How to Insert the Degree Symbol in Microsoft Word

Whether you're formatting a temperature reading, a geographic coordinate, or an angle measurement, the degree symbol (°) is one of those characters that isn't sitting on your keyboard — but it's easier to insert than most people expect. Microsoft Word gives you several ways to do it, and which method works best depends on how often you need it, what keyboard you're using, and how you prefer to work.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboards are designed around the most frequently typed characters. Symbols like °, ©, and ½ appear often enough in certain documents but not often enough to earn a dedicated key. Instead, operating systems and applications like Word give you multiple workarounds — from keyboard shortcuts to built-in menus — to reach them when you need them.

Method 1: The Keyboard Shortcut (Fastest for Most Users)

The quickest way to insert a degree symbol in Word is with a keyboard shortcut:

Windows: Place your cursor where you want the symbol, then press:

Ctrl + Shift + @ followed by the Spacebar

This works in most versions of Microsoft Word on Windows and produces a properly formatted degree symbol (°) rather than a superscript zero workaround.

Alternatively, if you have a numeric keypad on your keyboard:

1. Make sure Num Lock is on
2. Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad
3. Release Alt

The degree symbol will appear. Note: this only works with the numeric keypad, not the number row across the top of your keyboard.

Mac: On a Mac keyboard, the shortcut is simpler:

Option + Shift + 8

This works consistently across Word for Mac and most other Mac applications.

Method 2: The Insert Symbol Menu (Most Reliable Fallback)

If shortcuts aren't working — or you're on a laptop without a numeric keypad — Word's built-in symbol library is the most reliable route:

1. Click where you want the degree symbol
2. Go to the Insert tab in the ribbon
3. Click Symbol (usually in the far-right section of the ribbon)
4. Select More Symbols… from the dropdown
5. In the dialog box, set the font to Normal Text and the subset to Latin-1 Supplement
6. Find and click the ° symbol
7. Click Insert

💡 Once you've inserted it this way, Word remembers it in your Recently Used Symbols section, so next time it will appear right in the Symbol dropdown without digging through the full menu.

Method 3: AutoCorrect (Best for Frequent Use)

If you regularly type temperatures or angles, you can set up Word's AutoCorrect feature to replace a typed sequence with the degree symbol automatically:

1. Insert the degree symbol using any method above
2. Select it
3. Go to File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options
4. In the Replace field, type a trigger phrase like (deg) or (o)
5. Make sure the With field shows the degree symbol
6. Click Add, then OK

From that point on, every time you type your trigger phrase, Word will swap it out automatically. This is especially useful if you write scientific, technical, or culinary content regularly.

Method 4: Copy and Paste

Simple but worth mentioning — you can copy the symbol directly: °

If you're working across multiple applications or writing in a hurry, copying and pasting is perfectly valid. The character will paste as standard text in Word without any formatting issues.

Understanding What You're Actually Inserting

There are two characters that look like a degree symbol but behave differently:

The degree sign (°) is what you want in almost every case. The masculine ordinal and superscript zero can look nearly identical on screen but are technically different characters — which matters if your document is being processed by software, read by screen readers, or converted to other formats.

When the Shortcut Doesn't Work

A few situations where the usual shortcuts fail:

• Laptop keyboards without a numpad: The Alt + 0176 method simply won't work. Use Ctrl + Shift + @ + Space, or the Insert menu instead.
• Word Online (browser version): Keyboard shortcut support varies. The Insert Symbol menu is your most consistent option.
• Non-English keyboard layouts: The @ key position changes depending on your layout, which can break the Ctrl + Shift + @ shortcut. If that's the case, the Insert menu or a direct Unicode entry will work regardless of layout.
• Word on mobile (iOS/Android): Hold down the 0 key on the on-screen keyboard — a degree symbol option typically appears in the pop-up.

The Variable That Changes Everything 🖥️

Which method is actually easiest for you comes down to specifics that are invisible from the outside: whether you're on Windows or Mac, whether you have a full keyboard or a compact laptop layout, how often you need the symbol, and whether you're using desktop Word, Word Online, or the mobile app. Someone typing a single temperature in an email probably just wants a quick copy-paste. Someone building a technical report with dozens of measurements would benefit from setting up AutoCorrect once and never thinking about it again.

The right method isn't universal — it's the one that fits how you actually work.