Copy Δ or δ from the panel above. In Word, Microsoft documents typing the hexadecimal code and pressing Alt-X to convert it into the letter, while Character Viewer on Mac and the special-character picker in Google Docs give menu-based alternatives.
Delta is not a single character. Two Greek letters carry the name, and two mathematical operators look almost identical to them. All four render, so the wrong pick stays invisible until the text reaches a search index, a sort order, or a string comparison.
Identify the delta you need
Unicode names Δ as GREEK CAPITAL LETTER DELTA at U+0394 and δ as GREEK SMALL LETTER DELTA at U+03B4, both in the Greek and Coptic block. The Unicode Character Database records them as a case pair, mapping U+0394 down to U+03B4 and U+03B4 up to U+0394, and the full Greek alphabet reference lists every letter with its code point.
The lookalikes come from the Mathematical Operators block. ∆ is INCREMENT at U+2206 and ∂ is PARTIAL DIFFERENTIAL at U+2202. The Unicode chart annotates U+2206 with the aliases Laplace operator, forward difference, and symmetric difference in set theory, and the Greek and Coptic chart prints a cross reference from U+0394 to U+2206.
The database also classifies U+0394 and U+03B4 as letters and U+2206 and U+2202 as math symbols with no case mapping. Use the Greek letters in words, names, and Greek text, and keep the operators for math expressions.
Insert Δ in Microsoft Word
For the menu route, choose Insert, Symbol, and More Symbols, select the Greek and Coptic subset, choose Δ or δ, and insert it. Word also converts hexadecimal codes in place. Type 0394 and press Alt-X to get Δ, or type 03B4 and press Alt-X to get δ. Microsoft notes that if Alt-X converts the wrong character code, you should select the correct code before pressing Alt-X.
Type delta in a Word equation
Microsoft documents starting an equation by pressing Alt and the equals key, then typing in linear format. Inside an equation the Math AutoCorrect code \Delta produces Δ and \delta produces δ, and the same list covers the other Greek letters used in formulas, including the pi symbol. Equation content carries math formatting, so for delta inside running text the Symbol dialog or Alt-X keeps the body font.
Copy Δ with Windows Character Map
Microsoft documents Character Map as the Windows tool that shows the characters available in a selected font. Open it, find Δ or δ, copy it, and paste it into the destination app. This route matters because Microsoft notes that some Office programs, such as PowerPoint, do not convert codes with Alt-X.
Insert Δ with Mac Character Viewer
Apple documents opening Character Viewer by pressing Fn-E or the Globe key and E, or by choosing Edit and then Emoji & Symbols. Character Viewer has a search field, so entering a word or phrase finds a character by name without knowing any key position. Search for delta and select the capital or small letter.
Insert Δ in Google Docs or Slides
In Google Docs or Slides, choose Insert, Symbols, and Special characters. Google documents three ways to find a character there. Pick from categories, write the character in the drawing box, or enter its Unicode value. The Unicode route is the precise one, because entering 0394 or 03B4 selects the exact letter rather than a visual match. Google states that special characters cannot be inserted directly in Google Sheets.
Use delta in HTML
A UTF-8 page can contain Δ and δ directly. The HTML Standard also defines Δ for U+0394 and δ for U+03B4, plus numeric references such as Δ and δ. It defines ∂ and ∂ for U+2202, but no named reference for the increment sign at U+2206, so that character needs a numeric reference such as ∆ or the literal character.
Fix the wrong delta
Most delta problems are identity problems rather than typing problems. The same checks apply to other math characters with lookalikes, including the plus-minus sign.
- 1.Confirm which character you pasted. Δ is U+0394 and ∆ is U+2206, and no normalization form merges the two.
- 2.Check the case. U+0394 and U+03B4 are a documented case pair, while U+2206 has no case mapping and will not match a case-insensitive search for a Greek letter.
- 3.Use U+0394 or U+03B4 in words, names, and Greek text, and reserve U+2206 and U+2202 for math expressions.
- 4.Use the numeric keypad for Microsoft's Alt plus code route, or switch to the Symbol dialog, Alt-X, or Character Map.
- 5.Check the font. Character Map lists only the characters a selected font contains, so a font without Greek coverage can leave a missing-glyph box.
- 6.Remember that HTML references are source syntax and will appear literally in a plain-text field.
Common questions
Are Δ and ∆ the same character?
No. The Unicode Character Database records no decomposition for either one, so NFC, NFD, NFKC, and NFKD leave both unchanged and never fold one into the other. The ohm sign shows the contrast, because the database maps U+2126 to U+03A9 and normalization does replace that symbol with its Greek letter.
Is there an Alt code for the delta symbol?
Microsoft's Alt plus code route requires a numeric keypad, and its guidance states that you must use the numeric keypad to type the numbers and not the keyboard. The routes Microsoft documents by name are the Symbol dialog, Alt-X from 0394 or 03B4, Character Map, and the equation codes.
How do I get lowercase delta instead of capital delta?
Use U+03B4 rather than U+0394. In Word, type 03B4 and press Alt-X, or type \delta inside an equation. In Google Docs or Slides, enter 03B4 as the Unicode value. In HTML, write δ rather than Δ, because named character references are case sensitive.
Official references
- Unicode Greek and Coptic chart
- Unicode Mathematical Operators chart
- Unicode Character Database
- Unicode Normalization Forms
- Microsoft guide to inserting a symbol in Word
- Microsoft guide to ASCII and Unicode characters
- Microsoft guide to UnicodeMath and LaTeX equations
- Apple guide to Character Viewer
- Google Docs special-character guide
- HTML named character references
