The plus or minus sign is a mathematical symbol that indicates that a number can be greater or less than a certain value. In other words, it indicates a choice of exactly two possible values, one of which is obtained by addition and the other by subtraction.
How to write a symbol greater than...
This symbol can also mean different things in areas other than mathematics. In science and botany, for example, it means 'with or without' and 'more or less', respectively.
Copy plus or minus symbol text
The easiest way to get the plus or minus symbol text is to copy and paste it where you need it.
Save some time with the copy button above.
Once copied, move to where you need this symbol and press Ctrl and V on your keyboard to paste it there.
Plus or minus symbol information table
The following table contains useful information about the plus or minus symbol.
SYMBOL | ± |
NAME | So-so |
CATEGORY | Mathematics |
ALTERNATE CODE | 0177 |
DIRECT ACCESS (WINDOWS) | Alt + 0177 |
DIRECT ACCESS (MAC) | Option + Shift + = |
SHORTCUT (MS WORD) | 00B1, Alt X |
UNICODE | U+00B1 |
HTML | ± |
HEX CODE | ± |
HTML ENTITY | ± |
CSS CODE | \00B1 |
As much as possible, the table above has done its best to present useful information about the plus or minus symbol, including keyboard shortcuts for Windows and Mac.
The remaining section will further explain this table.
How to get the plus or minus sign
Although there is no dedicated plus or minus symbol key on the keyboard, you can still get that symbol using Keyboard for Windows and Mac.
If you are also using any of the Microsoft Office or Google applications, there are quick navigations you can do to insert this symbol into Word, Excel, PowerPoint or Google Docs.
Without further ado, here are the various ways to get this symbol either with the keyboard or using navigation in MS Office or Google Docs.
Symbol for alternate plus or minus code (keyboard shortcut)
HimPlus or minus symbol Alternate codeAlt+0177.
You can simply use the Alt code method to type this symbol by pressing and holding the Alt key while typing the Alt symbol code (0177) using the number pad on the right.
Below are the steps you can use to type the plus or minus symbol using the keyboard.
- Open your text editor where you need to type the plus or minus sign.
- Position the cursor at the desired location.
- Hold down the Alt key.
- While holding down the Alt key, press the Alt Plus or Minus code (0177).
- After typing the code, release the Alt key.
As soon as you release the Alt key, the (±) symbol will immediately appear exactly where you place the cursor.
NOTE: With this alternative code method, you can type this symbol anywhere in Windows, including MS Word, Excel, PowerPoint, Google Docs or Google Sheets, etc.
Plus or minus symbol on Mac (keyboard shortcut)
The Mac keyboard shortcut for the plus or minus symbol isOption + Shift + =.
If you are using Mac OS, you can easily create the plus or minus symbol on your keyboard using this shortcut. To do this,
- Click to place the cursor where you need theSo-sothe sign.
- hold the buttonOptionit's himChangechaves.
- While holding these keys down, press once on the= clave.
- release theOptionit's himChangechaves.
As soon as you tap on= clavewhile holding theOptionit's himChangekeys, the symbol (±) will be inserted exactly where you placed the cursor.
Plus or minus symbol in Word/Excel/PowerPoint
For Microsoft Office users such as Word, Excel or PowerPoint, you can use this simple mouse navigation to quickly enter the Plus or Minus sign.
NOTE: You can still use the shortcuts above to type this symbol in Word, Excel or PowerPoint. This is just another method.
The steps below will show you how to insert the plus or minus symbol in Word, Excel or PowerPoint.
- Open your Word, Excel or PowerPoint document.
- Go to the Insert tab.

- In the far right section you will see thesymbolsgroup. selectSymbol>more symbols.

HimSymbolwindow will appear as shown below.

- In this window, you can find the symbol (±). To find it easily, type00B1noCharacter code:cash register. As soon as you enter the character code, the Plus or Minus sign will be selected.

- click noInsertto insert it into your Word document.
- Close theSymboldialogue.
Here are the steps you can use to insert this (±) and any other symbol in Microsoft Word or other Office applications on Windows and Mac OS.
Plus or minus symbol in Google Docs
Google Docs is another text editor that people struggle with when it comes to typing or entering the plus or minus sign.
Meanwhile, Google Docs has the easiest way to enter symbols not found on the keyboard. Without further ado, let's see how this is done.
To get the plus or minus symbol in Google Docs:
- Open Google Docs and place your cursor where you need the symbol.
- Go toInsert > Special Characters.

Himinsert special charactersA window will appear with a search bar and drawing panel.
- Using the search bar, searchSo-so. Then double-click the plus or minus symbol in the search results to insert it into Google Docs.

- You can also use the drawing panel below the seek bar to draw the plus or minus symbol. If Google Docs recognizes the drawing, it will display the symbol and similar signs in the results box. Then double-click the symbol to insert it.
Here are the steps you can follow to insert this and any other symbol into Google Docs.
Plus or minus sign in character map (Windows)
Character Map in Windows is a tool used to preview characters in any installed font, to check which keyboard input (or Alt code) is used to type those characters, and to copy characters to the clipboard instead of typing them .
This section will show you how to use the character map tools to easily copy and paste the plus or minus symbol.
Without further ado, let's get started.
- go to the windowsStartmenu and searchcharacter map.

- Himcharacter mapThe app will appear in the search result. Click on it to start.
- Once it's open, look at the bottom left corner of the window and click to expand the window.advanced viewoptions

- To easily locate theSo-soSymbol in Character Map, in the Advanced display options, type 'So-so'no'fetch' box and press enter.

The symbol will appear for you to copy.
- To copy this symbol, just double click on it and it will be selected in theCharacters to copycash register. Then click onCopyto finally copy it to the clipboard.
- Place the cursor where you need the symbol and press Ctrl and V to paste the copied symbol.
And there it is.
Here are the steps you can also use to copy and paste the Plus or Minus symbol or any other symbol on your Windows PC.
Conclusion
As much as possible, we try to cover as much information about the plus or minus symbol as possible.
Most people find it difficult to type or enter this symbol. Therefore, we have detailed the various methods and steps required to be able to write or enter it on both Windows and Mac.
Thanks so much for reading this blog and have a wonderful day.
FAQs
How do you type a +-? ›
Windows: Alt + 2 4 1 or Alt + 0 1 7 7 (numbers typed on the numeric keypad). Macintosh: ⌥ Option + ⇧ Shift + = (equal sign on the non-numeric keypad).
Is there a plus minus sign on keyboard? ›Type the following key combination : ⌥ Alt + ⇧ Shift + = : ±
The technique: Keep the Alt ⌥ and ⇧ Shift keys pressed, then type on the key = , which will bring up the "plus or minus" sign : ± at the desired location.
III.
Microsoft Word offers a pre-defined shortcut key for some symbols such as plus-minus sign and minus-plus sign: Type 00b1 or 00B1 (does not matter, uppercase or lowercase) and immediately press Alt+X to insert the plus-minus symbol: ± Type 2213 and press Alt+X to insert the minus-plus symbol: ∓
(mathematics) the symbol ±, meaning "plus or minus", used to indicate the precision of an approximation (as in "The result is 10 ± 0.3", meaning the result is anywhere in the inclusive range from 9.7 to 10.3), or as a convenient shorthand for a quantity with two possible values of opposing sign and identical magnitude ...
How to do plus or minus on iphone? ›[option] + [shift] + [+] = [±], or I think in newer version of iOS, you can get ir also pressing the "=" bottom. I hope I could help someone with the same question.
What are home keys in typing? ›The home keys are where you place your fingers when you are learning to type. The home keys include F, D, S, and A on the left of the keybard, and J, K, L, and ; (semicolon) on the right of the keyboard.
What is the different of plus (+) symbol and minus (-) symbol? ›The plus and minus signs, + and −, are mathematical symbols used to represent the notions of positive and negative, respectively. In addition, + represents the operation of addition, which results in a sum, while − represents subtraction, resulting in a difference.
Is a negative plus minus good? ›The plus minus stat is used to determine how often a player is on the ice when a goal is scored for the team versus against the team. A positive plus minus means that the player has been on for more goals scored than against, while a negative number means they have been on for more against.
How do you type math symbols on iPhone? ›- Open Settings.
- Tap General > Keyboard > Text Replacement.
- Tap "+" in the top right corner.
- In the Phrase row, type or paste a symbol, such as "²".
- In the Shortcut row, type or paste a shortcut, such as "^2".
- Tap "Save" in the top right corner.
- Ctrl-S - save.
- Ctrl-O - open.
- Ctrl-N - new.
- Ctrl-C - copy.
- Ctrl-V - paste.
- Ctrl-X - cut.
- Ctrl-Z - undo.
- Ctrl-A - select all.
What is Ctrl plus home? ›
Description. Ctrl+Home. Moves the cursor to the beginning of the document.
What is another symbol for plus? ›Plus Sign Symbol | Plus Sign Name | Hex |
---|---|---|
+ | Plus Sign | + |
± | Plus-minus Sign | ± |
˖ | Modifier Letter Plus Sign | ˖ |
̟ | Combining Plus Sign Below | ̟ |
Symbol | Name of the symbol | Similar glyphs or concepts |
---|---|---|
≈ | Almost equal to | Approximately equal to sign. |
& | Ampersand | plus sign |
⟨ ⟩ | Angle brackets | Bracket, Parenthesis, Greater-than sign, Less-than sign |
' ' | Apostrophe | Quotation mark, Guillemet, Prime, Grave |
(symbol): addition sign, plus, plus mark.
Which key is used to type A? ›Expert-Verified Answer. The answer is 'alphabet. ' The alphabet keys are used to type the letters a to z.
What is an A with a line over it? ›Ā, lowercase ā, is a grapheme, a Latin A with a macron, used in several orthographies. Ā is used to denote a long A.
What is this symbol called on keyboard *? ›How many symbols are on a keyboard? On an English QWERTY keyboard, there are 40 symbols (e.g., ~, !, @, #, $, and % that are not letters or numbers) on 28 keys. There is a difference in numbers because some keys have two symbols.
What do the symbols on top of letters mean? ›Diacritics are marks placed above or below (or sometimes next to) a letter in a word to indicate a particular pronunciation—in regard to accent, tone, or stress—as well as meaning, especially when a homograph exists without the marked letter or letters.
What does two dots over a letter mean? ›If you've ever wondered what those two dots above an “ä” are about, they're generally called umlauts. Particularly common in German, they're used to modify the suggested pronunciation of the letter a.
How do you put a line over text? ›
Select the text that you want to format. Go to Home > Strikethrough.
What are Alpha keys on a keyboard? ›Typing (alphanumeric) keys.
These keys include the same letter, number, punctuation, and symbol keys found on a traditional typewriter.
To lock the alpha key so users can type multiple alpha characters: 1) Click [2nd] [A-LOCK] or press [F6] [F7]. 2) To unlock the alpha key, click [ALPHA] or press [F7].
What is an Alpha character in typing? ›Alphanumeric, also known as alphameric, simply refers to the type of Latin and Arabic characters representing the numbers 0 - 9, the letters A - Z (both uppercase and lowercase), and some common symbols such as @ # * and &.