How to type any symbol in Microsoft Word

Word has more ways in than any other program on this list, and the fast one is the one almost nobody is shown: type the character's hex codepoint and press Alt+X. Word replaces the number you just typed with the character. It works in Outlook and OneNote too, and nowhere else.

Alt+X, the one worth learning

Type the four hex digits of the codepoint, then press Alt+X while the cursor sits immediately after them. 00b0 then Alt+X gives °. Press Alt+X again with the cursor after the character and Word turns it back into the number, which is how you find out what something is.

Insert › Symbol, when you do not know the number

Insert › Symbol › More Symbols. Set Font to (normal text) and Subset to the block you want, or type the Unicode name into the Character code box with from set to Unicode (hex). Recently used symbols stay on the dropdown, which is usually all you need.

Alt codes still work

The Windows Alt codes on this site work inside Word as well: hold Alt and type the digits on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on. On a laptop with no keypad they do not, and Alt+X is the answer instead.

Make it automatic

File › Options › Proofing › AutoCorrect Options lets you map something you can type to something you cannot: (c) already becomes © that way. Add your own for a character you use daily.

Equations are a separate keyboard

Alt+= opens the equation editor, where \pm, \times and \sqrt expand the way they do in LaTeX. Symbols typed there are mathematical objects rather than text, so copy them out and they may not paste as the character you saw.

The characters people ask about most

Every other place you might be typing, or a page for each character.