How to Type the Right Angle Symbol (∟) Fast

The right angle symbol is ∟. It has no standard Windows Alt code, but in a Unicode-aware app you can hold Alt and type 8735 on the numeric keypad.

On Mac, open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space and search for it. In Word, type 221F and press Alt+X, and in Excel or Google Sheets use =UNICHAR(8735).

Quick reference for the right angle symbol

Method	Input	Works in
Windows Alt code (decimal)	221F then Alt+X in Word	Unicode-aware apps only (Word, WordPad, browsers)
Windows legacy code	Alt + 28	Old code page 437 consoles and DOS-style apps
Mac	Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space)	Most Mac apps
Word, Outlook, OneNote	221F, then Alt+X	Those three apps
Excel and Google Sheets	=UNICHAR(8735)	Spreadsheets
Google Docs	Insert → Special characters	Google Docs
Chromebook / Linux	Ctrl + Shift + U, then 221f	ChromeOS, most Linux
HTML	∟ or ∟	Web pages
CSS	\221F	Stylesheets
Unicode code point	U+221F	Universal reference

In the table, 8735 is the decimal value — that’s what Alt codes and UNICHAR() take. 221F is the hexadecimal value, used by Word’s Alt+X, the Chromebook shortcut, the HTML hex reference, and CSS. Both point to the same character, so don’t feed one into the other’s method.

Type the right angle symbol on Windows

Windows has no leading-zero Alt code for ∟ in the standard Western character set, so the usual Alt+0nnn trick doesn’t cover it. What works depends on the app you’re in.

In a Unicode-aware program such as Word, WordPad, or most browser text fields:

1. Turn Num Lock on.
2. Hold the Alt key.
3. Type 8735 on the numeric keypad, not the number row along the top.
4. Release Alt. The right angle symbol appears.

The decimal Alt code needs a physical numeric keypad. On a compact laptop, switch on the Fn number layer, or skip to Character Map below. In Notepad and some basic fields the high code gets truncated, so use another route there.

Character Map is the reliable graphical option. Open the Start menu, type “Character Map,” and launch it. Tick “Advanced view,” type 221F in the “Go to Unicode” box, then click Select, Copy, and paste.

The Win+. emoji panel has a symbols tab, but its curated math set doesn’t reliably list ∟, so Character Map is the surer bet.

Alt+28 draws ∟ in old code page 437 consoles, but it’s a zero-less legacy code that reads from whatever OEM code page the machine uses, 437 in the US, 850 across the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia, so results vary by region and it usually does nothing in modern programs. Treat it as a terminal-only fallback.

Type ∟ on a Mac

Mac has no Alt codes and no built-in Option shortcut for the right angle sign. Use the Character Viewer.

1. Press Control+Command+Space to open the Character Viewer.
2. Type “right angle” in the search box.
3. Double-click ∟ to drop it into the current field.

If the search box is hidden, click the small icon in the top-right corner to expand the viewer. You can also drag the glyph into a document or add it to Favorites so it’s one click next time.

Type the right angle symbol in Word, Outlook, and PowerPoint

Word has the cleanest method: type the code, then convert it in place.

1. Type 221F where you want the symbol.
2. Press Alt+X.
3. 221F turns into ∟.

The 221F here is hexadecimal, so don’t feed it to a numeric Alt code. Alt+X also works in Outlook and OneNote. If you’d rather browse, go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set “from:” to “Unicode (hex),” type 221F in the Character code box, and click Insert.

PowerPoint doesn’t support Alt+X. Use the same Insert → Symbol dialog with character code 221F, or paste the glyph. In Word you can also open the AutoCorrect button inside that dialog to assign a short trigger that expands to ∟.

Type ∟ in Excel and Google Sheets

Neither Alt+X nor most Alt codes behave in spreadsheets, so use the character function instead.

• Excel: type =UNICHAR(8735) in a cell and press Enter. To keep the result as plain text, copy the cell and use Paste Special → Values. Excel also has Insert → Symbol (character code 221F, from Unicode hex).
• Google Sheets: there’s no Insert → Special characters menu here. Type =UNICHAR(8735), or paste ∟ into the cell. If you paste with an OS input method mid-edit, press F2 first to enter edit mode.

UNICHAR expects the decimal value 8735. The hex form 221F is only for Word’s Alt+X, HTML, and CSS.

Type the right angle symbol in Google Docs

Google Docs has a built-in picker, so no code is needed.

1. Open Insert → Special characters.
2. Type “right angle” in the search box, or draw the shape in the sketch box on the right.
3. Click ∟ to place it at the cursor.

The draw-to-find box helps when you don’t know a symbol’s name — sketch a small corner and matching glyphs appear.

Type ∟ on iPhone and Android

Phone keyboards don’t carry the right angle symbol, and there’s no hidden long-press for it. Copy it once from the button near the top of this page, then make it permanent with a text shortcut.

• iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement → +. Paste ∟ in the Phrase field, set a Shortcut like “rtang,” and save. Typing “rtang” now expands to ∟.
• Android (Gboard): Settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary → your language → +. Enter ∟, add a shortcut word, and save.

After that the symbol is a few taps away in any app, without reopening this page.

Type the right angle symbol on a Chromebook

ChromeOS has no Alt codes, and a USB number pad won’t add them. Alt codes are Windows software, not keypad hardware. Use the Unicode shortcut.

1. Click into a text field.
2. Hold Ctrl+Shift+U. An underlined u appears.
3. Type 221f (hex, no U+ prefix).
4. Press Enter or Space. ∟ replaces the code.

You can also open the emoji and symbol picker with Launcher+Shift+Space, or the Quick Insert key on newer Chromebooks, and search “right angle.” Some websites capture Ctrl+Shift+U for their own shortcuts; if the code won’t convert, paste the symbol instead.

Paste ∟ in Notion, Slack, Discord, and Canva

None of these apps has a keyboard shortcut for the right angle symbol. Paste it, and for anything you type often, set an OS text replacement so a short code expands to ∟ everywhere.

• Notion: paste into any block. An inline equation (type /math) won’t help, since this symbol has no simple command.
• Slack and Discord: paste into the message box. Adding it as a custom emoji only stores an image, not the text character.
• Canva: paste into a text box; the glyph shows as long as the chosen font includes it.

A text replacement set on your Mac or iPhone syncs across Apple apps; on Windows, Word’s AutoCorrect or a text-expander utility does the same job.

HTML and CSS

The right angle symbol has no named HTML entity, so use a numeric reference on web pages.

• HTML: ∟ (decimal) or ∟ (hex). Both render ∟.
• CSS (pseudo-element content): content: “\221F”;

Serve a font that includes U+221F, most system UI and math fonts do. For PDF export or print, embed the font so the glyph doesn’t drop to a box on machines that lack it.

Troubleshooting the right angle symbol

If ∟ shows as a box (□) or a question mark, the font in use doesn’t include U+221F. Switch that run of text to a font that carries it — Segoe UI Symbol, Cambria Math, Arial, or Times New Roman all do, or paste into a Unicode-safe field.

The common mix-up is reaching for ∟ when you actually want the arced right-angle mark from geometry diagrams, or the perpendicular sign, different characters with different meanings (covered below). And don’t type the hex value into an Alt code: 221F then Alt+X in Word produces the wrong result or nothing. Use 221F then Alt+X in Word (decimal) in a Unicode app, or 221F then Alt+X in Word.

What the right angle symbol is used for

∟ marks a 90-degree corner in geometry figures, technical drawings, and CAD annotations, the small square-ish tag placed where two lines or a triangle’s legs meet at a right angle. In running text it can stand in for “right angle,” though a diagram usually pairs it with the corner it labels. It’s a drafting and math-notation mark, not a general-purpose symbol.

How ∟ differs from similar symbols

Several nearby symbols get typed by mistake. The plain angle symbol (∠) marks any angle, not specifically 90 degrees. When you’re describing lines that never meet rather than lines crossing at a right angle, you want the parallel lines symbol (∥).

In number theory the strike-through relation does not divide symbol (∤) looks unrelated but sits in the same math block and trips up searches. Two more notation marks people confuse are the proportion symbol (∷) and the way to type negative exponents.

Related guides

• Browse more math and science symbol guides for the characters that surround this one.
• Keep the full Alt code list handy as a single reference.
• Look up any character quickly with the Alt code finder tool.

Frequently asked questions

Why does the right angle symbol look different in my geometry textbook?

Many textbooks use a small square drawn inside the corner, or an arced variant that adds a curve to show the angle is exactly 90 degrees. Both are separate characters from the plain ∟ mark. You can find the arced version in Word’s Insert → Symbol dialog by browsing the Mathematical Operators range.

Is ∟ the same as the perpendicular symbol?

No. The perpendicular sign (⊥) states that two lines meet at 90 degrees, while the right angle symbol (∟) is the mark you place in the figure at that corner. They’re separate characters, so search for “perpendicular” specifically if that’s what your notation needs.

Which direction does the right angle symbol point?

Unicode ships one orientation: the vertical stroke sits on the left and the horizontal stroke along the bottom, forming an L-shaped corner that opens to the upper right. Flipping it isn’t a keyboard job. In Word or a drawing app, insert ∟ and rotate the text box, or use a drawn shape for other orientations.

Will the right angle symbol show up correctly in email?

Gmail, Outlook, and other modern mail apps are Unicode, so a pasted ∟ arrives intact for most readers. Plain-text-only clients or very old systems may show a box. For HTML email, insert the numeric reference ∟ so it renders from the code rather than a pasted glyph.

Why didn’t Alt+28 give me the symbol?

Alt+28 only draws ∟ inside legacy code page 437 environments, such as a DOS-style console. In today’s Windows apps that code either does nothing or inserts an invisible control character. Use 221F then Alt+X in Word in a Unicode-aware program instead, or the Word method of typing 221F then Alt+X.