Degree Celsius (°C / ℃) on Keyboard — How to Type It in Word, Excel, and Anywhere

Most people type degrees Celsius as °C — that’s two characters: the degree sign (°) plus the letter C.

You may also see ℃, which is a single “Degree Celsius” character. It looks similar, but it’s not the same thing as typing ° and C separately.

This guide shows the fastest and most reliable ways to type °C and ℃ on Windows, Mac, Word, Excel, Google Docs, and on your phone. (We’ll also cover common problems like “it shows as a box”.)

Table of Contents

1-Minute Answer (Fastest Ways)

Copy/paste (fastest):

Degree Celsius (Click to Copy)

Main: °C (degree sign + C). Optional: ℃ (single character).

Windows (safest fast method)

Copy/paste °C (or ℃) from this page.
If you need to insert it properly in apps like Word: use Insert → Symbol or Character Map.

Mac (fastest)

Open Character Viewer (Emoji & Symbols), then search degree or celsius.

Microsoft Word (fast + reliable)

Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → find ° (and ℃ if you want it).
Or: type 2103 then press Alt + X to get ℃ (Word Unicode method).

Google Docs

Insert → Special characters → search degree or celsius.

Mobile (simple + reliable)

Copy/paste: °C or ℃.

Quick Reference Table

What you want to type	Looks like	Best method (Windows)	Best method (Mac)	Best method (Word/Docs)
Degrees Celsius (recommended)	°C	Insert ° (Insert Symbol / Character Map), then type C (or copy/paste °C)	Character Viewer → search degree → insert °, then type C	Word: Insert → Symbol → °, then type C. Docs: Insert → Special characters → degree, then type C
Degree Celsius symbol (single character)	℃	Copy/paste ℃ (or Character Map if your font shows it)	Character Viewer → search celsius → insert ℃	Word: Insert → Symbol → ℃ (or type 2103 then Alt+X). Docs: Insert → Special characters → celsius
Degree sign only	°	Insert Symbol / Character Map (or Alt+0176 if you have a numpad)	Character Viewer → search degree	Word/Docs: Insert Symbol / Special characters → degree
Degrees Fahrenheit (related)	°F / ℉	Type ° then F (recommended) or copy/paste ℉	Character Viewer → search degree / fahrenheit	Word/Docs: Insert symbol/special characters → degree / fahrenheit

Step-by-step: How to Type °C and ℃ Everywhere

A) Windows

Method 1: Copy/paste (fastest)

Copy °C or ℃ from the copy line above.
Paste where you need it (Ctrl + V).

Method 2: Character Map (reliable)

Open the Windows Start menu and search Character Map.
Open Character Map.
In the font list, choose a common font like Arial or Calibri.
Use the search (if available) or scroll to find:
- ° (Degree Sign)
- ℃ (Degree Celsius) — if your font supports it
Select the character → Select → Copy.
Paste into your document.
If you can’t find ℃, just paste ° and type C — it works everywhere.

Method 3: Windows symbol/emoji panel (may vary)

Some Windows setups let you insert symbols from Win + . (Windows key + period), but what you see can vary by version and settings. If you don’t see °, use Character Map instead.

B) Mac

Method 1: Character Viewer (best Mac method)

Click where you want to insert the symbol.
Open Character Viewer:
- Press Control + Command + Space, or
- Press Fn (or Globe key) + E (on many Macs).
Search for:
- degree (to insert °)
- celsius (to insert ℃)
Click the symbol to insert it.
For °C, insert ° then type C.

C) Microsoft Word (Strongest Section)

Method 1: Insert → Symbol → More Symbols (most reliable)

This is the best “works almost everywhere” method.

Click where you want °C or ℃.
Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.
In the Font dropdown, pick a common font (like Calibri or Arial).
In Subset, choose Latin-1 Supplement to quickly find the degree sign (°).
Click ° → Insert → Close.
Type C right after it to make °C.

How to Insert Degree Celsius symbol in Word

To insert ℃ (single character):

Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.
Try a font with lots of symbols (for example, Segoe UI Symbol is often helpful for Unicode symbols).
Scroll and look for ℃ (Degree Celsius), then click Insert.

