How to Make a Degree Symbol in Microsoft Word

The degree symbol (°) is one of those small characters that comes up more often than you'd expect — typing temperatures, angles, coordinates, or academic titles. But it's not sitting on any standard keyboard key, which leaves a lot of people hunting through menus or copying it from Google. Here's every reliable method to insert it in Word, and why different setups call for different approaches.

Why the Degree Symbol Isn't on Your Keyboard

Standard keyboards follow the ASCII layout, which was designed around the most frequently typed characters in English. The degree symbol is a Unicode character (U+00B0) — part of the extended character set that covers symbols, accented letters, and special punctuation. It exists in every modern font and operating system, but it requires a workaround to type directly.

Word gives you several ways to get there, and the best one depends on your keyboard type, operating system, and how often you need the symbol.

Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut (Windows)

The fastest method for most Windows users:

Alt + 0176 — Hold the Alt key, type 0176 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.

The degree symbol appears immediately at your cursor position.

⚠️ This only works with the numeric keypad (the number cluster on the right side of a full-size keyboard). The number row at the top of the keyboard won't trigger it. If you're on a compact laptop keyboard without a dedicated numpad, this method likely won't work as expected — some laptops have a hidden numpad activated via Fn + Num Lock, but behavior varies by manufacturer.

Alternative Windows Shortcut Inside Word Specifically

Word has its own built-in shortcut that works regardless of numpad availability:

Type 00B0, then press Alt + X

Word recognizes this as a Unicode hex code and converts it to the degree symbol on the spot. This is a Word-exclusive trick — it won't work in browsers, Notepad, or other apps.

Method 2: Keyboard Shortcut (Mac)

On a Mac, the shortcut is simpler and works across most applications:

Option + Shift + 8

Hold all three keys simultaneously and the degree symbol appears. No numpad required. This works in Word for Mac, Pages, Notes, and most other text editors.

Method 3: Insert Symbol Menu

If shortcuts feel unreliable or you only need the symbol occasionally, Word's built-in menu is the most straightforward path:

1. Click where you want the symbol
2. Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols
3. In the Font dropdown, leave it set to your current font
4. Set Subset to Latin-1 Supplement
5. Find and click the degree symbol (°)
6. Click Insert, then Close

This method works identically on Windows and Mac versions of Word and doesn't require memorizing any codes. It's slower than a keyboard shortcut but completely reliable.

Saving It as a Shortcut From the Menu

In the Symbol dialog box, there's a Shortcut Key button at the bottom. Click it to assign a custom keyboard shortcut to the degree symbol — something like Ctrl + Shift + D — so you only need to navigate the menu once.

Method 4: AutoCorrect

Word's AutoCorrect feature can be set to replace a text string with the degree symbol automatically:

1. Go to File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options
2. In the Replace field, type something you won't use accidentally — like deg* or (deg)
3. In the With field, paste or insert the degree symbol (°)
4. Click Add, then OK

From that point on, typing your trigger text followed by a space will auto-replace it with °. This approach works well for users who type temperature values or angle measurements frequently throughout their documents.

Method 5: Copy and Paste

The blunt-force option — and completely valid for occasional use. Copy the symbol directly: °

Paste it into your Word document. It will inherit the formatting of the surrounding text. If the pasted symbol looks different in size or style, check that it's using the same font as the rest of your document.

Comparing the Methods 🔍

What Affects Which Method Works for You

Keyboard hardware is the biggest variable. Full-size desktop keyboards with a numpad make the Alt + 0176 route easy. Compact laptops, 65% keyboards, and wireless keyboards often lack a numpad entirely, ruling it out.

Operating system splits the shortcut landscape in two — Mac users have a cleaner built-in option, while Windows users have more routes but more conditions attached.

Version of Word matters less than you might expect. The Insert Symbol menu and Alt + X method have been consistent across Word versions for well over a decade. But if you're using Word Online (the browser version), some keyboard shortcuts behave differently, and the Symbol menu has a simplified interface compared to the desktop app.

How often you need the symbol shapes the cost-benefit of each method. For one-time use, paste it. For occasional use, the menu works fine. For regular use — writing about temperatures, physics, cooking, or geography — setting up AutoCorrect or a custom keyboard shortcut pays off quickly.

Language and keyboard layout can also interfere. Non-English keyboard layouts sometimes assign different functions to key combinations, which can cause conflicts with the Alt + X method or other shortcuts.

The right method isn't universal — it comes down to how your specific keyboard is set up, which platform you're running Word on, and whether this is a one-time task or part of how you regularly work.