The degree symbol is °. On Windows, hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad.
On a Mac, press Option+Shift+8. The Alt code and the Mac shortcut both work in Word, Excel, and almost every other app.
Here is every reliable way to type it, grouped by where you are working.
| Method | Input | Works in |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Alt code (decimal) | Alt + 0176 | Most Windows apps |
| Windows Alt code, no leading zero | Alt+0176 | Unicode-aware apps only |
| Legacy DOS Alt code | Alt+0248 | Old CP437 consoles |
| Mac shortcut | Option + Shift + 8 | Most Mac apps |
| Word Alt+X | 00B0 then Alt+X | Word, Outlook, OneNote |
| Spreadsheet formula | =UNICHAR(176) | Excel, Google Sheets |
| Chromebook | Ctrl+Shift+U then 00b0 | ChromeOS text fields |
| HTML entity | ° or ° | Web pages |
| CSS content | \00B0 | Stylesheets |
| LaTeX (math mode) | ^\circ | LaTeX documents |
| Unicode code point (hex) | U+00B0 | Universal |
Use Alt+0176 with the leading zero for documents; it produces ° everywhere. The zero-less Alt+0176 only gives the degree sign in Unicode-aware programs.
In older apps it reads from your regional OEM code page (CP437 in the US, CP850 across the UK, Ireland, Canada, and Australia) and can print a shaded box instead. Alt+0248 is the original DOS code for the degree sign.
Type the degree symbol on Windows
- Turn on Num Lock.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- Type 0176 on the numeric keypad, the block of keys on the right, not the number row across the top.
- Release Alt. ° appears.
The keypad is not optional here. Alt codes read only from the dedicated number pad with Num Lock on, so the top-row digits do nothing. For quick alternatives, press Win+.
(Windows key plus period) to open the emoji panel, click the Ω symbols tab, and pick the degree sign. Character Map works too: open it, search “degree sign,” and copy.
Type it on a Mac
Press Option+Shift+8. The degree sign drops in immediately, and it works in Pages, Word for Mac, Excel for Mac, and browsers. Mac has no Alt codes, so ignore any 0176 instructions written for Windows.
If you would rather point and click, open the Character Viewer with Ctrl+Cmd+Space, type “degree” in its search box, and double-click the result.
Word, Outlook, and OneNote
Type 00B0, then press Alt+X. Word swaps the code for °.
This also works in Outlook and OneNote. To reverse it, put the cursor right after a ° and press Alt+X to reveal the underlying 00B0.
The menu route is Insert → Symbol → More Symbols; set the subset to Latin-1 Supplement and choose the degree sign. That same Insert → Symbol path works in PowerPoint, though Alt+X does not. For text you type often, add an AutoCorrect entry under File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options, so “(deg)” expands to ° as you write.
The Windows Alt code (Alt+0176) also works inside Word. Alt+X, however, is Word-family only; it does nothing in Excel, PowerPoint, or Google Docs.
Excel and Google Sheets
In Excel, =UNICHAR(176) returns °. To show the sign on a number while keeping the cell numeric, apply a custom format: Format Cells → Number → Custom → 0"°" displays 25 as 25°. Insert → Symbol works too, and Alt+0176 types straight into a cell.
Google Sheets has no Insert → Special characters menu, so ignore any guide that claims otherwise. Use =UNICHAR(176), the same 0"°" custom format, or paste. To run an operating-system shortcut inside a cell, press F2 first to enter edit mode.
Google Docs
Open Insert → Special characters. Type “degree” in the search box, or draw the shape in the sketch pad on the right, then click the degree sign to place it. Docs has no Alt+X shortcut, so this menu is the dependable route.
iPhone and Android
On iPhone, tap 123 to show the number keyboard, then press and hold the 0 (zero) key. Slide onto ° in the popup and lift your finger.
On Android with Gboard and most keyboards, tap ?123 , then press and hold 0 to reveal the same popup.
