fallback font just for ψ, so the letter can look heavier or narrower than the text around it. That is expected. Set the whole line to a Greek-capable font to make it match.
What the psi symbol is used for
- Physics: ψ is the wavefunction in quantum mechanics, the ψ in the Schrödinger equation.
- Psychology: the capital Ψ is the field’s emblem and appears on badges, journals, and department logos.
- Plant biology: Ψ marks water potential.
- Math: it labels angles, stream functions in fluid dynamics, and functions in the polygamma family.
Related guides
- Theta symbol (θ) — another Greek letter with no Western Alt code, typed the same way as psi.
- How to type the beta symbol (β) — the second Greek letter, common in statistics and finance.
- Delta symbol (Δ) — the capital used for change and difference in math.
- Infinity symbol (∞), a math sign that, like psi, has no simple Alt code.
- Browse more math and science symbols for the full set of Greek letters and operators.
Frequently asked questions
Why is there no standard Windows Alt code for the psi symbol?
Alt codes come from two old character tables, Windows-1252 and the DOS code page 437, and neither one includes the Greek letter ψ. That is why there is no reliable “Alt + number” for it in the Western set. In apps that read Unicode you can type 03C8 then Alt+X in Word, but the dependable routes are Word’s Alt+X (03C8 then Alt+X), the =UNICHAR(968) formula, or a paste.
How do I type capital Psi (Ψ) instead of the lowercase ψ?
The capital is a different character from the lowercase, not a shifted version. Get it from Insert → Symbol (Greek and Coptic subset) in Word, from the Mac Character Viewer, or in LaTeX with \Psi (capital P). Typing the lowercase and pressing Shift will not turn it into the capital.
Can I type ψ without a numeric keypad?
Yes. Only the 03C8 then Alt+X in Word method needs a keypad. Use Win + .
and the Ω tab on Windows, Insert → Symbol in Word, the Character Viewer on Mac, or Ctrl+Shift+U then 03c8 on a Chromebook. Copy and paste works everywhere and needs no keys at all.
Do the psychology psi and the physics psi use the same character?
They use different cases of the same Greek letter. Psychology’s emblem is the capital Ψ, while the quantum wavefunction is the lowercase ψ (U+03C8). Each case has its own code point, so pick the one you actually need rather than assuming Shift toggles between them.
Is the psi symbol the same as a trident?
No. ψ is the Greek letter psi, a rounded cup on a vertical stem. A trident is a separate symbol with straight prongs and a handle. If you need the fork shape for an ocean or Poseidon context, that is a trident glyph, not the letter psi, even though the two look similar at a glance.