The quickest way to insert a special character in Word
The fastest route is the Insert menu. Open your document, click Insert at the top, then Symbol (on the far right of the ribbon). A dropdown appears with common symbols — the copyright sign ©, registered trademark ®, and degree symbol ° are usually visible. If you see the symbol you need, click it and it goes into your document at the cursor.
If your symbol is not in that quick list, click More Symbols at the bottom of the dropdown. A larger window opens showing hundreds of characters. You can scroll through them, or type what you are looking for in the search box at the top — type "copyright" and Word narrows the list to that symbol and similar ones.
Once you find the symbol, click it once to select it, then click Insert at the bottom right of the window. The symbol appears in your document. You can close the symbol window or leave it open if you need to insert more.
Key Takeaways
- The Insert menu's Symbol option is the standard way to add special characters, and most common symbols appear in the quick dropdown without opening the full list.
- The More Symbols window lets you search by name (like "copyright" or "em dash") or scroll through categories like Currency, Mathematical Operators, or Arrows.
- Once you insert a symbol you use often, you can assign it a keyboard shortcut so you do not have to open the menu each time.
- The character code method — typing a four-digit code and pressing Alt+X — works for symbols you insert repeatedly, but only if you memorize the codes.
Finding symbols by category instead of scrolling
The More Symbols window organizes characters into categories. When you open it, look at the dropdown that says Subset near the bottom left. Click it to see options like Currency Symbols, Mathematical Operators, Arrows, Letterlike Symbols, and others. Choosing a category narrows the display so you do not have to scroll through thousands of characters.
This is useful if you know roughly what kind of symbol you need but not its exact name. If you need a currency sign, pick Currency Symbols and you see all of them at once — dollar, euro, pound, yen, and dozens more. If you need a mathematical symbol like ≤ or ≠, pick Mathematical Operators and they are all there together.
Using keyboard shortcuts for symbols you insert often
If you insert the same symbol repeatedly — an em dash, copyright sign, or trademark symbol — you can assign it a keyboard shortcut. Open the More Symbols window, find the symbol, and click it to select it. At the bottom of the window, click Shortcut Key. A small dialog appears asking you to press the key combination you want to use.
Choose something you will remember and that does not conflict with Word's built-in shortcuts. For example, you might use Ctrl+Alt+C for copyright or Ctrl+Alt+T for trademark. Press the combination, click Assign, then Close. From that point on, pressing your shortcut inserts the symbol when ready without opening any menu.
Word stores these shortcuts in your Normal.dotm template, so they persist across all your documents on that computer. If you switch computers or reinstall Word, the shortcuts are gone and you have to set them up again.
The character code method for fast typists
Every symbol in Word has a four-digit code. If you know the code, you can type it directly. Type the code, then press Alt+X, and Word converts it to the symbol. For example, the copyright symbol © is code 00A9 — type 00A9 and press Alt+X and it becomes ©. The em dash — is 2014 — type 2014 and press Alt+X.
This method is faster than opening menus once you know the codes, but it requires memorizing them or keeping a list nearby. You can find codes in the More Symbols window — select any symbol and look at the bottom left where it says "Character code:" followed by the number. Write down the codes for symbols you use often.
One caution: this method works in Word but not reliably in other programs like email or web browsers, so it is most useful if you are working in Word documents all day.
Common symbols and where to find them
| Symbol | Name | Character Code | Where to Find It |
|---|---|---|---|
| © | Copyright | 00A9 | Quick dropdown or Legal Symbols subset |
| ® | Registered Trademark | 00AE | Quick dropdown or Legal Symbols subset |
| ™ | Trademark | 2122 | Legal Symbols subset |
| — | Em Dash | 2014 | General Punctuation subset |
| – | En Dash | 2013 | General Punctuation subset |
| ° | Degree | 00B0 | Quick dropdown or Latin-1 Supplement subset |
| € | Euro | 20AC | Currency Symbols subset |
| £ | Pound Sterling | 00A3 | Currency Symbols subset |
Why Word sometimes inserts symbols automatically
Word has a feature called AutoCorrect that converts certain text into symbols without you asking. If you type (c) it becomes ©. If you type (r) it becomes ®. If you type (tm) it becomes ™. This happens because Word's AutoCorrect settings include these replacements by default.
If you do not want this to happen, you can turn it off. Go to File, then Options, then Proofing, then AutoCorrect Options. Click the AutoCorrect tab and scroll down to find the replacements you want to disable. Uncheck the box next to them or delete them from the list. Click OK twice to save the change.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the difference between an em dash and an en dash?
An em dash (—) is longer and is used to set off a phrase or show a break in thought — like this. An en dash (–) is shorter and is used in ranges like "pages 5–10" or "2020–2024". Word does not insert them automatically, so you have to use Insert > Symbol or the character codes 2014 (em) and 2013 (en).
Can I insert symbols from my phone or tablet version of Word?
Yes, but the process is different. On mobile Word, tap the Insert tab, then the Symbol icon (it looks like an omega Ω). A smaller list appears than on desktop Word, but you can search for symbols by name. The keyboard shortcut method does not work on mobile.
Why does my symbol look different than it did before?
Symbols change appearance based on the font you are using. If you change the font of your document, the symbol may look noticeably different. If this happens, select the symbol, then change its font back to the one you were using before, or try a different font that renders it the way you want.
Can I copy a symbol from one document and paste it into another?
Yes. Select the symbol in your first document, copy it (Ctrl+C), then paste it (Ctrl+V) into the second document. This is faster than inserting it again if you only need it once or twice, but setting up a keyboard shortcut is more efficient if you use the symbol often.