How to Type Sigma Symbol (Σ σ) / Sigma Sign – Windows, Mac

The sigma symbol (Σ, σ), also called the sigma sign, is a Greek letter used in mathematics for summation and in statistics for standard deviation. If you’re looking to copy the sigma symbol or learn how to type the sigma symbol using Alt codes, keyboard shortcuts, Word, Mac, or LaTeX, this guide shows every method.

There are two primary forms of the sigma symbol math:

1. Uppercase Sigma (Σ): Represents summation. Example: ∑⁵_i=1 i = 1+2+3+4+5
2. Lowercase Sigma (σ): Commonly used in statistics for standard deviation and other scientific notation.

The Greek sigma symbol is a fundamental mathematical notation, widely used across fields—similar to how the Euro symbol (€) is used in currency.

Let’s explore how to insert the sigma symbol in Word, Mac, Windows, and LaTeX using different methods.

Sigma Symbol

The Greek letter Sigma is available in both uppercase and lowercase forms:
Σ — Uppercase Sigma (Summation Sign)
σ — Lowercase Sigma (Standard Deviation Sign)

How to Type the Sigma Symbol on Windows (Alt Codes)

Windows users can quickly generate both variations of the letter using standard Alt key codes. Ensure your keyboard has a dedicated numeric keypad and that Num Lock is turned on.

1. Uppercase Sigma (Σ) Alt Code

• Hold down the Alt key and type 228 (or 931) on the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key.

2. Lowercase Sigma (σ) Alt Code

• Hold down the Alt key and type 229 (or 963) on the numeric keypad, then release the Alt key.

3. Insert Sigma Symbol on Windows using Character Map

You can insert both uppercase (Σ) and lowercase (σ) sigma symbols using the Windows Character Map.

1. Type Character Map into the Windows search bar and open the application.
2. Set the font dropdown to Arial or Times New Roman.
3. Scroll through the grid until you locate the Σ or σ glyphs.
4. Click the symbol, hit Select, and then click Copy to save it to your clipboard. Paste it into your document using Ctrl + V.

How to Insert Sigma Sign in Word

You can insert the sigma sign in Word using the Symbol menu or Equation Editor.

Insert Sigma Sign using “Symbol”

1. Open your Microsoft Word document.
2. Place your cursor where you want to insert the sigma symbol.
3. Go to the “Insert” tab in the Word ribbon.
4. Click on “Symbol” in the “Symbols” group. This will open a dropdown menu.
5. In the dropdown menu, select “More Symbols”.
6. The “Symbol” dialog box will appear. Here, you can choose different symbols and characters. To find the sigma symbol math, you can:
   • Ensure that “Font” is set to a Unicode-compliant font like “Arial” or “Times New Roman”
   • Scroll through the list of symbols until you find the Greek capital sigma (Σ) symbol or sigma symbol lowercase (σ). It may be located under the Greek and Coptic section.
   • Click on the sigma (Σ) symbol to select it.
7. Once you’ve selected the sigma sign, you can choose to insert it into your document by clicking the “Insert” button in the “Symbol” dialog box.
8. Close the “Symbol” dialog box.

Type Sigma Sign using Equation Editor

To insert the sigma (Σ) symbol using the Equation Editor in Microsoft Word, follow these steps:

1. Open your Microsoft Word document.
2. Place your cursor where you want to insert the sigma symbol.
3. Go to the Insert tab in the Word ribbon.
4. Click on Equation in the Symbols group. This will open the Equation Editor.
5. In the Equation Editor, you will see a toolbar at the top containing various mathematical symbols and structures.
6. Click on the Large Operator button to open a dropdown menu containing summation and other mathematical operators.

7. Click on the sigma (Σ) symbol to insert it into the Equation Editor.
8. After inserting the symbol, click anywhere outside the Equation Editor or press the Esc key to return to your document.

How to Type Sigma Symbol on Mac

To type the uppercase sigma (Σ) symbol on a Mac, you can use the following keyboard shortcut:

• Uppercase Sigma (Σ): Press Option + W simultaneously on your keyboard.
• Lowercase Sigma (σ): macOS does not have a direct, default keyboard key chord for the lowercase variant. Instead, press Cmd + Ctrl + Space to open the Character Viewer, type “sigma” into the search bar, and double-click the lowercase σ to insert it.

Sigma Symbol in LaTeX

In LaTeX, you can write the sigma sign lowercase (σ) and its uppercase version (Σ) using specific commands.

LaTeX is a typesetting system commonly used for scientific and technical documents, where you can easily include various mathematical symbols and notation.

Lowercase Sigma (σ)

To include the lowercase sigma sign in your LaTeX document, use the following command:

\sigma

You can place this command within your document’s text or within math mode (between “$” symbols) to ensure proper rendering. Here’s an example of both cases:

In regular text: The lowercase sigma sign is denoted as \sigma.

In math mode: $\sigma$ represents the lowercase sigma symbol.

Uppercase Sigma (Σ):

For the uppercase sigma sign, you can use the following command:

\Sigma

Similar to the lowercase sigma, you can include this command within your document’s text or within math mode. Here are examples for both cases:

In regular text: The uppercase sigma sign is written as \Sigma.

In math mode: $\Sigma$ stands for the uppercase sigma symbol.

Inserting the Sigma sign in the document is easy whether you use character map, alt code or equation editor in Word document.

Backwards 3 Symbol