Method 2: Type ° then C (best compatibility)

Even if ℃ is missing in your font, °C works because it’s just normal characters.

Insert ° (using Symbol or shortcut), then type C.
This is also the format Unicode recommends for normal text use.

Method 3: Word Unicode conversion (fast if you remember it)

Word can turn a Unicode code into a symbol using Alt + X.

To insert ℃ in Word:
1. Type 2103
2. Press Alt + X
3. Word converts it to ℃
To insert ° in Word (Windows):
- Press Alt + 0176 (requires a keyboard with a numeric keypad).

Optional: AutoCorrect tip (very convenient)

If you type °C often, you can set a shortcut like degc → °C.

High-level steps:

Insert °C once in Word.
Go to Word’s AutoCorrect settings.
Add a replacement: degc → °C.
(Word’s AutoCorrect option is commonly used for repeating symbols.)

D) Excel

Method 1: Copy/paste (fastest)

Copy °C or ℃ and paste into a cell.

Method 2: Insert symbol (reliable)

Click the cell (or click into the formula bar).
Use Insert → Symbol (available in Excel desktop versions).
Insert °, then type C (or insert ℃ if you find it).

If ℃ doesn’t display correctly in your spreadsheet font, use °C instead.

E) PowerPoint

Click inside a text box.
Go to Insert → Symbol.
Insert ° (then type C) or insert ℃ if available.
Copy/paste also works great.

F) Google Docs + Google Sheets

Google Docs (reliable)

Go to Insert → Special characters.
Search degree (for °) or celsius (for ℃).
Click to insert.
For °C, insert ° then type C.

Google Sheets

Copy/paste °C or ℃ into a cell (it behaves like normal text).

G) iPhone + Android

Best reliable method: copy/paste °C or ℃ from this page.

If your keyboard doesn’t show ℃, that’s normal — °C is the standard and works everywhere.

H) Chromebook (short)

Best method: copy/paste °C or ℃.
In Google Docs on Chromebook: Insert → Special characters → search degree or celsius.

Which one should you use: °C or ℃?

Use °C (degree sign + C) in most cases:

It’s the most compatible across fonts, apps, and websites.
Unicode even recommends °C for normal text instead of the single ℃ character.

Use ℃ only if:

You specifically want the single-character look, and
Your font/app displays it correctly.

Troubleshooting

“It shows as a box/square”

Your font likely doesn’t support ℃.
Fix: use °C instead, or change to a font that supports ℃.

“I can’t find ℃ in symbols”

Many symbol lists won’t show it in every font.
Fix: use °C (insert °, then type C) or use Word’s 2103 + Alt+X method.

“Alt code/shortcut doesn’t work”

Some shortcuts need a numeric keypad (common on desktops, missing on many laptops).
Fix: use Insert → Symbol, Character Map (Windows), or Character Viewer (Mac).

“It looks like oC”

The degree sign ° is a small raised circle.
The letter o (or zero 0) is larger and sits on the normal text line.
If it looks wrong, use Insert → Symbol to insert the real °.

FAQ (Quick Answers)

How do I type °C on Windows?

Use Alt + 0176 to type ° (if you have a numeric keypad), then type C. Or copy/paste °C.

How do I type °C on Mac?

Open Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space), search degree, insert °, then type C.

How do I type ℃ in Word?

Type 2103, then press Alt + X (Word converts it to ℃).

Is ℃ the same as °C?

They look similar, but they’re different characters. In normal writing, °C is preferred for compatibility.

Why does ℃ show as a box?

Your font likely doesn’t include that character. Use °C instead, or switch fonts.

How do I insert the degree symbol in Google Docs?

Go to Insert → Special characters, search degree, then click °.

How do I type °F / ℉?

For best compatibility, type ° then F (so °F). The single-character Fahrenheit symbol is ℉.

Quick recap

Most people should use °C (insert °, then type C).
Use ℃ only if your font/app supports it.
In Word: Insert → Symbol is the most reliable method.
In Word: 2103 + Alt+X inserts ℃ fast.
If you see a box/square, switch to °C or change your font.