Celsius degrees in word

You might want to insert a degree symbol when you write about temperatures or measurements in Word. You can do this by using the Symbol drop-down menu or the keyboard shortcut, Alt + 0176.

In this article

• Insert the degree symbol by using the ribbon

• Insert the degree symbol by using a keyboard shortcut

Insert the degree symbol by using the ribbon

1. Place the cursor where you want the degree symbol to go in your text.

2. Click Insert > Symbol.

   

3. Select More Symbols.

   

4. Choose your font from the Font drop-down menu.

   

5. Select Latin-1 Supplement from the Subset drop-down menu.

6. Scroll through the symbols, and click the degree sign. Click Insert.

   

   Tip: Once you’ve used the degree symbol, it automatically appears in the Recently Used Symbols list in the Symbol Menu.

Insert the degree symbol by using a keyboard shortcut

1. Place the cursor where you want to insert the degree symbol.

2. On your keyboard, press Alt + 0176.

   Note: This method works only for keyboards that include a 10-key numeric pad.

See Also

Configure or turn off AutoFormat as you Type

Insert a check mark or other symbol

Insert the Degree Celsius / Centigrade ℃  into Microsoft Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Outlook.  Both in Office for Windows and Office for Mac.

Degree Celsius ℃ is a single character symbol is used to refer to a specific temperature on the Celsius or Centigrade scale. Centigrade was the original name for the temperature scale before 1948 when it was renamed after it’s inventor Anders Celsius.

It’s a single character that’s a combination of the degree symbol and capital C. 

Degree Celsius ℃ looks in different fonts.

Here’s some examples of how Degree Celsius ℃ looks in common Office fonts.  Notice the kerning or overlap where the degree sign is close to the letter.

Compare that with separate degree symbol and letter. There’s no kerning between the two characters or, in human speak there’s a space between each character. It’s especially obvious with Courier New and Segoe UI.

℃ isn’t recommended

While Degree Celsius is in the Unicode character list, it’s not recommended. The symbol is there for compatibility with Chinese and other Eastern languages.

Despite that edict, the better kerning makes the single character ℃ a nicer looking choice especially in large font sizes for signs or slides.  Use ℃ when it suits you, the Unicode police won’t chase you down.

Degree Celsius ℃ codes

Copy ℃ symbol to your clipboard

These are the important code numbers or values you’ll need to enter the Degree Celsius or ℃

Decimal: 8451   Hex:  2103

Web: ℃ or ℃

(web codes aren’t used in Microsoft Office, we’ve included them for the sake of completeness.)

Word and Outlook

The Degree Celsius ℃  sign does NOT have an inbuilt shortcut in Word.

Use the standard Word Alt + X symbol shortcut 2103  + Alt + X

Once in a document you can copy it to AutoCorrect and make your own shortcut.

AutoCorrect to Degree Celsius symbol

If you like, make an Autocorrect entry that converts a degree symbol and C into the single character symbol.  Go to File | Options | Proofing | AutoCorrect options | Replace text as you type.

Replace:  the separate degree and capital C

With:  the combined Degree Celsius symbol.

Hint:  use Copy/Paste to get the characters into the two boxes.  The Enhanced Clipboard in Windows 10 (Win + V) makes this a lot easier!

Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook

Insert | Symbols | Symbol and look for the  Degree Celsius symbol.

Windows

In Windows there are several shortcuts to enter the Degree Celsius ℃  character into any program, but they use a numeric keypad, not the number row above the letters.

Alt + 2103    

Windows Character Map

The Windows Character Map accessory in all Windows releases

Character Map has a search feature, something missing from the Insert | Symbol in Office.

MacOS and Office for Mac inserting characters

On a Mac, to enter the Degree Celsius ℃ symbol:

• Command + Control + Spacebar shortcut to open the Character Viewer.  
• Search for “ Degree  “ and the Viewer should find the symbol you need.

Despite the name Character Viewer, the Apple system tool will also insert characters into any program, including Office for Mac.

