The element of symbol is ∈. In Word, Outlook, or OneNote, type 2208 and press Alt+X.
Everywhere else, copy it from the button below, use =UNICHAR(8712) in a spreadsheet, or type \in in LaTeX. There is no standard Windows Alt code and no Mac Option shortcut for this character.
Here is every reliable way to enter the element of sign (∈), with the exact keys and where each one works. Watch the difference between the decimal numbers that Alt codes use and the hex codes used by Word’s Alt+X, Chromebook input, and CSS.
| Method | Input | Where it works |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Alt code (CP1252) | No standard Windows Alt code | Not available |
| Windows, Unicode-aware apps | 2208 then Alt+X in Word (decimal, numeric keypad) | Word, WordPad, some editors |
| Word, Outlook, OneNote | Type 2208, then Alt+X (hex) | Word, Outlook, OneNote |
| Mac | Character Viewer: Ctrl+Cmd+Space | Most Mac apps |
| Excel, Google Sheets | =UNICHAR(8712) | Spreadsheets |
| Chromebook, Linux | Ctrl+Shift+U, then 2208 (hex) | ChromeOS, Linux |
| HTML (named) | ∈ | Web pages |
| HTML (numeric) | ∈ or ∈ | Web pages |
| CSS | \2208 | Stylesheet content |
| LaTeX | \in | Math typesetting |
| Unicode code point | U+2208 (decimal 8712) | Universal reference |
Type the element of symbol on Windows
∈ sits in the Mathematical Operators block, which the classic Windows-1252 and CP437 code pages do not cover, so there is no leading-zero Alt code that works everywhere. In Unicode-aware programs such as WordPad and Word, you can hold Alt and type 8712 on the numeric keypad, then release. This fails in older Notepad builds and in many web fields, where the digits read from a legacy table and produce the wrong glyph or nothing.
For a method that works in any Windows program, use Character Map: press the Windows key, type charmap, tick Advanced view, and search for element of. Double-click the character, click Copy, then paste it.
The emoji and symbol panel (Win+. ) also has a symbols tab with math operators, and copying ∈ from the button near the top of this page is faster than either.
Element of symbol on Mac
macOS has no Option-key shortcut for ∈, so use the Character Viewer. Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space to open it, type element of in the search box, then double-click the symbol to drop it into your text. You can also search for 2208 if code points are switched on in the viewer’s settings.
Word, PowerPoint, and Outlook
In Word, Outlook, and OneNote, type 2208 and press Alt+X; the four characters flip into ∈. This is the hex code, not a decimal Alt code, so do not add a leading zero. The trick is specific to those three apps: it does not work in PowerPoint or Excel.
The menu route works everywhere in Office. Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, set the subset to Mathematical Operators, and pick ∈, or type 2208 into the Character code box. This same Insert → Symbol dialog is how you add the sign in PowerPoint and Excel, where Alt+X is unavailable.
If you write a lot of maths, open an equation field with Alt+= and type \in followed by a space; Word’s Math AutoCorrect converts it to ∈. You can also record your own AutoCorrect entry under File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options, so a short trigger like \elem expands to the symbol.
Excel and Google Sheets
Both spreadsheets build the character from its decimal code point. Type =UNICHAR(8712) in a cell and press Enter to get ∈. To keep it as fixed text, copy the cell and paste it back as values, or reference the formula wherever you need the symbol.
Excel also has Insert → Symbol for a point-and-click option. Google Sheets has no symbol menu at all, so besides =UNICHAR(8712) your choices are pasting the glyph or typing it elsewhere and copying it in. If you use an operating-system input method inside a Sheets cell, press F2 first to enter edit mode.
Google Docs
Open Insert → Special characters. Type element of in the search box, or draw the shape in the sketch pad on the right and Docs will match it.
You can also search the box for 2208. Click the result to insert ∈ at the cursor.
iPhone and Android
Neither the iOS nor the stock Android keyboard has ∈ on a long-press key, so there is no built-in shortcut. The quickest one-off is to copy it from the button above. For something you type often, set up a text replacement so a short trigger expands to the symbol.
On iPhone, go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement, tap +, paste ∈ in the Phrase field, and set a Shortcut like ;elem. On Android with Gboard, open Settings → Languages & input → Gboard → Dictionary → Personal dictionary and add the symbol with a shortcut word.
Chromebook
ChromeOS has no Alt codes, and adding a USB numeric keypad will not bring them back, because Alt codes are a Windows feature. Use Unicode input instead: hold Ctrl+Shift+U, release, type 2208, then press Enter or Space.
An underlined u appears while you type to confirm the mode. Enter the hex digits only, with no U+ prefix.
Newer Chromebooks also have a symbol picker at Launcher+Shift+Space, or a dedicated Quick Insert key. Some web text fields swallow the Ctrl+Shift+U shortcut; if the code does nothing, paste the symbol instead.
Notion, Slack, Discord, and Canva
None of these apps has a keyboard shortcut for ∈, so pasting is the reliable move in every one. Notion is the exception worth knowing: type /math for an equation block, or add an inline equation, and the LaTeX command \in renders ∈ directly.
Slack, Discord, and Canva have no symbol inserter, so paste the glyph into the message box or text frame. If you use ∈ regularly in Slack, add it to your operating system’s text-replacement list and the expansion will follow you into the app. In Canva, paste it into any text element and it keeps your selected font, as long as that font includes the glyph.
HTML and CSS
On a web page, the named entity ∈ is the clearest option; the numeric forms ∈ (decimal) and ∈ (hex) render the same ∈. Use them in body text, headings, or anywhere HTML is parsed.
In CSS, add the character through the escaped code point, for example content: "\2208"; on a pseudo-element. Set the code point as hex, with no U+ and no semicolon. For a data attribute or SVG label, the numeric HTML entity works too.
When ∈ won’t show up
If the symbol appears as a hollow box (□) or a question mark, the font you are using has no glyph for it. ∈ is present in Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, Segoe UI Symbol, and Cambria Math, so switch to one of those and it will render. Decorative and icon fonts usually leave it out.
If 2208 then Alt+X in Word produces a random character instead of ∈, you are in a program that is not Unicode-aware, and the digits are being read from a legacy code page. Type 2208 with Alt+X in Word, use =UNICHAR(8712) in a spreadsheet, or paste the glyph. When copying from another site, check that you grabbed ∈ (U+2208) and not the lookalike small variant ∊ or a styled epsilon.
What the element of symbol means
∈ is set membership. x ∈ A says that x is an element of the set A, read aloud as “x is in A” or “x belongs to A”. You will see it across set theory, logic, probability, and computer science, for example 3 ∈ {1, 2, 3} or x ∈ ℝ to state that a value is a real number.
Related math symbols
The direct opposite is the not an element of symbol (∉), which crosses out ∈ to say a value is not in a set. When you want to talk about a set with no members at all, reach for the empty set symbol (∅).
Membership relates an item to a set; the operators that combine two sets are different. The intersection symbol (∩) gives the elements two sets share, while the union symbol (∪) gives everything in either. For statements about every member of a set, use the for all symbol (∀).
Related guides
Keep a reference handy with the full Alt code list, and if you type symbols by number often, the Alt code finder tool looks up any character fast. For more operators and notation, browse the math symbols guides.
Frequently asked questions
Is the element of symbol the same as the Greek letter epsilon (ε)?
No. ∈ (U+2208) is a mathematical operator, while ε is the Greek small letter epsilon used for variables and constants. They look related because the operator was historically based on epsilon, but they are separate code points, so a search or a spell check treats them differently. Use ∈ for set membership and keep epsilon for its own jobs.
What’s the difference between ∈ and ⊂ (subset)?
∈ links a single element to a set, while ⊂ links one set to another. You would write 3 ∈ {1, 2, 3} because 3 is a member, but {3} ⊂ {1, 2, 3} because the one-element set is contained in the bigger set. Mixing them up is the most common notation error with this symbol.
How do you read “x ∈ A” out loud?
Any of “x is an element of A”, “x is a member of A”, “x belongs to A”, or simply “x is in A”. They all mean the same thing, so pick whichever fits the sentence. In speech, most people shorten it to “x in A”.
Why isn’t there a normal Alt code for the element of symbol?
Classic Windows Alt codes read from the Windows-1252 and CP437 character tables, and neither one includes ∈, which lives higher up in Unicode at U+2208. The decimal 2208 then Alt+X in Word only works in Unicode-aware apps, so the dependable options are Word’s 2208 then Alt+X, a spreadsheet’s =UNICHAR(8712), or a paste.
Can I type ∈ in Gmail or other web email?
Web email has no symbol menu, so paste the glyph into the compose window; it survives sending in every modern mail client. On a Chromebook you can also use Ctrl+Shift+U then 2208 directly in the compose field. In desktop Outlook, the Insert → Symbol dialog is available instead.