How to Type the Numero Sign (№) on Your Keyboard

The Numero sign (№) is a special symbol used in some languages and older documents to mean “number”, similar to writing No. 5 or #5.

Because it doesn’t appear on a standard English keyboard, you have to use a shortcut or insert it from a symbols menu.

In this guide you’ll learn how to type № on:

• Windows – using Alt codes and Word’s Alt+X shortcut
• Mac – using Emoji & Symbols / Character Viewer
• Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint
• Google Docs
• Copy and paste, Character Map, and the Windows emoji/symbol panel

Quick Reference – Numero Sign (№)

• Symbol: №
• Name: Numero sign / Number symbol
• Unicode: U+2116
• Windows Alt code: Alt + 8470 (numeric keypad) – Word Only
• Word shortcut (Windows): 2116, then Alt+X

💡 Tip: If you often use the Numero sign, bookmark this page so you can quickly come back, click to copy, and paste.

Method 1: Type the Numero Sign on Windows (Alt Code 8470 – Word Only)

On Windows, the fastest way to type the Numero sign is to use its Alt code: 8470. This works in Microsoft Word only.

1. Turn on Num Lock on your keyboard.
2. Open Word and place your cursor where you want to insert №.
3. Press and hold the Alt key.
4. While holding Alt, type 8470 on the numeric keypad (right side of your keyboard).
5. Release the Alt key → № should appear.

Important notes

• You must use the numeric keypad, not the numbers above the letters.
• On some laptops, you need to enable a hidden numeric keypad by pressing Fn + NumLk, then use the small blue-labelled number keys (often on letters like M, J, K, L).
• If you type 8470 and nothing happens, check that Num Lock is on and that you are using the numeric keypad.

Method 2: Type the Numero Sign in Word (Windows) – 2116 Alt+X

Microsoft Word has a special shortcut that lets you type many Unicode symbols by entering their code and pressing Alt+X.

For the Numero sign:

1. Open Microsoft Word.
2. Place the insertion pointer where you want the symbol.
3. Type 2116 (this is the Unicode value in hexadecimal).
4. Press Alt + X on your keyboard.

Word will immediately convert 2116 into №.

If you ever want to reverse it (for example you pressed Alt+X by mistake), press Ctrl+Z to undo.

Method 3: Insert the Numero Sign from the Symbol Menu (Word, Excel, PowerPoint – Windows)

You can also insert № using the Symbol dialog in Word, Excel or PowerPoint.

The steps are almost the same in all three programs.

1. Open Word, Excel, or PowerPoint.
2. Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
3. Click Symbol (far right) → choose More Symbols…
4. In the Font dropdown, choose Segoe UI Symbol (or just leave as “(normal text)” if you see the symbol).
5. In the Subset dropdown, choose Letterlike Symbols (if available).
6. In the Character code box at the bottom, type 2116.
7. The Numero sign (№) will be highlighted.
8. Click Insert, then Close.

The № symbol will be inserted exactly where your cursor was.

You can repeat this whenever you need the symbol, or copy it once and paste it again and again.

Method 4: Type the Numero Sign on Mac (Emoji & Symbols / Character Viewer)

There is no simple built-in Option+key shortcut for the Numero sign on a standard US Mac keyboard. Instead, you insert it from the Emoji & Symbols panel (also called Character Viewer).

1. Place your cursor where you want the symbol.
2. Press Control + Command + Space to open Emoji & Symbols.
3. In the search box at the top, type numero or No.
4. Look for the symbol № in the results.
5. Double-click № to insert it into your document.

This works in:

• Microsoft Word and other Office apps on Mac
• Google Docs (in browsers)
• Notes, Pages, Keynote, Mail, web forms, etc.

If you use the symbol a lot, you can add it to Favorites in Character Viewer for faster access next time.

Method 5: Insert the Numero Sign in Excel and PowerPoint (Windows & Mac)

Excel (Windows)

In Excel for Windows, all of these options work:

• Alt code: use Alt + 8470 in a cell.
• Symbol dialog:
  1. Go to Insert > Symbol.
  2. Choose Segoe UI Symbol as the font.
  3. Type 2116 in Character code.
  4. Select № → click Insert.

Excel (Mac)

• Use Control + Command + Space → search numero → double-click №.
• Or copy-paste the symbol from this page into your spreadsheet.

PowerPoint (Windows & Mac)

In PowerPoint, the steps are the same as Word:

• Windows:
  • Alt + 8470 in a text box, or
  • Insert > Symbol > More Symbols… → find № and insert.
• Mac:
  • Control + Command + Space → search and insert № in any text box.

Method 6: Insert the Numero Sign in Google Docs

Google Docs doesn’t support Alt codes in the same way Windows does, but it has a Special characters tool.

1. Open your document in Google Docs.
2. Click Insert > Special characters.
3. In the search box, type numero or number sign.
4. When № appears, click it to insert.
5. Close the dialog when you’re done.

You can also copy the symbol from this page and paste it directly into Google Docs.

Method 7: Copy and Paste the Numero Sign (№)

Sometimes the simplest method is just copy and paste.

1. Highlight the symbol № below.
2. Press Ctrl+C (Windows) or Command+C (Mac) to copy.
3. Go to your document and press Ctrl+V or Command+V to paste.

Numero sign to copy: №

This works in:

• Word, Excel, PowerPoint
• Google Docs
• Email, web forms, social media, etc.

Once the symbol is in your document, you can copy and reuse it as many times as you like.

Method 8: Use Character Map and the Windows Emoji Panel (Windows)

Character Map

Windows has a small built-in program called Character Map which lets you copy special symbols.

1. Press Start, type Character Map, and open it.
2. Tick the Advanced view checkbox.
3. In the Font dropdown, choose Segoe UI Symbol (or a font you are using).
4. In the Search for box, type numero and press Enter
   – or type 2116 in the Character set / Unicode box if available.
5. Click the № symbol.
6. Click Select → then Copy.
7. Go back to your document and paste with Ctrl+V.

Windows Emoji & Symbols Panel (Win + .)

On Windows 10 and 11 there is also an emoji/symbol panel:

1. Place your cursor where you want to insert the symbol.
2. Press Windows key + . (dot) or Windows key + ; (semicolon).
3. Go to the Symbols tab.
4. Browse or search for № (if available in your version).
5. Click it to insert.

This panel is handy for many other symbols as well (arrows, currency, punctuation, etc.).

Related Symbols and Alternatives

If your font doesn’t support the Numero sign, or if you’re sending text to people who might not see it correctly, you can use these alternatives:

• No. 5 – plain text “No.” followed by a space and the number
• N° 5 – letter N plus a degree sign (Shift+Alt+8 on Mac, Alt+0176 on Windows)
• #5 – hash / number sign (common in English-language documents)

On HowToTypeAnything you can also learn how to type:

• Hash / number sign (#) on the keyboard
• Degree symbol (°)

Troubleshooting – Common Questions

1. Why doesn’t Alt + 8470 work on my keyboard?

Most of the time it’s one of these reasons:

• You’re not using it in Microsoft Word.
• Num Lock is off. Turn it on and try again.
• You’re using the top number row, not the numeric keypad. The Alt code method only works with the numeric keypad.
• You’re on a laptop without a separate numeric keypad and haven’t enabled the embedded numpad (often with Fn + NumLk).

If Alt codes are too fiddly, use copy and paste or the Symbol dialog instead.

2. Is there a simple keyboard shortcut for the Numero sign on Mac?

No. On a standard US Mac keyboard, there is no direct Option+key combination for №. The usual ways are:

• Control + Command + Space → Emoji & Symbols → search numero → insert
• Copy and paste from this page or another source
• Setting up a custom text replacement in System Settings > Keyboard > Text, for example typing ;;no and letting macOS replace it with №.

3. What’s the difference between № and #?

• № is the Numero sign, used mostly in some European and Cyrillic contexts to mean “number”.
• # is the hash / number sign, very common in English and on modern keyboards.

They both can mean “number”, but they are different characters and may look different depending on the font.

4. Can I use the Numero sign in file names and web pages?

Yes, but be careful:

• Some older systems or software may not handle special characters well in file names or URLs.
• It’s usually safer to use No_5, No-5 or just 5 in file names and web addresses.
• Inside documents, emails, or PDFs, № is generally fine.

Quick Recap

• On Windows, type Alt + 8470 (numeric keypad) to get №.
• In Word, type 2116, then press Alt+X.
• On Mac, use Control + Command + Space → search “numero” → double-click №.
• In Word, Excel, PowerPoint, you can also insert № from Insert > Symbol.
• When in doubt, copy and paste the symbol № from this page.

Bookmark this guide so the next time you need the Numero sign, you can quickly:

1. Scroll to the Quick Reference section,
2. Click to copy the symbol, and
3. Paste it into your document.