Degree symbol ° in Word, Excel and PowerPoint

Degrees, Money and other symbols in Office

Dagger † symbol in Word, Excel, PowerPoint and Outlook
Biohazard symbol for Word, PowerPoint and more
Inserting Symbols is harder in Office for Mac

One of the most common unit of temperature is degree Celsius denoted as °C. Most common way to write it by typing oC and then raise o as superscript or more accurate but less common is to type degree symbol (­­°) and then C. Although getting degree symbol can be time consuming. If you have been following our blog, then you may know that typing degree symbol in Ms Word is really easy, just type degree<sp> you get ° (see our blog on Ms Word shortcut for Degree Symbol).

You don’t need to perform all the laborious work of converting o to superscript or find degree symbol (°). There is much cooler, faster and smarter way to type °C symbol in Ms Word.

To get °C, type degc and hit space. Basically, we are using Math Autocorrect shortcut to insert °C. This shortcut works only in equation editor by default. However, you can use it outside equation editor also if “Use Math Autocorrect rules outsize math region” is checked in Math autocorrect options. This setting is turned off by default in Ms Word. If you didn’t set it earlier manually, then the chance are that it will be turned it off.

Enabling Shortcut (set it once and use it forever)

degc is Math Autocorrect text for °C. Math Autocorrect feature of Ms Word gives you LaTeX type shortcut for typing equation and symbol (you may also like to see a complete list of all Math Autocorrect Shortcut). To make this shortcut work outside equation, you need to do the following one time setting.

• Click Files → Options to open Word Options
• Navigate to Proofing and click AutoCorrect Options button to open Auto Correct window
• Navigate to Math Autocorrect tab
• Check the box against “Use Math Autocorrect options outside Math region“
• Click Ok and close all the above windows.

Alt + X Method for Windows Word Type 00B0 and press Alt + X keys to make degree symbol like °. Enter 2103 and press Alt + X keys to type degree Celsius symbol like ℃. Type 2109 and press Alt + X keys to make degree Fahrenheit symbol like ℉.

How do you type Celsius on a keyboard?

Insert the degree symbol by using a keyboard shortcut
Place the cursor where you want to insert the degree symbol. On your keyboard, press Alt + 0176.

How do you write Celsius on a laptop?

Press and hold Alt and type 0176 on Windows with a numeric keypad. If you are using a Windows computer that has a 10-key numeric keypad on the right side, press and hold the Alt key while typing 0, 1, 7, and then 6 on the keypad.

What is the Alt code for Celsius?

Degree Sign Symbols

Degree Symbol	Degree Name	Degree Code
°	Degree	°
℃	Degree Celsius	℃
℉	Degree Fahrenheit	℉
K	Kelvin	K

How do you do Celsius on word?

How to add a degree symbol in Word using a keyboard shortcut

1. Place the cursor where you want the degree symbol to appear in your document.
2. On your keyboard, press Alt + 0176, where the “0176” is entered using the keyboard’s numeric keypad.
3. Place the cursor where you want the degree symbol to appear in your document.

How do you type degrees?

How to Type the Degree (°) Symbol

1. PC. Hold down the Alt key, and on the numeric keypad on the right of the keyboard, type 0176 or Alt+ 248.
2. Mac. Press Option-Shift-8.
3. iOS. From the iOS keyboard on your iPhone or iPad:
4. Android. Switch to the numbers and symbols keyboard. The degree symbol should appear on one of the pages. ‍

How do you write Celsius in HTML?

Degree Celsius

1. UNICODE. U+02103.
2. HEX CODE. ℃
3. HTML CODE. ℃
4. HTML ENTITY. —
5. CSS CODE. 2103. ℃ content: “2103”;

How do you write degrees Celsius in Powerpoint?

Select exactly where you want the degree sign to go. Use the degree symbol shortcut key to insert the sign: Alt+0176. In other words, hold down the Alt key and then use the keypad to type 0176. After typing the numbers, you can let go of the Alt key to see the degree symbol [ ° ] appear.

How do you write Celsius in Excel?

Inserting Degree Symbol in Excel

1. Select the cell in which you want to insert the degree symbol.
2. Press F2 to get into the edit mode.
3. Use the keyboard shortcut – ALT + 0176 (you need to hold the ALT key and then press 0176 from the numeric keypad of your keyboard).

How do you write degrees Celsius in Vscode?

You get ° from the keyboard as ALT + 0176 on the numeric keypad.

Is Celsius capitalized?

Capitalization. Units: The names of all units start with a lower case letter except, of course, at the beginning of the sentence. There is one exception: in “degree Celsius” (symbol °C) the unit “degree” is lower case but the modifier “Celsius” is capitalized. Thus, body temperature is written as 37 degrees Celsius.

How do you use Alt codes?

To use an Alt code, press and hold down the Alt key and type the code using the numeric key pad on the right side of your keyboard. If you do not have a numeric keypad, copy and paste the symbols from this page, or go back try another typing method.

How do you write degrees Celsius in latex?

to your preamble, that should enable the command. Another alternative is the textdegree command, which is provided by the textcomp package. And, finally, $^{circ}$ is another way of obtaining roughly the right symbol.

How do you do Celsius on Google Docs?

How to Insert a Degree Symbol in Google Docs

1. Click in the document where you want to add the degree symbol.
2. Select the “Insert” tab at the top of the window.
3. Choose the “Special characters” option.
4. Click the “Arrows” dropdown menu.
5. Select the “Miscellaneous” option.
6. Click the degree symbol to insert it.

How do I type a symbol?

Inserting ASCII characters
To insert an ASCII character, press and hold down ALT while typing the character code. For example, to insert the degree (º) symbol, press and hold down ALT while typing 0176 on the numeric keypad. You must use the numeric keypad to type the numbers, and not the keyboard.

How do you write Fahrenheit?

To make a Fahrenheit symbol on a PC, place your cursor in the spot where you would like to make the symbol appear. Next, press and hold the “Alt” key. Then, type the numbers “248” using the numeric keypad on your keyboard.

How do you make a degree symbol without a number pad?

If you are using a notebook without a separate numeric keypad, use the “Fn” key to activate the part of the keyboard that acts as a numeric keypad. Press and hold “Fn-Alt” and then type 0176.

What is the use of &# 8482?

™ for trademark symbol ™ &#160; for copyright symbol ©

How do you write 90 degrees?

Degree symbol in geometry.

1. Right angle is 90°. ( 90 degrees)
2. Straight angle is 180°. ( 180 degrees)
3. Acute angle is less than 90°. (< 90 degrees)
4. Obtuse angle is greater than 90° and less than 90°. (> 90 degrees and <180 degrees)
5. Reflex angle is greater than 180°. (> 180 degrees)

What is C in HTML?

Compact HTML (C-HTML) is a markup language for Web access that is designed especially for small computing devices.

How do I type the degree symbol in Powerpoint?

You can press the Alt key in combination with numbers on the numeric keypad to insert the degree symbol:

1. Position the cursor in the text box or placeholder where you want to insert the degree symbol.
2. Press Alt + 0176 or Alt + 248 on the numeric keypad.

Insert the Degree Symbol or Sign in Microsoft Word Documents (with Shortcuts)

by Avantix Learning Team | Updated August 23, 2021

Applies to: Microsoft^® Word^®  2013, 2016, 2019 or 365 (Windows)

You can insert or type the degree symbol in Microsoft Word documents using the Ribbon or by using keyboard shortcuts. The degree symbol or sign is automatically entered in superscript. The term degree is used in several temperature scales including Celsius and Fahrenheit.

In this article, we’ll look at 5 ways to insert the degree symbol in Word documents:

1. Use the Insert Symbol command
2. Use an Alt code shortcut by pressing Alt and then enter a number sequence
3. Use a built-in Word shortcut
4. Create and use your own custom keyboard shortcut
5. Create and use your own AutoCorrect shortcut

Recommended article: How to Keep Text Together in Microsoft Word

Do you want to learn more about Microsoft Word? Check out our virtual classroom or live classroom Word courses >

1. Inserting the degree symbol using Insert Symbol

To insert the degree symbol in Word using Insert Symbol:

1. Position the cursor where you want to insert the degree symbol.
2. Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Symbols group, click Symbol. A drop-down menu appears.
4. Click More Symbols. A dialog box appears.
5. If necessary, click the Symbols tab.
6. Select (normal text) from the Font drop-down menu.
7. Select Latin-1 Supplement from the Subset menu.
8. Click the degree symbol.
9. Click Insert.
10. Click Close.

Below is the Insert Symbol dialog box:

2. Inserting the degree symbol using an Alt code keyboard shortcut

You can press the Alt key in combination with numbers on the numeric keypad to insert the degree symbol.

To insert the degree symbol in a Word document using an Alt code keyboard shortcut:

1. Position the cursor where you want to insert the degree symbol.
2. Press Alt + 0176 or Alt + 248 on the numeric keypad.

If the sequence doesn’t work, press NumLock on the numeric keypad.

3. Inserting the degree symbol using a built-in shortcut

To insert the degree symbol using a built-in shortcut:

1. Position the cursor where you want to insert the degree symbol.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + 2 (at the top of the keyboard).
3. Press the Spacebar.

The benefit of this method is that it works if you don’t have a numeric keypad.

4. Creating your own custom keyboard shortcut

If you insert the degree symbol frequently, you can create your own keyboard shortcut as well.

To create a custom Word keyboard shortcut for the degree symbol:

1. Position the cursor in a Word document.
2. Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Symbols group, click Symbol. A drop-down menu appears.
4. Click More Symbols. A dialog box appears.
5. If necessary, click the Symbols tab.
6. Select (normal text) from the Font drop-down menu.
7. Select Latin-1 Supplement from the Subset menu.
8. Click the degree symbol.
9. Click Shortcut. A dialog box appears.
10. Click in the box below Assign New Shortcut key.
11. Press the keys you want to assign (such as Ctrl + Alt + D). Don’t type any text, just press the keys. Be careful not to override a useful built-in shortcut such as Ctrl + D.
12. Click Assign. Typically the location for these shortcuts is the Normal (or default) template.
13. Click Close twice.

Test the shortcut in your document by pressing the assigned keys.

Below is the Customize Keyboard dialog box in Word:

This shortcut is typically added to the Normal template so when you exit the program, Word will prompt you to save the Normal template. If your IT department has disabled modification of the Normal template, you won’t be able to use this method.

5. Creating your own AutoCorrect shortcut

To add your own AutoCorrect shortcut for the degree symbol:

1. Position the cursor in a Word document.
2. Click the Insert tab in the Ribbon.
3. In the Symbols group, click Symbol. A drop-down menu appears.
4. Click More Symbols. A dialog box appears.
5. If necessary, click the Symbols tab.
6. Select (normal text) from the Font drop-down menu.
7. Select Latin-1 Supplement from the Subset menu.
8. Click the degree symbol.
9. Click AutoCorrect. A dialog box appears.
10. Enter the characters you want to use in the Replace dialog box such as (d). The degree symbol should appear on the right.
11. Click Add.
12. Click OK.
13. Click Close.

To use the AutoCorrect entry, type the characters you entered in Replace, such as (d), and then press the Spacebar.

The AutoCorrect dialog box appears as follows:

The AutoCorrect shortcut is typically added to the Normal template so when you exit the program, Word will prompt you to save the Normal template. If your IT department has disabled modification of the Normal template, you won’t be able to use this method.

This article was first published on August 14, 2020 and has been updated for clarity and content.

Subscribe to get more articles like this one

Did you find this article helpful? If you would like to receive new articles, join our email list.

More resources

How to Insert a Check Mark in Word (5 Ways)

14+ Word Selection Shortcuts to Quickly Select Text

21 Microsoft Word Shortcuts for Faster Formatting

How to Keep Text Together in Microsoft Word (Words, Lines or Paragraphs)

How to Create a Table of Contents in Microsoft Word (Insert, Format and Update a TOC)

Related courses

Microsoft Word: Intermediate / Advanced

Microsoft Excel: Intermediate / Advanced

Microsoft PowerPoint: Intermediate / Advanced

Microsoft Word: Long Documents Master Class

Microsoft Word: Styles, Templates and Tables of Contents

Microsoft Word: Designing Dynamic Word Documents Using Fields

VIEW MORE COURSES >

Our instructor-led courses are delivered in virtual classroom format or at our downtown Toronto location at 18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada (some in-person classroom courses may also be delivered at an alternate downtown Toronto location). Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca if you’d like to arrange custom instructor-led virtual classroom or onsite training on a date that’s convenient for you.

Copyright 2023 Avantix^® Learning

Microsoft, the Microsoft logo, Microsoft Office and related Microsoft applications and logos are registered trademarks of Microsoft Corporation in Canada, US and other countries. All other trademarks are the property of the registered owners.

Avantix Learning |18 King Street East, Suite 1400, Toronto, Ontario, Canada M5C 1C4 | Contact us at info@avantixlearning.ca

In the case of degrees of angular arc, the degree symbol should follow a number without spaces, e.g., 45°.

There are different standards for temperature — the degree sign is placed immediately after the number or should follow the numeric value with
a non-breaking space. Usually, a scale is added right after the degree sign, indicating the measurement (Celsius, Fahrenheit, etc.). For example, 23°C.

Note: The degree symbol for temperature measured in Kelvin is called kelvin, not degrees Kelvin. So, after the numeric value should go the letter K with or without a non-breaking space per the applicable standards, the degree symbol is not used. For example, 273 K.

Microsoft Word offers several different ways to insert the degree symbol, also the degree Celsius and the degree Fahrenheit:

   I.  Using the Equation:

   1.   Place the cursor where you want to insert the degree symbol, then click Alt+= to insert the equitation block:

   2.   In the equitation block, without any additional
efforts, you can enter some mathematical symbols by typing
+Name of the symbol:

,   
,   
.

   II.  Using AutoCorrect for Math:

When you work with many documents and often need to paste a single special symbol, you do not need to insert an equation each time. Microsoft Word offers a helpful feature named AutoCorrect. The AutoCorrect options in Microsoft Word propose two different ways to quickly add any special character, such as a degree sign, or even
large pieces of text:

• Using
  the
  Replace text as you type function of the AutoCorrect options.
• Using the Math AutoCorrect options:

Using this method, you can benefit from the Math AutoCorrect options without inserting an equation. To turn on or turn off the AutoCorrect of the Math symbols, do the following:

   1.   On the File tab, click Options:

   2.   In the Word Options dialog box, on the
Proofing tab, click the AutoCorrect Options… button:

   3.   In the AutoCorrect dialog box, on the Math AutoCorrect tab, select the Use Math AutoCorrect rules outside of the math regions option:

After clicking OK, you can use any of the listed Names of symbols, and Microsoft Word will replace them with the appropriate characters:

,   
,   
.

Note: If you do not need the last replacement, click Ctrl+Z to cancel it.

   III.  Using a shortcut key:

Microsoft Word offers a pre-defined shortcut key for popular symbols such as degree sign.

• Type 00b0 or 00B0 (does not matter, uppercase or lowercase), immediately after that press Alt+X to insert the degree symbol: °
• Type 2103 and press Alt+X to insert the degree Celsius symbol: ℃
• Type 2109 and press Alt+X to insert the degree Fahrenheit symbol: ℉

Note: You can see the combination in the Character code field in the Symbol dialog box (see below).

   IV.  Using a Symbol dialog box:

To open the Symbol dialog box, on the Insert tab, in the Symbols group, select the Symbol button, and then click More Symbols…:

On the Symbol dialog box, select the symbol and click the Insert button:

We use degree symbol for two main purposes. One is to indicate temperature like 25 degree Celsius or 40 degree Fahrenheit and other is to measure angles in mathematics like 45 degree. There are no default keys on standard keyboard layout to insert degree symbol. However, you can type degree symbol using keyboard shortcut and using other utilities in Windows and Mac computers.

Unicode Degree Symbols

In Unicode, there are five degree symbols
available:

• Degree sign
• Kelvin
• Degree Celsius or degree Centigrade
• Degree Fahrenheit
• Musical symbol degree slash

Degree Symbol Keyboard Shortcuts

Below is a summary of Windows and Mac keyboard shortcuts for all
degree symbols.

Depending upon the Windows or Mac based computers; you can
use one of the following methods.

1. Using Superscript

The easiest method is to type letter o and make it as a superscript. It may look like 25^oC. You can easily create superscript by select the letter o and press “Control + Shift + +” keys. You can follow this in Windows, Mac and on all word processing apps in smartphones.

2. Using Math AutoCorrect

Microsoft Office applications have a huge list of Math AutoCorrect to convert text into symbols. Simply type the word and press space for automatically changing it to one of the degree symbols. This is an easy to remember way and make degree symbols appearing properly on your documents.

• degree will change to
  degree symbol like °.
• degc will create a degree
  Celsius symbol like ℃.
• degf will make a degree Fahrenheit
  symbol like ℉.

In this method, Celsius (C) and Fahrenheit (F) appears before the actual degree symbol (°). This may be different writing practice that many of us write C and F after the degree symbol.     

