Symbol Hub

Square Root Symbol

The square-root sign (√), or radical, denotes the square root of a number: √9 = 3.

Also known as: radical sign, sqrt symbol, root symbol.

Codes

Symbol
UnicodeU+221A
HTML entity (named)√
HTML entity (decimal)√
HTML entity (hex)√
CSS\221A
LaTeX\sqrt{}
Windows Alt codeAlt + 251

How to type (Square Root Symbol)

WindowsAlt + 251

Hold Alt and type 251 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt (Alt + 8730 also works).

Mac⌥ + V

Press Option + v.

Microsoft Word221A, Alt + X

Type 221A, then press Alt + X to convert it to √.

Google Docs

Insert → Special characters, then search “square root” — or use an Equation and type \sqrt.

LaTeX\sqrt{x}

Use \sqrt{x} in math mode (\sqrt[3]{x} gives a cube root).

Usage

  • √ is the square-root sign: √9 = 3 and √2 ≈ 1.414.
  • Add an index for other roots: ∛8 = 2 (cube root).
  • In LaTeX, \sqrt{x} draws the radical with an overbar over x.

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