Standard deviation symbol (sigma) (σ)
U+03C3 · GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA · Unicode 1.1 (1993)
How to type σ
Windows
Alt code (numeric keypad)
Alt+229
Turn on Num Lock, hold the Alt key, type 229 on the numeric keypad and let go of Alt: σ appears.
Uses the old DOS code page 437, which US-English Windows uses for Alt codes without a leading 0; on Windows set to other languages the result can differ.
Word and Outlook: Alt + X
03C3 Alt+X
Type 03C3 and press Alt+X right after it: Word turns the code into σ. 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 σ.
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 “standard deviation symbol (sigma)” and click σ to insert it.
iPhone
Make a shortcut (Text Replacement)
Turn a short word into σ once and type it in any app:
- Copy σ from this page.
- Open Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement and tap +.
- Paste σ as the Phrase and type a Shortcut, for example ;standardde.
- Now type ;standardde anywhere: the keyboard suggests σ.
Android
Make a shortcut (Gboard personal dictionary)
Teach your keyboard a short word that turns into σ:
- Copy σ from this page.
- Open Gboard settings › Dictionary › Personal dictionary, choose your language and tap +.
- Paste σ as the word and type a shortcut, for example ;standardde.
- Type ;standardde in any app and tap σ in the suggestions.
Linux
Unicode input
Ctrl+Shift+U 03c3 Enter
Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 03c3 and press Enter or Space. Works in GTK apps and with IBus (GNOME, Ubuntu, Fedora).
What σ means and how it is used
Lowercase sigma σ is the standard symbol for the standard deviation of a population; the sample version is usually written s. Variance is σ². Engineers also use σ for mechanical stress and physicists for electrical conductivity and cross sections. The '6σ' in Six Sigma refers to six standard deviations.
Standard deviation symbol (sigma) (σ) is the Unicode character U+03C3, officially called GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA. It is in the Greek and Coptic block and has been part of Unicode since version 1.1 (1993).
On this site it is part of the greek (69 symbols), next to α β γ Δ θ.
Codes for HTML, CSS and JavaScript
Tap Copy next to the code you need.
| HTML entity | σ | |
|---|---|---|
| HTML decimal | σ | |
| HTML hex | σ | |
| CSS | content: "\03C3"; | |
| JavaScript | \u03C3 | |
| URL | %CF%83 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | CF 83 | |
| Unicode | U+03C3 |
Will it show on my friend's phone?
σ has been in Unicode since version 1.1 (1993). Practically every phone, computer and app shows it.
Checking your device…
Don't confuse σ with
These look alike but are different characters. Search, sorting and screen readers treat them differently, so copy the one you mean.
- σStandard deviation symbol (sigma)U+03C3 · GREEK SMALL LETTER SIGMA
- Latin small letter oU+006F · LATIN SMALL LETTER O · Basic Latin
- Greek small letter omicronU+03BF · GREEK SMALL LETTER OMICRON · Greek and Coptic
- Extended arabic-indic digit fiveU+06F5 · EXTENDED ARABIC-INDIC DIGIT FIVE · Arabic
- Latin letter small capital oU+1D0F · LATIN LETTER SMALL CAPITAL O · Phonetic Extensions
- Hangul letter ieungU+3147 · HANGUL LETTER IEUNG · Hangul Compatibility Jamo
- ϬU+03ED · Greek and Coptic
Names in other languages
What σ 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 | Standard deviation symbol (sigma) |
| Português | Símbolo de desvio padrão (sigma) |
| Español | Símbolo de desviación estándar (sigma) |
| Italiano | Simbolo deviazione standard (sigma) |
| Français | Symbole écart type (sigma) |
| Deutsch | Zeichen für Standardabweichung (Sigma) |
| Türkçe | Standart sapma sembolü (sigma) |
| Bahasa Indonesia | Simbol standar deviasi (sigma) |
| Polski | Symbol odchylenia standardowego (sigma) |
| Русский | Символ стандартного отклонения (сигма) |
| 日本語 | 標準偏差の記号 (シグマ) |
| 한국어 | 표준편차 기호 (시그마) |
Related symbols
All Greek →Questions people ask
How do I type σ on a laptop without a numeric keypad?
On Windows press Win + full stop (.) and pick σ in the Symbols tab, or in Word type 03C3 and press Alt+X.
What is the difference between σ and o?
σ is the standard deviation symbol (sigma) (U+03C3). o is a different character: latin small letter o (U+006F, Basic Latin 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 σ on an iPhone?
The iPhone keyboard has no key for σ. Copy it here, then add it in Settings › General › Keyboard › Text Replacement with a shortcut like ;standardde.
What is the HTML code for the standard deviation symbol (sigma)?
Use the entity σ or the numeric code σ (hex σ). In CSS write \03C3, in JavaScript \u03C3.
Will σ show on every phone?
σ has been in Unicode since version 1.1 (1993). Practically every phone, computer and app shows it.