Always use the correct mathematical symbol, not a convenient keyboard equivalent. In Microsoft Word or Google Docs, this usually means using the symbols menu or the menus in your equation editor. Most symbols can be entered by typing a code and then Alt+x – see Special symbols in Microsoft Word. A keyboard equivalent may look acceptable in your current font, but not in the final production font. It may also be mathematically incorrect. This table includes some examples, but there are many more.
| Character |
Alt+x code |
| Minus sign: A hyphen (-) is not a minus sign (−); nor is an en dash (–). In Word, the equation editor should put in a minus sign when you type a hyphen (if text is styled as math) |
2212 |
| Multiplication sign: The letter x (ex) is not a multiplication sign (×); nor is an asterisk (*) . In fact, * has a specific meaning in mathematics that is different from simple multiplication |
00d7 |
| Angled brackets, ⟨like these⟩, are not ‘greater than’ and ‘less than’ signs, <like these> |
27e8 (left)
27e9 (right) |
| Prime symbols: Quote marks are not prime symbols (′, ″ and ‴) |
2032 (single)
2033 (double)
2034 (triple) |
| Degree symbol: A superscript letter o (oh) is not a degree symbol (°) |
00b0 |
| Plus or minus: The combination +/- (or +/−) is not a ‘plus or minus’ symbol (±) |
00b1 |
| Comparisons: Repeated ‘less than’ (<<) and ‘greater than’ (>>) symbols are not the same as ‘much less than (≪) and ‘much greater than’ (≫). Similarly, do not use a combination such as ‘=<’ for ‘equal to or less than’, use the correct symbol (in this case, ≤). Combinations such as ‘=<’ and ‘!=’ may be used when quoting computer code, but that is a different subject area |
226a (≪)
226b (≫)
2264 (≤)
2265 (≥)
|
| Proportional to (∝) is not the same as the Greek letter alpha (α) |
221d |
| Approximately equal to/similar to: A tilde, ~, is not an ‘is approximately equal to’ sign (≈), nor it is an ‘is similar to’ sign (∼). In some fonts, the tilde will look like the latter, but in others it will be very different. |
2248 (≈)
223c (~) |
Mathematical writing very rarely uses the obelus (division sign, ÷, Alt+x code: 00f7). Division is usually indicated by writing as a fraction or using the solidus (a type of forward slash; Alt+x code: 2215). The slash (technically a ‘virgule’) on your keyboard is nearly always acceptable.
Caution! Many screen readers do a very poor job with mathematics, and not all behave the same. If accessibility is important, try to experiment with screen readers. For example, some will read a hyphen as a minus sign when it is before a number, and ignore the real minus sign. Alt text, captions and carefully worded surrounding text can all help.
Plurals of symbols
To avoid confusion, plurals of symbols usually take an apostrophe:
… all the xi’s in Equation 2 …
although in many cases, the singular form can serve as a plural:
… all the xi in Equation 2 …
Use your ear – try reading out loud to find the best way.
Special symbols in Microsoft Word
Writing mathematics often requires inserting non-keyboard symbols. Here is a brief guide to doing just that.
Word provides 4 main ways of inserting unusual characters:
- Search for them in the Insert Symbol dialog. If using the equation editor, you can use its menu of characters as well.
- Some symbols can be inserted by holding down Alt and typing a number on the keypad, then releasing Alt. For example, typing 0215 while doing this gives ×. If it does not work, try changing your NumLock setting.
- Almost any available symbol can be inserted by typing its (hexadecimal) code then highlighting the code and hitting Alt+x. You can find these codes by using the Insert Symbol menu:
- Type the code – for example, 00b1.
- Select the code (by mouse or keyboard) and hold down Alt and x at the same time.
- Release Alt and x, and the character should be inserted (in this case, ±).
- Create and use a keyboard shortcut.
Tip. Placing the cursor immediately after a character and hitting Alt+x replaces the character with its code. This is useful if you want to find out a code for further use.
Tip. You can create a hotkey (a keyboard shortcut) that performs one of the 3 methods noted above. This is useful if a particular character is needed repeatedly.
