How to Type Squiggly Equals Sign (≈) On Keyboard

The squiggly equals sign (≈) means “approximately equal to.” It indicates that two values or expressions are close in value but not exactly equal. It’s commonly used in math and science to show an approximation or similarity between quantities.

In today’s article, you’ll learn about all the simple methods you can use to type the Squiggly Equals Sign on keyboard using either Windows or Mac.

You can also use the button below to copy and paste the Squiggly Equals symbol.

However, keep reading if you want to learn how this symbol is typed on the keyboard.

Table of Contents

Squiggly Equals Sign [≈] Quick Guide

≈

To type the Squiggly Equals symbol on Mac, press Option + X on your keyboard. For Windows users, press down the Alt key and type 247 using the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key. These shortcuts work in both Microsoft Word, Excel, and PowerPoint and anywhere on the Windows or Mac PC.

The table below provides a quick guide for the Squiggly Equals Sign.

Symbol Name	Squiggly Equals Sign
Symbol	≈
Alt Code	247
Shortcut for Windows	[Alt] + [247]
Shortcut for Mac	Option + X

The above quick guide provides some useful information about the Squiggly Equals Sign. However, below are other options you can also use to type this symbol in Word/Excel/PowerPoint.

Squiggly Equals Sign [≈] Alt Code for Windows

The Squiggly Equals Sign alt code is 247.

If you are looking for how you can type this symbol on the keyboard, then you’ve found it with this Alt Code method. Just obey the following instructions:

Place the insertion pointer where you need to type the Squiggly Equals Sign.
Press and hold the Alt key on your keyboard.
Whilst holding on to the Alt key, press the Squiggly Equals Symbol alt code (247) using the numeric keypad.
Release the Alt key after typing the Alt code to insert the symbol into your Word document.

alt code for Approximately Equal to symbol

This is how you may type this symbol on Windows using the Alt Code method.

The alt code method works only for Windows. The next section will show you how to type it on Mac using a keyboard shortcut.

How to type Almost Equal Sign on Mac

The keyboard shortcut to type the Squiggly Equals Sign on Mac is Option + X.

Obey the following instructions to type this symbol on Mac using the keyboard shortcut stated above:

First of all, place the insertion pointer where you need to type this symbol.
Then press Option + X simultaneously on your Mac keyboard.

With this keyboard shortcut, you can type the Almost Equal to symbol anywhere on your Mac computer.

How to insert the Squiggly Equals Symbol in Word/Excel

Using the insert symbol dialog box, you can insert any symbol into any of the Office apps, including MS Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

The insert symbol dialog box is a library of symbols from where you can insert any symbol into your Word document with just a couple of mouse clicks.

Using this dialog, you can insert the Squiggly Equals symbol in any of the office programs, including Word, Excel, and PowerPoint.

In this section, I am going to show you a step-by-step guide to add the Almost Equal sign or any other symbol that is not found on the keyboard.

Without any further ado, let’s get started.

Launch your Word or Excel or PowerPoint document.
Click to place the insertion pointer where you wish to insert the symbol.
Go to the Insert tab.

In the Symbols category, click on the Symbol drop-down and select More Symbols.

The Symbol dialog box will appear. In the Subset drop-down list, select Mathematical Operators to display symbols in this category which includes the Squiggly Equals symbol. Alternatively, type 2248 in the Character code: box to display this symbol.
Now select the symbol you want and hit the Insert button to get it into your document. Alternatively, double click on it to insert it into your document.

insert approximately equal symbol in Word or Excel or PowerPoint

Close the dialog.

The symbol will then be inserted exactly where you place the insertion pointer.

These are the steps you may use to insert the Squiggly Equals Sign or any other symbol into your Word/Excel document.

Copy and Paste Squiggly Equals Sign

One of the easiest ways to get any symbol on any PC is to use the copy and paste method.

All you have to do is to copy the symbol from somewhere like a web page or the character map for windows users, and head over to where you need the symbol then hit Ctrl+V to paste.

To copy and paste the Squiggly Equals Sign, select it (≈) and press Ctrl+C to copy, switch over to where you need it and press Ctrl+V to paste.

≈

You can also use the copy button at the beginning of this article.

For windows users, you may also obey the following instructions to copy and paste this symbol using the character map dialog.

Click on the Start button and search for Character Map. Click to open the Character map app in the search results.

The Character Map dialog will appear. Click on the Advanced view check box to expand the dialog box for more options.

Check the Advanced view checkbox to expand the dialog

On the advanced view options, in the Search box at the bottom of the Window, type “Almost Equal to”.
You should now see the Squiggly Equals Sign on the character map dialog. Double click on the symbol to select it. Alternatively, click on the Select button.
After you select the symbol, it’ll appear in the Characters to copy: field, hit on the Copy button to copy.

copy approximate equal to symbol on Windows

Now switch to where ever you wish to insert the symbol and press Ctrl+V to paste.

This is how you may use the Character Map dialog to copy and paste any symbol on Windows PC.

Type Squiggly Equal Symbol in Google Docs

In this section, we will explore three different methods to type the squiggly equals sign in Google Docs: using the Equation Editor, inserting special characters, and utilizing keyboard shortcuts.

Using the Equation Editor

Google Docs provides a built-in Equation Editor that allows you to create complex mathematical expressions easily. To type the squiggly equals sign using the Equation Editor, follow these steps:

Open your Google Docs document and place the cursor where you want to insert the squiggly equals sign.
Click on the “Insert” menu at the top, then select “Equation.”
The equation Toolbar will appear as shown in the screenshot below.

Click on the Relations drop-down and select the Squiggly equals sign to insert it into the document.

Inserting ≈ using Special Characters

If you prefer using special characters directly, you can access the squiggly equals sign through the Google Docs “Insert” menu. Here’s how:

Place your cursor in the desired location within your document.
Go to the “Insert” menu at the top and select “Special characters.“
In the Special characters dialog box, type “Almost Equals To” in the search bar.

The squiggly equals sign (≈) should appear in the search results. Click on it to insert it into your document.

Using Keyboard Shortcuts

For a faster method, you can use keyboard shortcuts to type the squiggly equals sign directly into your Google Docs document. Follow these steps:

Position your cursor where you want to type the squiggly equals sign.
For Mac users, press Option + X on your keyboard.
For Windows users, press down the Alt key and type 247 using the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key.

Conclusion

As shown in this article, there are several methods you can use to type or insert the Squiggly Equals Sign on your PC or Mac.

My favorite approach on Windows is to use the Alt code method; it’s a lot easier, provided you know the Alt code for the symbol you wish to type. For Mac users, using the keyboard shortcut comes in handy.

If you still want something to be clarified about this symbol, please let me know in the comments section below.

Thank you!