Almost Equal To Alt Code and Symbol

The Alt code for Almost Equal To is 247. Hold Alt, type 247 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. Almost Equal To also has the Unicode codepoint U+2248, so you can type it with Alt+8776 on Windows, search for U+2248 in macOS's Character Viewer, use ≈ in HTML, or \2248 in CSS. If your keyboard has no numeric keypad, use the Character Viewer, the HTML entity, or copy the character directly — the Alt key method requires a physical numpad. Copy the Almost Equal To character from this page when you need it in a form, chat message or document that does not accept Alt codes. HTML also defines the named entity ≈ for Almost Equal To, but the numeric form ≈ is safer when compatibility is uncertain.

Codes for this symbol

Copy any value by clicking it.
Method	Value
Legacy Alt code
Alt + decimal
Alt + X hex
HTML named entity
HTML decimal
HTML hex
CSS escape
Python escape
JavaScript escape
UTF-8 bytes
Unicode codepoint
Unicode block
Unicode category

Not available for this symbol: macOS Option shortcut.

How to type almost equal to on Windows

Turn Num Lock on so the numeric keypad is active.
Hold the left Alt key.
Type 2 4 7 on the numeric keypad.
Release Alt. The Almost Equal To character (≈) appears.

If your keyboard has no numeric keypad, see how to type symbols without a numpad.

How to type almost equal to on macOS

There is no direct Option shortcut for Almost Equal To. Open the Character Viewer with ⌃⌘Space, search for "Almost Equal To" and click the character to insert it.

How to use almost equal to in code

HTML: or , also
CSS: content:"\2248"; ()
Python: \u2248 or chr(0x2248)
JavaScript: \u2248 or String.fromCodePoint(0x2248)
JSON: "\u2248"
LaTeX: $\approx$ (math mode)

Frequently asked questions

What is the Alt code for Almost Equal To?

The legacy Alt code for Almost Equal To is 247. Hold Alt, type 2 4 7 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.

How do I type ≈ without a numpad?

Use the Windows Character Viewer (Win+.), the macOS Character Viewer (⌃⌘Space), an HTML entity such as ≈, or copy the character directly from this page.

Why does Alt+8776 not work?

Alt+8776 only works on a keyboard with a physical numeric keypad. It also requires the application to accept the numeric-keypad input path. Laptops without a numpad need an alternative method.

What is the Unicode for Almost Equal To?

The Unicode codepoint for Almost Equal To is U+2248. You can use this value in HTML as ≈, in CSS as \2248, and in Word with Alt+X.

How do I type ≈ on a Mac?

Open the Character Viewer with ⌃⌘Space and search for the character name or U+2248, then click it.

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