Math AutoCorrect is enabled by default on Windows
based Office 365 applications. If it is not working, you can follow the below
instructions to enable it:

• Open Word or Excel and go to
  “File > Options” menu.
• Go to “Proofing” section and
  then click on “AutoCorrect Options…” button.

• Navigate to “Math AutoCorrect” tab and enable the checkboxes for “Use Math AutoCorrect rules outside of math regions” and “Replace text as you type” options (ensure to enable both the options)

• As you can see the degree
  symbols shortcuts are available by default. Therefore, you do not need to add
  them. However, if you want to include them in normal AutoCorrect, go to “AutoCorrect”
  tab and all the three shortcuts for degree, Celsius and Fahrenheit symbols.

There are no degree symbols available on Mac Office 365 apps. As explained above, you can add them manually either under AutoCorrect or under Math AutoCorrect sections.

3. Alt Code for Degree Symbols

Alt codes are very popular for inserting symbols in Windows based computers that have additional number pad in the keyboard. However, you can also use alt (option) key in Mac with Unicode Hex Input method.

• Alt + 0176 in Windows and
  Option + 00B0 in Mac will make ° symbol.
• Alt + 8451 in Windows and Option
  + 2103 in Mac will produce ℃ symbol.
• Similarly, Alt + 8457 in Windows and Option + 2109
  will make ℉ symbol.

In addition, you can insert the degree sign on Mac using “Option + Shift + 8” keys.

4. Alt + X Method for Windows Word

When you have Windows laptop without long keyboard
with separate number pad then there is another way for you.

• Type 00B0 and press Alt + X
  keys to make degree symbol like °.
• Enter 2103 and press Alt + X
  keys to type degree Celsius symbol like ℃.
• Type 2109 and press Alt + X keys to make degree Fahrenheit symbol like ℉.

5. Keyboard Shortcut in Word

If you have not changed any settings, you can use the keyboard shortcut in Word documents to type degree symbol. Press “Control + Shift + 2” keys and leave your hands then press comma immediately to make degree symbol.

6. Type Degree Symbol in Mac with Character Viewer

Follow the instructions on Mac to insert degree symbols:

• Press “Command + Control + Space” to open Character Viewer app.
• Type “degree” to filter all degree related symbols.
• Double click on the degree, Celsius or Fahrenheit symbol to insert on your document.

Kelvin and Musical Degree Slash Symbols

Though many of us do not use Kelvin and musical degree slash symbol,
here are the shortcuts if you need.

• Simply type capital letter K to indicate Kelvin. Alternatively, use Alt + 8490 in Windows and Option + 212A in Mac.
• For musical degree slash symbol 𝆩, use Alt + 119209 in Windows. This symbol may not display properly on documents, however you can see it on the browser display. Check out the complete list of musical symbols that you can type with alt code shortcuts.

HTML Escape Entities

Generally, you cannot copy paste the special characters in HTML directly. In order for the browsers to parse the symbols, you should use the escape strings on your code.

• For degree symbol, use &deg; or ° or °.
• For degree Celsius, use ℃ or ℃
• Similarly for degree Fahrenheit symbol, use
  ℉ or ℉.

Sometimes you may want to insert the degree symbol in Microsoft Word to show temperature readings rather than typing the word “degrees.” However, this may not be as easy as it sounds because you won’t find the degree symbol on your keyboard.

There are actually several great ways to do this, including using your keyboard. Even though you don’t see the symbol, it doesn’t mean there isn’t a way to type it. We focus on Windows here but do provide solutions for macOS and Linux too.

Microsoft Word and Libre Office come with a built-in special characters menu that you can use to insert the degree sign. To access the symbols menu in Word, simply follow the steps below:

Select the “Insert” tab and navigate to the “Symbols” section towards the far-right end of the screen. Click the “Symbols” icon, and you should see a list of the most common or recently used symbols.

Click the “More Symbols” option and a rectangular grid with a full list of many different symbols will open. Locate the degree sign and click on it. You’ll also be able to see a description of the degree symbol you’ve highlighted just above the “AutoCorrect” button.

Move the cursor to where you want to insert the degree sign in the Word document, then click the “Insert” button in the characters menu. Now every time you open the Symbols menu, you should see the degree sign in the list of the recently-used symbols.

You can go a step further, and if you often use the degree symbol you can create your own shortcut to insert it (we’re going to go with Alt + o, because isn’t a degree symbol a kind of tiny ‘o’?).

Go back to the Symbol window in word, select the degree symbol, then click “Shortcut Key.”

In the “Customize Keyboard” window that pops up, click the “Press new shortcut key” text box, enter the keyboard shortcut you’d like to use then click “Assign”. You can even have more than one shortcut per symbol.

2. Using Copy and Paste

If you rarely use the degree symbol in Microsoft Word, it’s hard to remember keyboard shortcuts or how to open special menus. If this is the case, you can use a simple trick to avoid having to remember anything: copy and paste.

The Wikipedia List of Unicode Characters is a great place to start. Simply use your browser’s search feature to search for the name of the symbol, then copy the symbol and paste it into Word.

CopyPasteCharacter is another great resource. Expand the All Characters menu, which floats as you scroll, to filter characters by type or use the search box within the menu. Then, copy the symbol you want and paste it in your Word doc. You’ll find more characters here than on Wikipedia’s list, so it’s a great option to bookmark to quickly access when you need it. Also, when you click a symbol, you can copy the HTML shortcode if you’re creating web pages in Word.

For frequently used symbols, create a Word doc with just those symbols listed, then copy and paste. To make it easier to use, type the name of the symbol beside it. You will have your own copy and paste resource right on your desktop. This works for all operating systems.

3. Use the Keyboard Shortcut

Using a keyboard shortcut is the easiest method to insert symbols into a document. The only problem is you’ll need to remember some rarely used short codes. You can always keep a Notepad document on your desktop for easy reference. Fortunately, with this method, you just need to hit a combination of keys to insert the degree sign anywhere in a Word document.

The bad thing about this method is that it may not work for you if your laptop keyboard doesn’t have a number pad. Desktop models come equipped with number pads, but most laptops forgo the number pad due to space limitations.

To insert the degree sign, first make press the Num key to enable Num Lock and make those number bad work as numbers rather than their alternative functions.

Then simply follow these two steps:

1. Select where you want to insert the degree symbol in Microsoft Word.
2. While holding down the Alt key, use the keypad to type “0176.” Release the Alt key, and the degree sign will appear.

Note: for this method to work, the Num Lock on your keyboard MUST be OFF. If it’s ON, the keyboard will not accept numerical input.

If you’d like to know how to insert other symbols using this method, Alt Codes lists most every symbol code.

For macOS, use this keyboard shortcut instead: Option + Shift + 8. Option + K gives you a slightly different degree symbol, so try both to see which looks best for your needs.

Linux uses Unicode versus Alt Codes: Ctrl + Shift + U followed by 00B0. Hit Enter and the degree symbol will appear. Use this guide to learn different ways to insert special characters in Linux.

4. Use Character Map

To use this method, follow the steps below.

1. Open your Start menu and type “Character Map” in the search box. Hit Enter. This searches your computer for the Character Map program.

1. Double-click the Character Map desktop app that will appear to open the program. Here you’ll find a list of symbols and characters.

1. At the bottom of the program, you should see the “Advanced view” box. Click to check it. Skip this step if it’s already checked. The essence of checking the box is to be able to easily find the degree sign from a list of over one-hundred symbols.
2. Now it’ll be easy to locate the degree sign. Type “degree sign” in the search box as illustrated below, then click the search button, and all the other symbols will clear, leaving behind only the degree sign.

1. Double-click the degree sign, then click “Copy.” Go to the Word document where you want to insert it and click Ctrl + V to paste it. You can use the same procedure to insert any other special character into Word or a webpage.

For macOS users, you have a similar feature called Character Viewer. Use Control + Command + Space to bring up the viewer. You can insert accents, special characters, emojis, and mathematical symbols.

Inserting a degree symbol in Microsoft Word only takes seconds once you know how to do it. No matter which method you prefer, you can finally skip typing out “degrees” and insert the symbol instead. Plus, once you’ve learned to do this, you’ll be able to insert other types of symbols, too.

For more Word-related pointers, read our guide on how to display one page at a time in Microsoft Word. You might also want to learn how to add YouTube or offline videos to Word documents. For many features, you sometimes need to install older versions of the .NET framework for Windows. We have you covered there, too.