How to Type a Degree Symbol in Microsoft Word (Every Method Explained)

The degree symbol — ° — is one of those characters that looks simple but isn't sitting anywhere obvious on your keyboard. Whether you're writing about temperatures, angles, or coordinates, knowing how to insert it quickly in Microsoft Word saves real frustration. There are several ways to do it, and which one works best depends on how you're working and how often you need it.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboards follow a layout designed for letters, numbers, and common punctuation. Specialty characters like °, ©, or ™ didn't make the cut for dedicated keys. That doesn't mean they're hidden — it means they live in different places depending on your operating system, keyboard shortcuts, and the application you're using.

In Microsoft Word specifically, you have more options than in most apps because Word has its own symbol insertion tools layered on top of what Windows or macOS already offer.

Method 1: The Insert Symbol Menu (Works on All Setups)

This is the most reliable method regardless of your keyboard or Word version.

1. Click where you want the degree symbol in your document
2. Go to the Insert tab in the ribbon
3. Click Symbol (far right of the ribbon)
4. Select More Symbols from the dropdown
5. In the Symbol dialog box, set the font to (normal text) and the subset to Latin-1 Supplement
6. Find the degree symbol ° and double-click it

It inserts immediately. You can also click Shortcut Key from that same dialog to assign your own keyboard shortcut if you use it frequently.

This method works on Windows and Mac versions of Word.

Method 2: The AutoCorrect Shortcut in Word (Windows)

Microsoft Word has a built-in keyboard shortcut that most users never discover:

Press: Ctrl + Shift + @, then press Space

This triggers Word's AutoCorrect to insert °. The key combination types the "combining degree" character, and the spacebar confirms it. Note that this only works inside Word — it won't function in browsers, email clients, or other apps.

Some keyboard layouts, particularly non-US configurations, may map these keys differently, which can cause this shortcut to behave unexpectedly.

Method 3: Unicode Entry (Windows, Word Only)

If you know the Unicode code point for a character, Word lets you type it directly:

1. Type 00B0 (that's zero-zero-B-zero)
2. Immediately press Alt + X

Word converts the code into the degree symbol on the spot. This works silently and quickly once you memorize the code. It's especially useful for people who regularly insert specialty characters and want to stay in typing flow without reaching for the mouse.

⌨️ Unicode entry only works in Microsoft Word — not in Notepad, browsers, or most other text fields.

Method 4: Windows Alt Code (Number Pad Required)

On Windows, you can use the traditional Alt code method:

• Hold Alt and type 0176 on the numeric keypad (not the row of numbers above the letters)
• Release Alt

The degree symbol appears. This works in Word and most other Windows applications, making it one of the more transferable methods.

The catch: you need a physical numeric keypad. Laptops without a dedicated number pad can't use this method directly. Some laptops have a hidden number pad activated by a Fn key, but results vary by manufacturer and keyboard layout.

Method 5: macOS Keyboard Shortcut (Mac Users in Word)

On a Mac, the degree symbol shortcut is:

Option + Shift + 8

This works system-wide on macOS — in Word, Pages, browsers, email, and text fields. It's one of the cleaner solutions because it doesn't require switching contexts or opening menus.

Mac users running Microsoft Word for Mac can use this shortcut or the Insert > Symbol menu, both of which work reliably.

Method 6: Copy and Paste

This isn't glamorous, but it works everywhere:

°

Search "degree symbol" in any browser, copy the character, and paste it wherever you need it. If you only need the degree symbol once in a while, this is perfectly practical. For regular use, one of the keyboard methods above will save more time.

Comparing Your Options at a Glance

What Makes the "Best" Method Different for Each Person

🖥️ The right method depends on factors that vary from one user to the next:

Your hardware matters. A desktop keyboard with a full number pad opens up the Alt code method that laptop users often can't use without workarounds. A Mac keyboard immediately points toward the Option+Shift+8 shortcut.

How often you need it matters. Someone writing one temperature reference in a document is well-served by copy-paste or the symbol menu. Someone writing technical documentation with dozens of angle measurements per page needs a fast, muscle-memory shortcut — and the Word-specific Unicode method or a custom shortcut may be worth setting up.

Your Word version and settings matter. AutoCorrect behavior can be customized or disabled, which affects whether the Ctrl+Shift+@ method behaves as expected. Some heavily customized Word installations behave differently from defaults.

Your keyboard layout matters. Non-US keyboard layouts — AZERTY, QWERTZ, and others — remap modifier keys in ways that can make the standard shortcuts unreliable. If a shortcut doesn't work as documented, the layout is usually the first thing worth checking.

The degree symbol itself is always the same character (Unicode U+00B0). How you get there is where the variation lives — and your specific keyboard, operating system, Word version, and typing habits all shape which path makes the most sense for your workflow.