How to Type the Square Root Symbol

Copy √ for the literal square root sign. In Microsoft Word on Windows, type 221A and press Alt+X. For a formatted radical with a radicand, first open a Word equation, type \sqrt, and press Space. On Mac, use Character Viewer. There is no portable Windows decimal Alt-code method that should replace these verified U+221A routes.

Identify the square root sign

Unicode assigns √ the code point U+221A and the name SQUARE ROOT. It is one mathematical operator. The character alone is useful in plain text, labels, and simple expressions. It does not by itself create a stretchy radical bar over following content, because that layout is equation structure rather than a property of the standalone character.

For related notation, see the division symbol guide, fraction methods in Word, and the greater-than-or-equal guide. The Symbol Finder provides the wider symbol catalog.

Insert a literal square root sign in Word

Use U+221A with Alt+X

1. 1.Place the cursor where the literal sign belongs.
2. 2.Type 221A.
3. 3.Press Alt+X.

Word converts the hexadecimal Unicode value to √. If the conversion captures an adjacent hexadecimal character, select only 221A before pressing Alt+X. Microsoft documents Alt+X as a Word feature, so it does not work as a system-wide Windows shortcut.

Use Word's Symbol menu

1. 1.Choose Insert > Symbol > More Symbols.
2. 2.Locate SQUARE ROOT or enter the character code 221A when the dialog provides that field.
3. 3.Select Insert.

The visible picker is useful when you want to inspect the selected glyph and font. It still inserts the literal U+221A character. Choose the equation route instead when the radical bar must cover a number or expression.

Build a formatted radical in a Word equation

Use the sqrt command only in equation context

1. 1.Start a Word equation with Alt+=, or place the cursor in an existing equation.
2. 2.Use UnicodeMath input and type \sqrt.
3. 3.Press Space so Word resolves the command to a radical structure.
4. 4.Enter the radicand in the equation placeholder.

Microsoft lists \sqrt as the Math AutoCorrect command for the radical sign. This instruction is scoped to a Word equation. Typing the letters and backslash in ordinary prose is not a general text shortcut, and a literal √ pasted before an expression is not automatically the same as a built-up radical.

Choose literal or structured math

Use the literal character for text such as √9 = 3 when a fixed sign is sufficient. Use Word's equation structure for a multi-character radicand, nested roots, fractions under the bar, or content that must be read and edited as mathematics. The two outputs may look similar for a single digit but have different document structure.

Use a Windows character picker safely

When an application does not support Word's Alt+X conversion, open Character Map, select a font containing U+221A, locate the square root sign, and copy it. Direct copy from this page is another exact route. Verify the pasted code point if the destination transforms mathematical text.

Do not present a short decimal Alt recipe as a portable Windows method for U+221A. Legacy Alt input can depend on the numeric keypad, leading zero, active code page, and application. A result obtained in one program or console does not establish a universal Unicode shortcut. Word Alt+X, Character Map, or direct copy makes the intended code point explicit.

Insert the sign on Mac or in Google Docs

macOS Character Viewer

1. 1.Choose Edit > Emoji & Symbols, or open Character Viewer from the Input menu.
2. 2.Search for square root.
3. 3.Select √.

Apple documents Character Viewer as the system interface for symbols. It avoids assuming that a layout-specific keyboard combination is available in every input source or application.

Google Docs and Slides

1. 1.Choose Insert > Special characters.
2. 2.Enter 221A as the Unicode value, browse mathematical symbols, or draw the mark.
3. 3.Select √.

Google documents this picker for Docs and Slides. It is not offered directly in Sheets, where Google's guidance is to copy the character and paste it into a cell. Whether the result calculates depends on the spreadsheet's formula syntax; a displayed U+221A character is not automatically a function.

Use the square root sign in HTML

• Literal UTF-8 character: √
• Named character reference: √
• Decimal character reference: √
• Hexadecimal character reference: √

WHATWG's named-reference table maps √ to U+221A. The literal, named, decimal, and hexadecimal forms resolve to the same character in HTML. These source forms do not create a scalable equation radical. Use MathML or the destination's supported equation system when mathematical layout and accessibility require structured content.

Fix the wrong result

1. 1.If Word leaves 221A unchanged, confirm that the cursor is in Word and press Alt+X directly after the hexadecimal value.
2. 2.If \sqrt remains visible text, move into a Word equation using UnicodeMath input and press Space.
3. 3.If the radical bar does not extend over an expression, insert a structured equation radical instead of placing a literal sign before the text.
4. 4.If a square or missing glyph appears, choose a font containing U+221A.
5. 5.If a legacy Alt recipe yields another character, stop using it and choose Word Alt+X, Character Map, Character Viewer, or direct copy.
6. 6.If a formula does not calculate, follow the application's documented function syntax rather than substituting a display symbol.

Official references

• Unicode Consortium Mathematical Operators chart
• Unicode Consortium UnicodeData file
• Microsoft Support Unicode input in Word
• Microsoft Support linear-format equations in Word
• Microsoft Learn overview of Windows console code pages
• Apple User Guide for Character Viewer
• Google Docs Editors Help for special characters
• WHATWG named character references
• WHATWG HTML character-reference syntax