Almost Equal To
U+2248Mathematical Operators
Also known as approximately equal signwavy equalsalmost equal
Copy and paste ≈. The Almost Equal To character has Unicode code point U+2248 and decimal HTML code ≈.
Symbol codes
- Unicode
U+2248- Alt Code
Alt+247- HTML Code
≈- CSS Code
\2248- HTML Entity
≈- HEX Code
≈
Technical properties
Unicode 18.0.0
- Code point
- U+2248
- Decimal
- 8776
- Unicode name
- ALMOST EQUAL TO
- Block
- Mathematical Operators · U+2200–U+22FF
- General category
- Math Symbol (Sm)
- Script
- Common
- Introduced
- Unicode 1.1
- JavaScript
- "\u2248"
Appears in
About Almost Equal To
≈ is encoded in Unicode as code point U+2248 (decimal 8776). Its official Unicode name is ALMOST EQUAL TO.
It belongs to the Mathematical Operators block (U+2200–U+22FF), its General Category is Math Symbol (Sm), and it was added in Unicode 1.1, released in 1993. Its script value is Common: it is shared across writing systems rather than belonging to one.
Sources: Unicode Character Database 18.0.0, the HTML Standard’s list of named character references, and Unicode’s code page mappings.
How to type or insert Almost Equal To
- Any device
- Select Copy symbol, then paste with Ctrl+V, or ⌘+V on a Mac.
- Windows Alt code
- With Num Lock on, hold Alt, type 247 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
- Microsoft Word
- Type
2248, then press Alt+X. - Mac keyboard
- Option+X on the U.S. keyboard layout.
- macOS Character Viewer
- Press Control+⌘+Space and search for “almost equal to”.
- Linux (GTK and IBus)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type
2248, then press Space. - HTML
≈or≈. In a UTF-8 page you can also paste the character itself.- CSS
content: "\2248";in a::beforeor::afterrule.- JavaScript
"\u2248"
Common questions about Almost Equal To
What is the Almost Equal To symbol?
≈ (Almost Equal To) is a math symbol in Unicode’s Mathematical Operators block. Its code point is U+2248, and it has been part of the standard since Unicode 1.1 (1993). It is also known as approximately equal sign, wavy equals, and almost equal.
How do I copy and paste the Almost Equal To symbol?
Select Copy symbol at the top of this page, then paste with Ctrl+V on Windows and Linux or ⌘+V on a Mac. On a phone, tap Copy symbol, then touch and hold where you want it and choose Paste. ≈ pastes as ordinary text, so it works in documents, messages, and code.
How do I type the Almost Equal To symbol on Windows?
Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, type 247 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. In Microsoft Word, type 2248 and press Alt+X to turn the code into ≈. In any app, open Character Map from the Start menu, search for “almost equal to”, then select and copy the character.
How do I type the Almost Equal To symbol on a Mac?
Press Option+X (U.S. keyboard layout). Press Control+⌘+Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “almost equal to”, and double-click the result to insert it.
How do I type the Almost Equal To symbol on an iPhone or Android phone?
The simplest way is to copy it from this page and paste it where you need it. If you use it often, save it as a text shortcut: on iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement; with Gboard on Android, go to Gboard settings > Dictionary > Personal dictionary.
Can I use the Almost Equal To symbol in Word, Google Docs, and social media?
Yes. ≈ is a standard Unicode character, so you can paste it into Microsoft Word, Google Docs, emails, and posts or bios on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok. In Google Docs you can also choose Insert > Special characters and search for “almost equal to”. In Word, choose Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, set from to Unicode (hex), and enter 2248 as the character code.
Is the Almost Equal To symbol an emoji?
No. ≈ is a text symbol, not an emoji. It takes the color and size of the surrounding text, and its exact shape depends on the font.
Why does the Almost Equal To symbol show as a box or question mark?
An empty box or a question mark means the font on that device has no glyph for ≈. The character is still there: it appears correctly wherever a font covers Unicode’s Mathematical Operators block, and free font families such as Google Noto cover nearly all of Unicode.
What are the HTML and CSS codes for the Almost Equal To symbol?
In HTML, write ≈ (decimal) or ≈ (hexadecimal), or the named entity ≈. In CSS, use content: "\2248"; in a ::before or ::after rule, and in JavaScript "\u2248". See all HTML codes.