Input special characters in Excel by pressing Alt + Numpad

Perhaps you know that you can input some special characters/symbols by pressing Alt + Numpad together.  If you google “ALT Numpad”, you will probably find many extensive lists of special characters input in this way.

Well, what to do with it then?  Out of the hundreds special characters, how many of them are actually frequently used in daily work?

Depends on what your job is, you many find many special characters applicable and useful to you.  However there are just a few to me, as shown below:

Image(these codes are for Windows PC)

Note: You have to keep PRESSing ALT, while you enter the number in the number pad, then release ALT

I use the up and down arrow a lot.  They look good and save space.  Also I am glad to discover ALT+167 as I used to type “o” and then superscript it in order to give the symbol for degree… I guess many people do the same, right?

Input special characters / symbols by Inserting Symbol

Similarly, we can insert different symbols in Excel.

1) Go to Insert on the Ribbon –> Click Symbols


2) Note that Symbols are basically different fonts of Wingdings.  Scroll down to explore.  The Tick / Cross and various arrows are my favorite.  After you select the symbol you want, click Insert.


3) Note that the Font changes to Windings.  Look at the formula bar, they are “strange” symbols.  But with Windings, they appear to be the tick and cross.


4) If you need to add other text behind the symbols, you will get a “strange” symbols as they are all in Wingdings.



5) Simply select the texts in the formula bar and change them to other fonts, e.g. Arial


About MF


Comments, suggestions, corrections are welcome.


You are commenting using your account. Log Out /  Change )

Google photo


Twitter picture


Facebook photo


Connecting to %s