To type it faster, add a text replacement. On iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement. On Android Gboard: Settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary.
Chromebook
ChromeOS has no Alt codes, and a USB numpad will not change that. Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 00b0, then press Enter or Space. An underlined u confirms the code is being entered; type the hex digits only, with no U+ prefix.
The symbol picker at Launcher+Shift+Space (or the Quick Insert key on newer models) also has the degree sign. If a website intercepts the Ctrl+Shift+U shortcut, paste it instead.
Notion, Slack, Discord, and Canva
None of these has a dedicated degree shortcut, and there is no :degree: emoji code. The quickest path is to paste ° from the copy button near the top of this page. To stop pasting it every time, set an operating-system text replacement, which then fires inside all four apps.
On desktop, the Windows Alt code and the Mac Option+Shift+8 shortcut also type directly into Canva text boxes and the desktop versions of these apps.
HTML, CSS, and LaTeX
In HTML, ° (named), ° (decimal), and ° (hex) all render °, as in 20°C. In CSS generated content, use content: "\00B0";. In LaTeX math mode, 90^\circ renders 90°.
Troubleshooting the degree sign
The most common mistake is typing º, the masculine ordinal indicator (U+00BA). A Spanish or Portuguese keyboard, or autocorrect, inserts it in place of °.
It sits lower, sometimes carries an underline, and screen readers announce it as “ordinal” rather than “degrees. ” The real degree sign is U+00B0.
In equations, avoid ∘, the ring operator (U+2218). It is a math symbol for function composition, centered on the line and wider than a degree sign. The degree sign lives in Latin-1 Supplement, which nearly every font includes, so it rarely fails.
If it shows as □ or ? , the file was saved in an encoding that clashes with the font; switch to a standard font or re-save as UTF-8.
What the degree symbol is used for
- Temperature: 20°C, 68°F.
- Angles and geometry: a right angle is 90°, a full turn is 360°.
- Map and GPS coordinates: 40°42′46″N pairs the degree sign with prime and double-prime marks.
- Compass bearings and latitude and longitude readings.
Symbols people mix up with the degree sign
For temperature, many style guides prefer the single precomposed characters. See how to type the degree Celsius symbol (℃) and the degree Fahrenheit symbol (℉), each one glyph rather than ° plus a letter. The masculine ordinal º and the ring operator ∘ look close but mean different things, as covered above.
Related guides
- Look up any code fast in the Alt code finder tool.
- Browse more math and science symbol guides.
- Keep the full Alt code list handy for everything else.
- Type the pi symbol (π) in Word and Excel.
- Type the omega symbol (Ω) fast.
- Type the sigma symbol (Σ) on any keyboard.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a space before the degree symbol?
For angles, no: write 90° closed up. For temperature, US and most publishing styles close it too (72°F, 20°C), while the SI standard puts a space before the unit and writes 20 °C. Choose one convention and stay consistent within a document.
How do I type the degree symbol on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
Alt codes need the number pad, so on a compact laptop use Word’s Alt+X (type 00B0, press Alt+X), the Windows emoji panel (Win+.), or Character Map. On any device you can also copy ° from the button near the top of this page and paste it.
What is the difference between the degree symbol (°) and degree Celsius (℃)?
° is a standalone sign you place on its own or before a letter, so “20°C” is two characters. ℃ (U+2103) is a single precomposed glyph that already contains the degree and the C. Both are correct, and the single character helps stop “°C” from splitting across a line break.
Does the degree symbol use the same code for temperature and angles?
Yes. Whether you mean 90° of arc or 20°C of heat, it is the same character, U+00B0, with the same Alt code, 0176. The meaning comes from what follows the sign, not from a different symbol.
Why is my Mac typing ˚ instead of °?
That is Option+K, which produces ˚, a ring-above accent (U+02DA), not the degree sign. It looks almost identical but is a different character that some apps and search fields treat differently. Use Option+Shift+8 for the real degree sign.