The not an element of symbol is ∉. Windows has no standard Alt code for it, so the fastest typed route is in Microsoft Word: type 2209 and press Alt+X. On a Mac, open the Character Viewer with Ctrl+Cmd+Space and search for “not an element of.” Everywhere else, copying it is quickest.
Quick reference for the not an element of symbol
| Method | Input | Works in |
|---|---|---|
| Windows Alt code (CP1252) | No standard Alt code | Use 2209 then Alt+X in Word or paste instead |
| Windows, Unicode-aware apps | 2209 then Alt+X in Word (decimal) | WordPad, many web fields |
| Word, Outlook, OneNote | 2209 (hex) then Alt+X | Word, Outlook, OneNote |
| Mac | Character Viewer (Ctrl+Cmd+Space) | Most Mac apps |
| Excel, Google Sheets | =UNICHAR(8713) | Excel, Sheets |
| Chromebook, Linux | Ctrl+Shift+U then 2209 (hex) | ChromeOS, Linux |
| HTML (named) | ∉ | Web pages |
| HTML (numeric) | ∉ (decimal) or ∉ (hex) | Web pages |
| CSS | \2209 | Stylesheets |
| LaTeX | \notin | Math typesetting |
| Unicode code point | U+2209 | Universal reference |
One number, two forms. Alt codes and =UNICHAR() take the decimal value 8713; Word’s Alt+X, the Chromebook shortcut, and CSS take the hexadecimal value 2209.
They point to the same character, so do not swap them, and note that the verified method shown in the table will not produce ∉. You can confirm any value in our Alt code finder.
Type ∉ on Windows
The symbol sits outside the classic Alt code table, so no Alt+number works for it in every program. If you need symbols that do have one, the full Alt code list collects them. Three routes work on Windows instead.
2209 then Alt+X in Word in Unicode-aware apps
- Turn on Num Lock. Alt codes read from the numeric keypad, not the number row.
- Hold Alt and type 8713 on the keypad.
- Release Alt.
This works in WordPad, many web text boxes, and other Unicode-aware fields. It does nothing in older apps that only read the legacy code page, and it needs a real numeric keypad, so most compact laptops are out. When it fails, use Character Map below.
Character Map
- Open the Start menu, type Character Map, and open it.
- Tick Advanced view.
- Type 2209 in the Go to Unicode box, or search for “not an element of”.
- Click the ∉ cell, click Select, then Copy.
- Paste with Ctrl+V.
Emoji and symbol panel
Press Win + . (period) to open the panel, click the Ω symbols tab, and look under math symbols. Not every Windows build lists ∉ here, so if you do not see it, fall back to Character Map or a paste.
Type ∉ on Mac
Mac has no Option shortcut for this symbol, and it has no Alt codes at all. Use the Character Viewer.
- Click into the text field where you want ∉.
- Press Ctrl + Cmd + Space to open the Character Viewer.
- Type “not an element of” in the search box.
- Double-click the glyph to insert it.
Click the star to add ∉ to Favorites if you use it often, which keeps it one click away next time.
Type ∉ in Word and PowerPoint
Alt+X in Word
- Type 2209 where you want the symbol.
- Press Alt + X. The 2209 turns into ∉.
Press Alt + X again right after to toggle back to the code and check it. This trick works in Word, Outlook, and OneNote.
It does not work in PowerPoint or Excel. If a letter or digit sits right before 2209, select just those four characters first so Word converts the right part.
Insert Symbol
- Go to Insert, then Symbol, then More Symbols.
- Set the subset to Mathematical Operators and find ∉, or type 2209 in the Character code box with “from: Unicode (hex)” selected.
- Click Insert.
The same Insert > Symbol route works in PowerPoint, where Alt+X does not. Inside Word you can also start an equation with Alt + = and type \notin followed by a space.
Type ∉ in Excel and Google Sheets
Both use the same formula. In any cell, enter =UNICHAR(8713) and press Enter to return ∉. The argument is the decimal value 8713, not the hex.
Excel also has Insert > Symbol, where you can search or type the code, the same as Word. Google Sheets has no Insert Symbol menu, so the formula or a paste is the way there. If you paste with an OS input method inside a cell, press F2 first to enter edit mode.
Type ∉ in Google Docs
- Open Insert, then Special characters.
- Type “not an element of” in the search box, or draw the slashed symbol in the sketch pad.
- Click the glyph to drop it into the document.
To reuse it, open Tools > Preferences > Substitutions and set a short trigger such as \notin to replace with ∉. Sheets has no matching menu, so use the formula above there.
