# