Easily Type a Square Root Symbol on a Keyboard

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Typing the √ symbol on your computer just got a lot easier

Written by Megaera Lorenz, PhD

Last Updated: July 27, 2026 Fact Checked

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• Microsoft Word (Windows)
|
• Windows Alt Shortcut
|
• Windows Character Map
|
• Microsoft Word (Mac)
|
• Mac Keyboard Shortcut
|
• Mac Symbols Menu
|
• Unicode
|
• Math Autocorrect in Office
|
• Video
|
• Q&A
|
• Tips

|Show more |Show less

This wikiHow teaches you how to type the square root symbol (√) into a typing app, including Microsoft Word, on Windows and macOS. If you're using Microsoft Word, you can easily insert the square root symbol by selecting it from a menu. In other apps, you can use a quick keyboard shortcut or a character menu in either Windows or macOS. We’ll also teach you how to insert the square root symbol using Unicode or with the Math AutoCorrect option in Word and other Office apps.

How to Type the Square Root Symbol on a Keyboard

• Quickly insert a square root symbol by copying and pasting this character: √
• If your Windows keyboard has a numeric keypad, press NumLock, then hold down Alt and press 2, 5, and 1.
• On a Mac, press Option + V to insert a square root symbol.
• You can use the Windows Character Map or the Mac Emoji & Symbols Menu to insert the square root symbol in any app.

Steps

Section 1 of 8:

Using Microsoft Word (Windows)

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1. 
   1
   Click the mouse where you want to type the symbol.

   • This method won’t work in Word for Mac.
2. 
   2
   Click the Insert tab. It’s at the top of Word.
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3. 
   3
   Click Symbol. You'll see this on the ribbon at the top of Word.
4. 
   4
   Click More Symbols….
5. 
   5
   Click the “subset” drop-down menu.
6. 
   6
   Click Mathematical Operators. A list of math symbols will appear.
7. 
   7
   Double-click the Square Root √ symbol. If you don't see it, you may have to scroll up a little. Clicking the symbol in the list inserts the square root symbol into your Word document.
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Section 2 of 8:

Using a Windows Alt Shortcut

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1. 
   1
   Find your numeric keypad. First, if your keyboard has a separate section on the right side containing 10 numeric keys, you're good to go! If you're using a laptop or an external keyboard that doesn't have a separate numeric keypad section, you may still have a "soft" numeric keypad:

   • Take a look at the right side of your keyboard, particularly the following keys: 7, 8, 9, U, I, O, J, K, L, M. Do you see smaller numbers printed on these keys? If so, you have a "soft" numeric keypad, which you can activate by using the Number Lock key.
   • Some newer laptops don't have a numeric keypad at all. If this is the case for you, you'll need to try another method to type the square root symbol.
   • This method will not work in Microsoft Word for Windows. This is due to the introduction of “KeyTips” in Word, which allows you to type in shortcuts for various tools in the Ribbon Menu when you hold down the Alt key. Unfortunately, there’s no way to disable this feature.
2. 
   2
   Turn on Number Lock Num ⇩ (if you have a soft numeric keypad). Whether you have a physical 10-key numeric keypad or a soft numeric keypad, you should have a key called Num Lock, NumLk, or similar somewhere in the upper-right area of the keyboard. Sometimes you'll find this key in another place, but start looking there. Once you find it, press it to activate Number Lock.

   • If your Num Lock key is shared with another key, such as Scroll Lock, you may have to hold down the Fn key as you click it to activate Number Lock.
   • To test that Number Lock is working, press the U key—if you see a 4 instead of a U, it's working! If not, try pressing Num Lock again.
3. 
   3
   Open the document in which you want to insert the square root symbol. You can use this method in almost any Windows app that allows typing, including your web browser. However, it won’t work in Word due to the KeyTips feature.
4. 
   4
   Click the location where you want to insert the symbol.
5. 
   5
   Press and hold Alt and type 2, then 5, and then 1. If you're using a soft numeric keypad, type K (for 2), I (for 5), and then J (for 1). Lift your finger from Alt after you type the 1—the square root symbol should appear.

   • Do not use the keys in the number row at the top of the keyboard—this will not work! You have to use the numeric keypad to enter Alt codes, whether it's a physical or a soft keypad.
   • If you get a ¹ instead of a √ when you enter this code, you probably need to make a change in your administrative language settings:
     • Press Windows key + R and enter intl.cpl. Press Enter.
     • Click the Administrative tab at the top of the window that pops up.
     • Under the Language for non-Unicode programs header, check the current language setting. If it’s set to something other than “English (United States),” click Change system locale…
     • In the dropdown, select English (United States). Click OK.
6. 
   6
   Press the Num ⇩ key to turn Number Lock off. Now that you have a square root symbol, you can turn off Number Lock. This is especially important if you have a soft numeric keypad, as you'll wind up accidentally typing numbers otherwise.
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Section 3 of 8:

Using Windows Character Map

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1. 
   1
   Open the document in which you want to insert the square root symbol. You can use this method in any Windows app that allows typing, including your web browser. This is a great alternative to using an alt shortcut if you aren't able to do so.
2. 
   2
   Open the Character Map. An easy way to do this is to type character into the Windows search bar (next to the Start menu), and then click Character Map in the search results.

   • You can also press Windows key + R, type charmap, and press Enter.
3. 
   3
   Check the box next to "Advanced view." It's in the lower-left corner of the Character Map.
4. 
   4
   Type square root into the "Search for" field. This field is at the bottom of the window.
5. 
   5
   Press ↵ Enter or click Search. Now you'll see the square root symbol at the upper-left corner of the app.
6. 
   6
   Double-click the square root symbol. This places the symbol into the "Characters to copy" box.
7. 
   7
   Click Copy. The square root symbol is now copied to your computer's clipboard.
8. 
   8
   Click the place in your document where you want to insert the symbol. This sets the cursor at the correct place.
9. 
   9
   Press Ctrl+V to paste the copied symbol. You can also paste it by right-clicking near the cursor and selecting Paste. The square root symbol now appears in your document.
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Section 4 of 8:

Using Microsoft Word (Mac)

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1. 
   1
   Click where you want to place the square root symbol. It’s generally easiest to use a keyboard shortcut to type the square root symbol on a Mac. However, you can also insert this symbol using Word’s Insert menu. This works a little differently from Word for Windows. To get started, open a Word doc and click where you want the symbol to go.
2. 
   2
   Click the Insert tab. It’s in the Ribbon Menu at the top of Word.
3. 
   3
   Click Equation. It’s at the far right side of the menu bar, next to Advanced Symbol. This will insert an equation box into your document and open a special toolbar at the top of Word.
4. 
   4
   Click the square-root symbol in the menu of symbols. You’ll see a series of buttons with mathematical symbols on the left half of the toolbar. Find the square root symbol and click it to insert it into the equation box.

   • Alternatively, click the Radical button to get more advanced options (e.g., a square root symbol with a box underneath where you can insert a number).
5. 
   5
   Click anywhere outside the equation box. This will close the special toolbar and allow you to keep typing like you normally would.
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Section 5 of 8:

Using a Mac Keyboard Shortcut

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1. 
   1
   Open the document in which you want to insert the square root symbol. You can use this method in any Mac app that allows typing, including your web browser.
2. 
   2
   Click the location where you want to insert the square root symbol.
3. 
   3
   Press ⌥ Option+v. This types the square root symbol.

   • If you're using the Grapher app, press Option + V for a square root and Shift + Option + V to write other kinds of roots.
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Section 6 of 8:

Using the Mac Emoji & Symbols Menu

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1. 
   1
   Click in your document where you want the symbol to go. This method lets you open a special character viewer so you can quickly type the square root symbol (and other symbols) into any document. Like the Option + V method, this will work in pretty much any app on a Mac, including a browser. Click in the document or text field where you want to insert the square root symbol.
2. 
   2
   Click the input icon in your Mac’s menu bar and select Show Emoji & Symbols. Click the input icon at the top right side of your screen. It might look like a language abbreviation (e.g., US for US English) or a flag. In the dropdown, click Show Emoji & Symbols.

   • If you don’t see this icon, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard and click Edit next to Input Sources. Toggle on Show input menu in menu bar.
   • Alternatively, you can open the Edit menu in many Mac apps (including Word for Mac) and select Emoji & Symbols or Character Viewer. Or, you can press the Fn/globe key on your keyboard to launch the Emoji & Symbols menu. However, these options don’t work universally in all apps.
3. 
   3
   Select Math Symbols in the leftmost menu bar. You might need to click the little rectangular window icon in the top right corner of the character viewer window to see all the menu bars.

   • If you’ve expanded the window and you still can’t see Math Symbols in the list of options in the left-hand menu bar, click the ••• icon at the top left and click Customize List. Check the box next to “Math Symbols” and click Done.
4. 
   4
   Double-click the square root symbol to insert it. You might need to scroll down a little to find it. Double-click it to insert the symbol into the spot you selected in your document.

   • If you want a different version of the symbol from the default, choose one of the options under the Font Variation header in the right-hand menu bar.
   • Click Add to Favorites under the large version of the square root symbol on the right side of the window to add it to your favorite symbols. This will make it easier to find in the future. Just click Favorites at the top of the left-hand menu to find it!
   • Click the red X icon at the top left corner of the Emoji & Symbols menu to close it when you’re done.
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Section 7 of 8:

Using Unicode (Windows or Mac)

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1. 
   1
   Windows Unicode is a universal character encoding standard that you can use to insert special symbols in certain apps. Inserting Unicode characters is very easy in certain Microsoft apps like Word and WordPad, although it doesn’t work across all apps:

   • Click in the document where you want the square root symbol to go.
   • Type 221A.
   • Press Alt+X. When you release these keys, the text 221A will be replaced by a square root symbol.
2. 
   2
   Mac You can also use Unicode in apps like Word or Google Docs on your Mac, but you’ll need to enable that capability in your computer’s settings. Once you’ve done that, you can insert Unicode symbols at any time. Here’s how:

   • Go to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard and click Edit next to Input Sources. A new menu window will open.
   • Make sure Show Input menu in menu bar is toggled On at the top of the menu.
   • Click the + at the bottom left corner of the menu.
   • Search for Unicode Hex Input (or find it in the Others category). Select the result and click Add.
   • Click Done.
   • Click the input icon at the top right side of the menu bar. It may look like a symbol, a language abbreviation (like US for US English), or a flag.
   • Click Unicode Hex Input.
   • Press and hold the Option key while typing 221A. As soon as you enter the code, the square root symbol will appear. Let go of the Option key.
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Section 8 of 8:

Using Mathematical Autocorrect in Office (Windows or Mac)

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1. 
   1
   Windows Microsoft allows you to set Office apps to autocorrect certain combinations of letters or symbols to a mathematical symbol, including the square root. By default, you can do this in an equation box (or “math region”) across multiple Office apps by typing \sqrt and hitting Enter. In Word, you can also enable the option to do this outside of “math regions.” To start, open a Word document and click Insert in the ribbon menu at the top of the screen. Then:

   • Click Equation. It’s on the right side of the menu bar.
   • Click the diagonal arrow at the bottom of the Conversions section of the menu bar.
   • Check the box next to “Automatically convert expressions to professional format” near the top of the menu. This will ensure expressions are converted when you’re typing an equation in an equation box. This option is usually on by default.
   • If you want to use autocorrect this way anywhere in your document (not just in equation boxes), click the Math AutoCorrect button. A new window will open.
   • Check the box next to “Use Math AutoCorrect Rules outside of math regions.” This will allow you to type the square root symbol anywhere using an autocorrect shortcut.
   • Click OK, then click OK again to close both menus.
   • Type \sqrt either inside or outside an equation box. When you press Space or Enter, it will be automatically converted to a square root symbol.
   • You can also use this type of autoformat shortcut in other Office apps, like PowerPoint and Excel. However, it isn’t possible in all of those apps to turn on the option to autocorrect this way outside of math regions (equation boxes).
2. 
   2
   Mac You can also use math autocorrect in Office apps for Mac. However, the process to enable it is a little different. By default, you can type \sqrt into an equation box, then press Return to turn it into a square root symbol. This will work in apps like Word, PowerPoint, and Excel. However, in Word, you can also use this autocorrect setting outside of equation boxes (or “math regions”):

   • Click the Word menu at the top of your screen.
   • Click Preferences.
   • Click AutoCorrect.
   • Select the Math AutoCorrect tab.
   • Check the box next to “Use Math AutoCorrect rules outside of math regions.”
   • Close the window.
   • Click anywhere in your document and type \sqrt, then hit Spacebar or Return. The text you typed will be converted to a square root symbol.
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Community Q&A

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• Question

  Can I do this on a Windows computer?

  

  R2_d2000

  Top Answerer

  Yes. You can follow the steps in any of the first three methods to type a square root symbol on a Windows computer.

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Tips

• You can also just copy and paste the square root symbol from this article into your document. Just highlight the symbol √ with your mouse, right-click it, and then select Copy. Now, right-click the desired location and select Paste to insert the symbol.
  Thanks

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