How to Use Special Characters and Symbols in Word GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Software & Apps > MS Office

How to Use Special Characters and Symbols in Word

And assign them to shortcut keystrokes for quick access

By James Marshall James Marshall Writer James Marshall is a pro journalist who covers technology and computer troubleshooting. He is also skilled with Microsoft Word, Apple Pages, and other word processors. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 4, 2020 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email MS Office Word Excel Powerpoint Outlook

What to Know

Go to Insert and click the Symbol button on the Ribbon menu. Select a symbol or click More Symbols to unveil additional options.When you have the symbol, click Insert > Close. If you don't see what you're looking for, click the Special Characters tab and look there.To assign a keystroke to a symbol or character, select the symbol, select Shortcut Key > Press new shortcut key, and enter a key combination. This article explains how to insert symbols and special characters in Microsoft Word and how to assign them to shortcut keystrokes for quick access.

What Are Special Characters or Symbols in Word

Special characters are symbols that do not appear on a keyboard. What are considered special characters and symbols will vary depending on your country, your installed language in Word and your keyboard. These symbols and special characters can include fractions, trademark and copyright symbols, foreign country currency symbols and many others. Word does differentiate between symbols and special characters, but you shouldn't have difficulty locating and inserting either in your documents.

Inserting a Symbol or Special Character

To insert a symbol, follow these steps: Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, and 2019 Click on the Insert tab.Click the Symbol button in the far-right Symbols section of the Ribbon menu. This will open a small box with some of the most commonly used symbols. If the symbol you're looking for is in this group, click it. The symbol will be inserted and you're done.If the symbol you're looking for is not in the small box of symbols, click More Symbols... at the bottom of the small box.Select the symbol you want to insert.Click the Insert button at the bottom of the dialog box. Once your symbol is inserted, click the Close button. Word 2003 Click on Insert in the top menu.Click Symbol... This opens the Symbol dialog box.Select the symbol you wish to insert.Click the Insert button at the bottom of the dialog box. Once your symbol is inserted, click the Close button.

What If I Don' t See My Symbol

If you don't see what you're looking for among the symbols in the dialog box, click on the Special Characters tab and look there. If the symbol you're looking for is not under the Special Characters tab, it may be part of a specific font set. Click back over to the Symbols tab and click the dropdown list labeled Font. You may have to look through several font sets if you're not sure in which set your symbol may be included.

Assigning Shortcut Keys to Symbols and Special Characters

If you use a particular symbol often, you may want to consider assigning a shortcut key to the symbol. Doing so will allow you to insert the symbol into your documents with a quick keystroke combination, bypassing the menus and dialog boxes. To assign a keystroke to a symbol or special character, first, open the Symbol dialog box as described in the steps under inserting symbols above. Select the symbol you want to assign to a shortcut key. Click the Shortcut Key button. This opens the Customize Keyboard dialog box. In the "Press new shortcut key" field, press the key combination you would like to use to automatically insert your chosen symbol or character.
If the keystroke combination you choose is already assigned to something else, you will be alerted what command it is currently assigned to next to the "Currently assigned to" label. If you don't want to overwrite this assignment, click Backspace to clear the field and try another keystroke. Select where you want the new assignment to be saved from the dropdown list labeled Save changes in (see the note below for more details on this). Click the Assign button, and then Close. Now you can insert your symbol by simply clicking the assigned keystroke. You have the option of saving the shortcut key for the symbol with a particular template, such as the Normal template, the one upon which all documents are based by default, or with the current document. If you choose the current document, the shortcut key will only insert the symbol when you are editing this document; if you choose a template, the shortcut key will be available in all documents that are based on that template. Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire How to Open the Emoji Keyboard on a Mac How to Make an Arrow on a Keyboard How to Make a Divide Sign on a Keyboard How to Make a Cent Sign on a Keyboard How to Make a Bullet Point on a Keyboard How to Insert a Copyright Symbol or Emoji on a PowerPoint Slide How to Add a Degree Symbol in Word How to Add Accents in Word How to Insert Special Characters in Mac Mail How to Insert a PDF Into Word How to Insert a Document in Word How to Make a Check Mark with a Keyboard in MS Office How to Add Accents in Google Docs How to Plan and Create WordPerfect Templates Understanding Macros in Microsoft Word The Best Windows Keyboard Shortcuts in 2022 Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies