Paragraph Symbol (¶) on Keyboard: How to Type the Pilcrow on Windows, Mac, Word, and More
The paragraph symbol (¶) is also called the pilcrow or paragraph sign. You’ll see it in editing and proofreading, legal documents, and sometimes in references to sections/paragraphs (for example: “See ¶ 3”).
Important: ¶ is NOT the same thing as Word’s “Show/Hide ¶” button.
- The real ¶ symbol is a character you can insert into text.
- The Show/Hide ¶ button only shows or hides formatting marks (like paragraph breaks and spaces). It doesn’t insert the symbol into your sentence.
1-Minute Answer (Fastest Ways)
Need the pilcrow quickly? Use one of these:
- Windows (Alt code): Hold Alt and type 0182 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
(If your keyboard has no numpad, this may not work.) - Mac (Character Viewer): Press Control + Command + Space, search pilcrow or paragraph, then insert ¶.
- Microsoft Word:
- Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → find ¶
- Or (Word Windows): type 00B6 then press Alt + X
- Google Docs: Insert → Special characters → search pilcrow or paragraph sign
- iPhone/Android: Copy/paste is usually fastest.
- You can also copy and paste this symbol using the copy tool below: