How to Type the Infinity Symbol

Copy the infinity sign ∞ from the panel above, or type it in place. In Microsoft Word, type 221E and press Alt and then X. Windows Character Map and the Mac Character Viewer hold the same character for apps with no shortcut for it.

In Google Docs and Slides, the special-characters picker accepts 221E as a Unicode value. In HTML, ∞, ∞, and ∞ resolve to the same character.

Identify the infinity sign

Unicode names ∞ INFINITY and assigns it U+221E in the Mathematical Operators block. It is one character, not two letter o shapes, a rotated digit 8, or a pair of curved brackets.

Lookalikes carry different values. The infinity emoji is U+267E, named PERMANENT PAPER SIGN, which Unicode lists in emoji data as the sequence U+267E U+FE0F. The proportional-to sign is U+221D. Unicode also defines U+29DC INCOMPLETE INFINITY, U+29DD TIE OVER INFINITY, and U+29DE INFINITY NEGATED WITH VERTICAL BAR.

Related mathematical characters have their own guides, including the pi symbol and the plus minus sign.

Insert the infinity sign in Microsoft Word

Convert 221E with Alt and X

1. 1.Place the cursor where the sign belongs.
2. 2.Type 221E.
3. 3.Press Alt and then X.

Word converts the hexadecimal value into ∞. Microsoft notes that when the wrong code converts, you can select the correct code first or precede it with U+, so U+221E stays exact when a hexadecimal character sits in front of it. Some Office programs, such as PowerPoint, cannot convert Unicode codes at all.

Use the Symbol menu in Word

1. 1.Choose Insert, then Symbol, then More Symbols.
2. 2.Pick a font that contains the character, such as Segoe UI Symbol.
3. 3.Double-click the infinity sign, then select Close.

Type it inside a Word equation

The linear-format equation reference for Word lists the sign under basic math with the Math AutoCorrect command \infty. Press Alt and the equals key to start an equation, type \infty, and press the space bar. A documented check box applies Math AutoCorrect rules outside math regions.

Copy the infinity sign with Windows Character Map

Microsoft documents Character Map as a program built into Windows that shows the characters in a selected font and copies them to the clipboard. Type character in the taskbar search box, open Character Map, choose a font that contains U+221E, select the sign, and copy it. Microsoft points to this route when a program cannot convert a code.

Insert the infinity sign on Mac

Apple documents Character Viewer for entering emoji, symbols, accented letters, and characters from other languages. Press Fn-E or Globe-E, or choose Edit and then Emoji & Symbols, type a word such as infinity in the search field, and click the character.

Insert the infinity sign in Google Docs or Slides

1. 1.Open a Google Docs document or a Google Slides presentation.
2. 2.Choose Insert, then Symbols, then Special characters.
3. 3.Enter 221E as the Unicode value, pick a category, or draw the shape, then click the character.

Google states that special characters cannot be inserted directly in Google Sheets, so copy the character and paste it into a cell there.

Use the infinity sign in HTML

A page served as UTF-8 can contain the character directly. The HTML standard maps the named reference ∞ to U+221E, and that is the only named reference for it. The decimal form is ∞ and the hexadecimal form is ∞.

Fix the wrong output

1. 1.If Alt and X converts the wrong code, select only 221E first, or type U+221E and convert that.
2. 2.If nothing converts, use Character Map, which Microsoft recommends for programs that cannot convert Unicode codes.
3. 3.If \infty stays visible as plain text, start an equation with Alt and the equals key, or turn on Math AutoCorrect outside math regions.
4. 4.If a box or blank space appears, switch to a font that contains U+221E, such as Segoe UI Symbol.
5. 5.If a search or data match fails, confirm the stored character is U+221E and not U+267E or U+221D.

Common questions

Is the infinity emoji the same character?

No. Unicode names U+267E PERMANENT PAPER SIGN and lists its fully qualified emoji sequence as U+267E followed by the variation selector U+FE0F. The mathematical sign is U+221E, named INFINITY.

Does Word have a keyboard route for it?

Yes. Microsoft documents typing 221E and pressing Alt and then X, and lists \infty as the Math AutoCorrect command for infinity. The Alt plus number method is documented for ASCII codes typed on the numeric keypad.

Official references

• Unicode Mathematical Operators chart
• Unicode UnicodeData file
• Unicode emoji sequence data
• Microsoft guide to ASCII and Unicode characters
• Microsoft guide to inserting a symbol
• Microsoft linear-format equation reference
• Apple guide to emoji and symbols
• Google Docs special-character guide
• HTML named character references
• HTML character-reference syntax