Quick answer
Copy Δ for capital Greek delta or δ for lowercase delta. In Word for Windows, type 0394 or 03B4 and press Alt + X. On a Mac, use Character Viewer to choose the exact letter: Option + J on the U.S. layout types the lookalike ∆ (increment), not Greek Δ.
Copy the delta you actually need
The delta symbol has more than one form. Copy Δ for the capital Greek letter or δ for the lowercase letter. If a document, formula label, or assignment expects one of those letters, copying the exact character is often faster than trying an Alt code. The copy button above inserts capital Δ; for lowercase δ, select the character here or use the symbol finder.
| Where you are typing | Dependable method |
|---|---|
| Windows app | Copy Δ or δ, or use Character Map |
| Word for Windows | Type 0394 for Δ or 03B4 for δ, then press Alt + X |
| Mac | Open Character Viewer and choose the named Greek letter |
| Google Docs | Insert → Symbols → Special characters; enter 0394 or 03B4 |
| Excel or Google Sheets | Paste the letter into a cell, or use =UNICHAR(916) for Δ |
| Phone or Chromebook | Copy and paste; a Greek keyboard is useful if you type Greek often |
Δ, δ, ∆, and △ are different characters
These signs can look similar in a font, but they have different Unicode identities. Choose by name and code point when a search, screen reader, equation editor, or downstream system needs the exact character.
| Character | Unicode name and value | When to choose it |
|---|---|---|
Δ |
Greek capital letter delta, U+0394 |
An uppercase Greek letter, including many “change in” labels |
δ |
Greek small letter delta, U+03B4 |
A lowercase Greek letter or variable |
∆ |
Increment, U+2206 |
The mathematical increment operator when that specific character is required |
△ |
White up-pointing triangle, U+25B3 |
A geometric triangle shape, not a Greek letter |
∂ |
Partial differential, U+2202 |
A calculus operator, not lowercase delta |
Unicode lists Greek delta separately from the increment and partial-differential operators. For example, ΔT is a common label for a change in temperature, while the delta in Greek text is a letter. Similar appearance does not make Δ and ∆ interchangeable in text search or character data.
Type delta on Windows and in Word
On a Windows laptop without a number pad, copy the letter or open Character Map from Start. Search for the Greek capital or small letter delta, select the character, then copy it into your app. Check the selected name if a triangle or increment sign appears beside it. Microsoft’s Character Map guidance describes this copy-and-paste route.
In Word for Windows, type the hexadecimal code 0394 and press Alt + X to turn it into Δ. For δ, type 03B4 and press Alt + X. This is Word’s Unicode conversion feature; it does not need a numeric keypad. If the code follows another hexadecimal character, select just the four-digit code before pressing Alt + X. Microsoft’s Word instructions explain that detail.
You may see Alt + 916 or Alt + 235 listed as a universal Windows delta shortcut. Numeric Alt input can vary by app, code page, and input method, so do not rely on those sequences when the exact Greek letter matters. Word’s Alt + X method, Character Map, and direct copy are clearer choices. The Windows Alt-code guide explains the difference between legacy Alt input and Unicode values.
Delta inside a Word equation
For an editable equation in Word for Windows, open an equation with Alt + =, type \Delta or \delta, then press Space to convert it. This is useful for longer formulas; for a single letter in normal prose, the Unicode conversion or Insert → Symbol is simpler. Word’s equation keyboard guidance documents the equation context.
Type delta on a Mac without picking the wrong sign
Open Edit → Emoji & Symbols (Character Viewer), search for Greek capital letter delta or Greek small letter delta, and insert the result. Apple’s Character Viewer guide also describes searching by a character’s name or code. Your active keyboard layout can affect direct shortcuts, so the picker is the dependable route to the exact letter.
On the U.S. Mac layout, Option + J types ∆ (U+2206), the increment sign. It does not type Greek capital Δ (U+0394). The two often look nearly identical. If an assignment or data field asks for the Greek letter, copy Δ or choose it by name in Character Viewer. A Greek input source can be more convenient if you write Greek frequently.
Insert delta in Google Docs and spreadsheets
In Google Docs, choose Insert → Symbols → Special characters, enter 0394 for Δ or 03B4 for δ, and click the matching character. Google documents Unicode-value search in the picker. Google Sheets does not provide that same direct special-character picker; paste the letter into a cell instead.
For a generated label in Excel or Google Sheets, =UNICHAR(916) displays Δ and =UNICHAR(948) displays δ. These decimal numbers correspond to Unicode U+0394 and U+03B4. Both spreadsheet products document the UNICHAR function in Excel and UNICHAR function in Sheets.
The letter Δ is not a calculation operator in a spreadsheet formula. If cell A2 holds an earlier reading and B2 a later one, =B2-A2 calculates the change. Use Δ in a heading such as “Δ temperature,” then put the numeric formula in a separate cell.
On a phone or Chromebook
On iPhone and Android, copy Δ or δ and paste it into your message or document. If you need Greek letters regularly, add a Greek keyboard in your device’s keyboard settings and switch to it while typing. Long-press menus differ between keyboards, so a specific English-keyboard long press is not a dependable instruction.
On a Chromebook, copy the character or use Google Docs’ special-character picker. A Windows numeric-keypad Alt sequence is not a Chromebook method.
Delta in HTML and LaTeX
On a UTF-8 web page, write Δ or δ directly. HTML also accepts Δ or Δ for capital Δ, and δ or δ for lowercase δ. The HTML Standard’s named-character table distinguishes the two names. In LaTeX math mode, \Delta produces Δ and \delta produces δ.
For another Greek letter that is also used in math, see the pi symbol guide.
If your delta comes out wrong
Option+Jgave ∆: that is the increment sign. Copy Δ or choose Greek capital letter delta in Character Viewer.0394stayed as text: Word’sAlt+Xconversion works in the Word editing area, not every Windows text box. Select the code if adjacent characters might be included.- An Alt code gave an unexpected sign: use Character Map or copy the exact Unicode letter; numeric Alt behavior varies.
- The sign looks like a plain triangle: check its code point.
△is a shape, while Greek capital delta isU+0394. - The character displays as a box: try a font that includes Greek characters and confirm the pasted value is still Δ or δ.
References and compatibility
Character names and values were checked against Unicode; app instructions were checked against Microsoft, Apple, Google, and the HTML Standard. Keyboard layouts and app menus can change, so the exact-character copy method remains a useful fallback.
Editorial note: Shortcuts can vary by keyboard layout and app. Check the stated platform and use the copy-and-paste fallback when needed. Report a correction with your device, layout, and application; see our editorial policy for limitations.