Plus minus symbol
Tap to copy ±, or learn how to type it on Windows, Mac and phones.
U+00B1
Plus minus symbol and related symbols
Click a symbol to copy it, or read across for the shortcut.
| Symbol | Name | Code | HTML | Windows | Mac | LaTeX |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Plus-minus sign | U+00B1 | ± | Alt + 241 | Option + Shift + = | \pm | |
| Minus-or-plus sign | U+2213 | ∓ | \mp | |||
| Plus sign | U+002B | + | ||||
| Minus sign | U+2212 | − | ||||
| Circled plus | U+2295 | ⊕ | \oplus | |||
| Circled minus | U+2296 | ⊖ | \ominus |
What ± means
The ± sign shows a value can be added or taken away, as in 5 ± 0.2, or that an equation has two solutions.
Common uses: measurement tolerances, quadratic formula, approximate figures.
- Unicode name
- Plus-Minus Sign
- Code point
- U+00B1
- Windows
- Alt + 241
- Mac
- Option + Shift + =
Keyboard shortcuts for ±
Copy and paste
Use the box at the top of the page for ±, or the table for its relatives.
Windows
Hold Alt and type 241 on the number pad, then let go of Alt. In Word, type 00B1 and press Alt + X. Outside Word, open the emoji and symbols panel with Windows key + period.
Mac
Press Option + Shift + =. The Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) finds any symbol by name.
iPhone and Android
Copy it from this page, or set up a text replacement in your keyboard settings so a short code like ;sym turns into the symbol.
HTML
Use ± or ±.
LaTeX
Use \pm in math mode.
Questions people ask
How do I type ± on a keyboard?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 241 on the number pad. On a Mac, press Option + Shift + =.
How do I type ± in Word?
Type 00B1 and press Alt + X straight after it. Word turns the code into ±.
What does ± mean?
The ± sign shows a value can be added or taken away, as in 5 ± 0.2, or that an equation has two solutions.
Where is ± used?
Measurement tolerances, quadratic formula, approximate figures.
More symbols
Updated November 13, 2026