Delta is the Greek letter used a lot in math and science.

Δ (uppercase Delta) usually means “change in” (example: Δx, ΔT).
δ (lowercase delta) often means a small change (and sometimes shows up in calculus/physics).
People also confuse Δ with the triangle symbol △. They look similar, but △ is not a Greek letter.

Table of Contents

1-Minute Answer (fastest ways)

Copy/paste (works everywhere): Δ δ

Windows (fast + reliable):

Use Character Map to find Δ or δ, then copy/paste.
Alt codes: not consistent across computers/apps for Greek letters, so the reliable options are Character Map, copy/paste, or Word methods below.
Win + . (Windows symbol panel): can be hit-or-miss for Greek letters. If you don’t see Δ/δ there, use Character Map or copy/paste.

Mac (fast + reliable):

Press Control + Command + Space → search delta → insert Δ or δ.

Microsoft Word (best options):

Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → find Δ or δ
Equation method (fast for students): Insert → Equation, then type:
- \Delta then Space → Δ
- \delta then Space → δ

Excel / PowerPoint (quick):

Insert → Symbol (and pick Δ or δ), or just copy/paste.

Google Docs:

Insert → Special characters → search delta → select Δ or δ.

Google Sheets:

Copy/paste (best for display).
Or use UNICHAR:
- =UNICHAR(916) → Δ
- =UNICHAR(948) → δ

iPhone / Android:

Best method: copy/paste Δ or δ
Optional: add the Greek keyboard in your phone settings (useful if you type Greek letters often).

Chromebook:

Easiest: copy/paste Δ δ

Quick Reference (Delta vs triangle)

Symbol	Name	Common meaning (simple)	Best way to type (Windows/Mac)	Notes (Word/Docs)
Δ	Uppercase Delta	Change in (difference)	Windows: Character Map / copy-paste • Mac: Character Viewer	Word: Equation `\Delta` + Space
δ	Lowercase delta	Small change (often)	Windows: Character Map / copy-paste • Mac: Character Viewer	Word: Equation `\delta` + Space
△	Triangle outline	A triangle shape (not Greek)	Windows/Mac: copy-paste or symbol pickers	Not the same as Delta Δ

Step-by-step: Type Delta by device/app

A) Windows

Method 1: Character Map (most reliable)

Click the Start menu.
Search Character Map and open it.
(Optional) Tick Advanced view if you see it.
In the search box, type delta.
- If “delta” doesn’t find it, scroll and look under a common font like Arial or Times New Roman.
Click Δ or δ, click Select, then Copy.
Paste it where you need it (Ctrl + V).

Method 2: Windows symbol panel (Win + .) — only if you see it

Press Windows key + . (or Windows key + ;).
Look for a symbols area.
If you don’t see Greek letters (Δ/δ), don’t waste time—use Character Map or copy/paste instead.

Method 3: Alt codes (only if you already know one that works for your setup)

Greek-letter Alt codes are not consistent across Windows apps and computers. If Alt codes aren’t working for Δ/δ on your PC, use:

Character Map (above), or
Word’s Equation / Unicode methods (below), or
Copy/paste (fastest).

Method 4: Copy/paste (fastest)

Copy Δ or δ from this page.
Paste with Ctrl + V.

B) Mac

Character Viewer (best method)

Press Control + Command + Space to open Character Viewer.
Search delta.
Double-click Δ (uppercase) or δ (lowercase) to insert.

Tip (long-term option): If you type Greek letters often, consider adding the Greek keyboard in macOS Keyboard settings so you can type them directly.

C) Microsoft Word (strongest section)

Method 1: Insert Symbol (easy)

Go to Insert.
Click Symbol → More Symbols.
Find Δ and δ (often under a Greek-related subset or a font like Symbol).
Click Insert, then Close.

Method 2: Equation mode (best for students)

This is the cleanest way in math/science documents.

Go to Insert → Equation.
Type \Delta then press Space → Δ
Type \delta then press Space → δ

Optional (advanced): Unicode + Alt+X (Word only)

This is great if you want a “keyboard-only” method inside Word.

Type 0394 then press Alt + X → Δ
Type 03B4 then press Alt + X → δ

Optional: AutoCorrect shortcut (if you want)

If you type delta a lot, you can create a shortcut:

Go to File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options
Set something like:
- Replace: ddelta → With: Δ
- Replace: sdelta → With: δ

(Choose shortcuts you won’t type by accident.)

D) Excel

Insert Symbol

Go to Insert → Symbol.
Find Δ or δ and insert.

Copy/paste (common for labels)

Works well for headings, notes, chart labels, and text.

UNICHAR formulas (if you want it generated)

=UNICHAR(916) → Δ
=UNICHAR(948) → δ

E) PowerPoint

Insert → Symbol → choose Δ or δ
Equation also works:
- Insert → Equation → \Delta + Space → Δ
- Insert → Equation → \delta + Space → δ

F) Google Docs + Google Sheets

Google Docs

Go to Insert → Special characters.
Search delta.
Click Δ or δ to insert.

Google Sheets

Best option: copy/paste (display).
Or formulas:
- =UNICHAR(916) → Δ
- =UNICHAR(948) → δ

G) iPhone + Android

Best reliable method: copy/paste

Copy Δ or δ from this page and paste into your app.

Optional: add Greek keyboard (only if you need it often)

Add a Greek keyboard in your phone settings, then switch keyboards when needed.

Optional: text replacement shortcut

You can set “delta” → “Δ” (and “sdelta” → “δ”) using your phone’s text replacement settings.

H) Chromebook (short)

Copy and paste: Δ δ
If you can’t find it in your keyboard/symbol picker, copy/paste is the fastest.

Meaning (simple examples)

Δ means “change in”

You’ll often see it as:

Δx = change in x
ΔT = change in temperature
Δ = final − initial (simple idea: “difference”)

Example:

ΔT = 5°C (temperature changed by 5 degrees)

δ means “small change” (keep it simple)

You might see it when someone means a tiny change:

δx is a tiny change in x

Example:

δx is a tiny change

Common confusion

Δ vs △

Δ = Greek letter Delta (used for “change”)
△ = triangle outline (shape), not a Greek letter

Δ vs A

In some fonts, Δ can look a bit like A. If it looks wrong, change the font (see troubleshooting).

δ vs d

Lowercase delta δ can look like a rounded d in some fonts. If you’re unsure, use a clearer font (like Arial or Calibri).

Troubleshooting

“I can’t find Delta in Symbol / Special Characters”

Try searching these terms:

delta
Greek
Greek small letter delta
Greek capital letter delta

In Word’s Symbol dialog, also try switching the font to Symbol.

“It shows as a box ▢”

That’s usually a font problem.

Change the font to something common like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
If you’re copying into a website/app, the app might not support the symbol in that font.

“Alt code isn’t working”

That’s common for Greek letters.

Many Alt codes depend on keyboard type, Num Lock, and the app.
Use Character Map (Windows), Character Viewer (Mac), or Word Equation / Alt+X instead.

“My laptop has no numeric keypad”

Even when Alt codes work, laptops often make it harder.

Again: Character Map or Word’s Equation/Alt+X is the easiest fix.

FAQ

What is the Delta symbol?

Delta is a Greek letter. Δ is uppercase delta and δ is lowercase delta.

What does Δ mean in math?

Most commonly, Δ means “change in” something (like Δx or ΔT).

How do I type Δ on Windows?

Use Character Map (most reliable), or type it in Word using Equation (\Delta + Space) or Alt+X (0394 then Alt+X).

How do I type Δ on Mac?

Press Control + Command + Space, search delta, then insert Δ.

How do I insert Delta in Word or Excel?

Word: Insert → Symbol, or Equation (\Delta / \delta)
Excel: Insert → Symbol, or copy/paste

What’s the difference between Δ and δ?

Δ (uppercase): usually “change in”
δ (lowercase): often “small change” (and sometimes used in higher-level math/science)

Quick recap

Need it fast anywhere? Copy/paste: Δ δ
Windows: Character Map
Mac: Character Viewer
Word (best): Equation (\Delta, \delta) or Alt+X codes