Squared symbol (²)
U+00B2 · SUPERSCRIPT TWO · Unicode 1.1 (1993)
How to type ²
Windows
Alt code (numeric keypad)
Alt+0178
Turn on Num Lock, hold the Alt key, type 0178 on the numeric keypad and let go of Alt: ² appears.
The shorter code Alt+253 works too in most programs.
Word and Outlook: Alt + X
00B2 Alt+X
Type 00B2 and press Alt+X right after it: Word turns the code into ². 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 ².
No numeric keypad on your laptop? See the other ways in our Alt codes guide.
Mac
Character Viewer
Ctrl+⌘ Cmd+Space
Press Ctrl+⌘+Space (or the Globe key + E), search for “squared symbol” and click ² to insert it.
iPhone
Make a shortcut (Text Replacement)
Turn a short word into ² once and type it in any app:
- Copy ² from this page.
- Open Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement and tap +.
- Paste ² as the Phrase and type a Shortcut, for example ;square.
- Now type ;square anywhere: the keyboard suggests ².
Android
Make a shortcut (Gboard personal dictionary)
Teach your keyboard a short word that turns into ²:
- Copy ² from this page.
- Open Gboard settings › Dictionary › Personal dictionary, choose your language and tap +.
- Paste ² as the word and type a shortcut, for example ;square.
- Type ;square in any app and tap ² in the suggestions.
Linux
Unicode input
Ctrl+Shift+U 00b2 Enter
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 00b2 and press Enter or Space. Works in GTK apps and with IBus (GNOME, Ubuntu, Fedora).
What ² means and how it is used
Superscript two ² (U+00B2) writes squares without special formatting: m², x², 5² = 25. It has been in the Latin-1 set since the 1980s, so every system shows it. German keyboards type it with AltGr+2, French AZERTY keyboards have a dedicated ² key, and Windows users can press Alt+0178 or Alt+253.
Squared symbol (²) is the Unicode character U+00B2, officially called SUPERSCRIPT TWO. 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: squared, superscript, two.
On this site it is part of the number symbols (248 symbols), next to ³ № ① ¹ ₂.
Codes for HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Tap Copy next to the code you need.
| HTML entity | ² | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML decimal | ² | |
| HTML hex | ² | |
| CSS | content: "\00B2"; | |
| JavaScript | \u00B2 | |
| URL | %C2%B2 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | C2 B2 | |
| Unicode | U+00B2 |
Will it show on my friend's phone?
² has been in Unicode since version 1.1 (1993). Practically every phone, computer and app shows it.
Checking your device…
Don't confuse ² with
These look alike but are different characters. Search, sorting and screen readers treat them differently, so copy the one you mean.
- ²Squared symbolU+00B2 · SUPERSCRIPT TWO
- ᒾU+14BE · Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics
Names in other languages
What ² 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 | Squared symbol |
| Português | Símbolo de elevado ao quadrado |
| Español | Símbolo de al cuadrado |
| Italiano | Simbolo al quadrato |
| Français | Exposant deux (au carré) |
| Deutsch | Hoch zwei (hochgestellte Zwei) |
| Türkçe | Kare sembolü (üs iki) |
| Bahasa Indonesia | Simbol kuadrat (pangkat dua) |
| Polski | Symbol do kwadratu |
| Русский | Знак квадрата (верхний индекс два) |
| 日本語 | 二乗記号 |
| 한국어 | 제곱 기호 |
Related symbols
All Numbers →Questions people ask
How do I type ² on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
On Windows press Win + full stop (.) and pick ² in the Symbols tab, or in Word type 00B2 and press Alt+X.
What is the difference between ² and ᒾ?
² is the squared symbol (U+00B2). ᒾ is a different character: ᒾ (U+14BE, Unified Canadian Aboriginal Syllabics 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 ² on an iPhone?
The iPhone keyboard has no key for ². Copy it here, then add it in Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement with a shortcut like ;square.
What is the HTML code for the squared symbol?
Use the entity ² or the numeric code ² (hex ²). In CSS write \00B2, in JavaScript \u00B2.
Will ² show on every phone?
² has been in Unicode since version 1.1 (1993). Practically every phone, computer and app shows it.