SYMBOL SET REFERENCE

Greek Alphabet ALT Codes

Type all 24 Greek letters — α, β, γ, π, Σ, Ω, uppercase and lowercase.

Greek letters are the lingua franca of math, physics, and engineering — π for circles, Σ for summation, λ for wavelength, Ω for ohms, σ for standard deviation. Greek isn't in Windows-1252, so classic ALT codes don't cover it. You'll need Unicode input on Windows or the standard Option-key combos on Mac (for some letters). This page provides all 48 characters (24 uppercase + 24 lowercase) with Unicode hex codes.
Tap any character to copy — no need to type codes. Characters go straight to your clipboard, paste anywhere.

Quick Facts

Total Greek characters
48 (24 uppercase + 24 lowercase)
Windows input
Unicode hex codes — type e.g., 03B1 then Alt+X for α
Mac input
Some letters have Option shortcuts (π, Ω, µ); others need Character Viewer or copy
Most common in STEM
π, Σ, α, β, γ, δ, θ, λ, µ, ρ, σ, φ, ω, Δ, Ω

About Greek Alphabet

The Greek alphabet has 24 letters. Alpha (α/Α), beta (β/Β), gamma (γ/Γ), delta (δ/Δ), epsilon (ε/Ε), zeta (ζ/Ζ), eta (η/Η), theta (θ/Θ), iota (ι/Ι), kappa (κ/Κ), lambda (λ/Λ), mu (μ/Μ), nu (ν/Ν), xi (ξ/Ξ), omicron (ο/Ο), pi (π/Π), rho (ρ/Ρ), sigma (σ/Σ), tau (τ/Τ), upsilon (υ/Υ), phi (φ/Φ), chi (χ/Χ), psi (ψ/Ψ), omega (ω/Ω).

Unicode hex code ranges. Uppercase Greek: U+0391 through U+03A9 (with a gap at U+03A2). Lowercase: U+03B1 through U+03C9. So α is U+03B1, β is U+03B2, and so on. To type: in Word, type the 4-char hex then press Alt+X.

STEM conventions for specific letters. Physics and engineering have strong conventions: α angular acceleration, β decay, γ specific heat ratio/Lorentz factor, δ change, ε permittivity/small quantity, ζ damping, η efficiency, θ angle, κ thermal conductivity, λ wavelength, μ micro/coefficient of friction, ν frequency, ξ random variable, π 3.14159…, ρ density/correlation, σ stress/standard deviation, τ torque/time constant, φ phase/golden ratio, χ susceptibility/chi-squared, ψ wave function, ω angular frequency.

Uppercase Greek in math. Σ summation (capital sigma), Π product (capital pi), Δ change (capital delta), Ω ohms (capital omega), Φ golden ratio/magnetic flux (capital phi), Ψ wave function (capital psi), Γ gamma function (capital gamma), Λ cosmological constant (capital lambda).

Some Greek letters look identical to Latin. Α (capital alpha) looks exactly like Latin A. Β is Latin B. Ε is Latin E. Η looks like H but is eta. Μ is mu. Ν is nu. This is a Unicode distinction — they're separate characters with separate codes, even though visually identical. Use Greek codes in Greek contexts (math notation, Greek text); use Latin in English text.

Final sigma. Greek has a special form of sigma used only at the end of a word: ς (U+03C2). So "Socrates" in Greek is Σωκράτης — regular σ in the middle, ς at the end. In math/engineering you almost always use the regular σ; final sigma appears only in actual Greek-language text.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the ALT code for π (pi)?
No classic Windows ALT code. Use Unicode: in Word, type '03C0' then press Alt+X for lowercase π, or '03A0' + Alt+X for uppercase Π. On Mac: Option+P.
What is the ALT code for Σ (sigma, summation)?
Unicode U+03A3. In Word: type '03A3' then Alt+X. On Mac: Option+W.
What is the ALT code for Ω (omega, ohm)?
Unicode U+03A9. In Word: type '03A9' then Alt+X. On Mac: Option+Z.
How do I type all Greek letters quickly on Windows?
Install the Greek Polytonic keyboard: Settings → Time & Language → Language → Add → Greek. Then toggle with Windows+Space and use the QWERTY-to-Greek mapping. Or for occasional use, copy from this page — much faster.
Is Greek µ the same as the micro symbol?
Visually yes, technically no. Unicode distinguishes Greek mu (μ, U+03BC) from micro sign (µ, U+00B5). They look identical. For scientific notation (micrograms, microseconds), use the micro sign (Alt+0181). For Greek-language math expressions, use Greek mu.
Why aren't Greek letters in Windows-1252?
Windows-1252 is a Western European character set from the 1980s, focused on languages that use the Latin alphabet with accents. Greek uses an entirely different alphabet, so it lives in Unicode's Greek block (U+0370–U+03FF). This is why classic ALT codes don't work for Greek.

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