Micro symbol (µ)
U+00B5 · MICRO SIGN · Unicode 1.1 (1993)
How to type µ
Windows
Alt code (numeric keypad)
Alt+0181
Turn on Num Lock, hold the Alt key, type 0181 on the numeric keypad and let go of Alt: µ appears.
The shorter code Alt+230 works too in most programs.
Word and Outlook: Alt + X
00B5 Alt+X
Type 00B5 and press Alt+X right after it: Word turns the code into µ. Press Alt+X again to turn it back into the code.
Emoji and symbols panel (Windows 10 and 11)
Win+.
Press Win + full stop (.) to open the panel, go to the Symbols tab (Ω) and pick µ.
No numeric keypad on your laptop? See the other ways in our Alt codes guide.
Mac
Keyboard shortcut (U.S. layout)
⌥ Option+M
Press ⌥ Option+M to type µ. This is on the standard U.S. and U.S. English Mac layouts.
Character Viewer
Ctrl+⌘ Cmd+Space
Press Ctrl+⌘+Space (or the Globe key + E), search for “micro symbol” and click µ to insert it.
iPhone
Make a shortcut (Text Replacement)
Turn a short word into µ once and type it in any app:
- Copy µ from this page.
- Open Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement and tap +.
- Paste µ as the Phrase and type a Shortcut, for example ;micro.
- Now type ;micro anywhere: the keyboard suggests µ.
Android
Make a shortcut (Gboard personal dictionary)
Teach your keyboard a short word that turns into µ:
- Copy µ from this page.
- Open Gboard settings › Dictionary › Personal dictionary, choose your language and tap +.
- Paste µ as the word and type a shortcut, for example ;micro.
- Type ;micro in any app and tap µ in the suggestions.
Linux
Unicode input
Ctrl+Shift+U 00b5 Enter
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 00b5 and press Enter or Space. Works in GTK apps and with IBus (GNOME, Ubuntu, Fedora).
What µ means and how it is used
The micro sign µ (U+00B5) is the SI prefix for one millionth: 5 µm, 200 µg, 10 µs. Greek small mu μ (U+03BC) looks the same and is the form Unicode recommends; normalization (NFKC) turns µ into μ, so both work in searches. µ is the one on most keyboards: Option+M on a Mac, AltGr+M on a German keyboard.
Micro symbol (µ) is the Unicode character U+00B5, officially called MICRO SIGN. It is in the Latin-1 Supplement block and has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).
People also call it or search for it as: measure, micro, sign.
On this site it is part of the unit symbols (112 symbols), next to ° ℃ Ω % ㎡.
Codes for HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Tap Copy next to the code you need.
| HTML entity | µ | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML decimal | µ | |
| HTML hex | µ | |
| CSS | content: "\00B5"; | |
| JavaScript | \u00B5 | |
| URL | %C2%B5 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | C2 B5 | |
| Unicode | U+00B5 |
Will it show on my friend's phone?
Very likely yes: µ dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.
Checking your device…
Don't confuse µ with
These look alike but are different characters. Search, sorting and screen readers treat them differently, so copy the one you mean.
- µMicro symbolU+00B5 · MICRO SIGN
- Mu symbolU+03BC · GREEK SMALL LETTER MU · Greek and Coptic
- 𝛍U+1D6CD · Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols
- 𝜇U+1D707 · Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols
- 𝝁U+1D741 · Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols
- 𝝻U+1D77B · Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols
- 𝞵U+1D7B5 · Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols
Names in other languages
What µ is called in the 12 languages of this site (Unicode CLDR and our editors). Tap a name to open that language's page.
| Language | Name |
|---|---|
| English | Micro symbol |
| Português | Símbolo de micro |
| Español | Símbolo de micro |
| Italiano | Simbolo micro |
| Français | Symbole micro |
| Deutsch | Mikro-Zeichen |
| Türkçe | Mikro sembolü |
| Bahasa Indonesia | Simbol mikro |
| Polski | Symbol mikro |
| Русский | Символ микро |
| 日本語 | マイクロ記号 |
| 한국어 | 마이크로 기호 |
Related symbols
All Units →Questions people ask
How do I type µ on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
On Windows press Win + full stop (.) and pick µ in the Symbols tab, or in Word type 00B5 and press Alt+X. On a Mac press ⌥ Option+M.
What is the difference between µ and μ?
µ is the micro symbol (U+00B5). μ is a different character: mu symbol (U+03BC, Greek and Coptic block). They can look alike, but computers treat them as different letters, so a search for one will not find the other.
How do I type µ on an iPhone?
The iPhone keyboard has no key for µ. Copy it here, then add it in Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement with a shortcut like ;micro.
What is the HTML code for the micro symbol?
Use the entity µ or the numeric code µ (hex µ). In CSS write \00B5, in JavaScript \u00B5.
Will µ show on every phone?
Very likely yes: µ dates from Unicode 1.1 (1993), so every current system has a font for it.