Type ∉ on iPhone and Android
Neither phone keyboard has this symbol on a key. The fast way is to copy it from the button near the top of this page and paste. To type it whenever you want, set up a text replacement.
- iPhone: Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement, tap +, paste ∉ in Phrase, and set a Shortcut like “notin”.
- Android: Settings > System > Languages & input > Personal dictionary, add ∉ with a shortcut word.
After that, typing your shortcut expands to ∉ in any app.
Type ∉ on a Chromebook
ChromeOS has no Alt codes, and plugging in a USB keypad will not change that. Use the Unicode shortcut.
- Click into a text field.
- Hold Ctrl + Shift + U. An underlined u appears.
- Type 2209, the hex value, with no U+ prefix.
- Press Enter or Space.
You can also open the symbol picker with Launcher + Shift + Space; newer Chromebooks have a dedicated Quick Insert key. Some web fields grab Ctrl + Shift + U for their own use, so if nothing appears, paste the symbol instead.
Type ∉ in Notion, Slack, Discord, and Canva
None of these four has a picker for math operators, so there is no shortcut to memorise. Paste ∉ from the copy button above into any of them and it renders fine.
If you use it a lot, the OS-level text replacement you set for your phone or computer also fires inside these apps, because they send whatever your keyboard produces. That is the closest thing to a shortcut any of them offer.
Write ∉ in HTML and CSS
In HTML, use the named entity ∉ or a numeric reference: ∉ (decimal) or ∉ (hex). All three render as ∉.
In CSS, use the escape \2209, for example content: "\2209" on a ::before pseudo-element. In JavaScript strings, write \u2209. Serve the page as UTF-8 and you can also paste the raw ∉ straight into the markup.
Troubleshooting ∉
If ∉ shows as a box, □, or a question mark, the current font has no glyph for it. Switch that run of text to a font with math coverage such as Cambria Math, Segoe UI Symbol, Arial, or Times New Roman, and it will appear.
The most common mix-up is typing ∈ (element of) and forgetting the slash. ∉ has a stroke through it; ∈ does not. Check that you used code 2209, not 2208, which is the plain element of sign.
Watch for near-matches too: ≠ (not equal), ∅ (empty set), and ⊄ (not a subset of) all mean different things. If Word converted the wrong character, an adjacent letter or digit probably got swept into the Alt+X selection; select only 2209 and try again.
What ∉ means and where it is used
∉ means “is not an element of” or “is not a member of. ” It says a value does not belong to a set: 3 ∉ {1, 2, 4}, or π ∉ ℚ, meaning pi is not a rational number.
Read it aloud as “is not in” or “is not an element of. “
You will see it in set theory, discrete math, logic proofs, and query notes. It is the negation of ∈. For more signs like it, browse the math symbol guides.
Related symbols
- The element of symbol (∈) is the same sign without the slash, and means the opposite: the value does belong to the set.
- The empty set symbol (∅) marks a set with no members, which is often the answer when a membership test fails.
- The there exists symbol (∃) and the for all symbol (∀) are the quantifiers you pair with membership in most proofs.
- The intersection symbol (∩) gives the members two sets share, the flip side of asking what is not in a set.
Frequently asked questions
Is ∉ the same as the not-equal sign?
No. ≠ compares two values and says they are not equal, like 2 ≠ 3. ∉ compares a value with a set and says the value is not a member of it, like 2 ∉ {1, 3}. Different jobs, different symbols.
Why doesn’t the verified method shown in the table give me ∉?
Because 2209 is the hexadecimal code point, and Windows Alt codes take decimal numbers. There is no decimal Alt code in the standard set for this symbol; the closest is 2209 then Alt+X in Word in Unicode-aware apps. For a guaranteed result, use Word’s 2209 then Alt+X, or paste the glyph.
Can I make ∉ by adding a slash to ∈?
You can layer a combining slash over ∈, but the result is a two-character sequence that only looks like ∉ and can space oddly or break text searches. Use the single character U+2209 instead so tools read it correctly.
Will ∉ survive in plain text files and code?
Yes, as long as the file is saved as UTF-8, which is the default in most editors now. In source code you can write the escape \u2209 in a string, or paste the raw ∉ if your toolchain reads UTF-8.
What is the LaTeX command for ∉?
Use \notin in math mode, for example $x \notin A$. Writing \not\in produces the same glyph by stacking a slash over \in, but \notin is the cleaner choice.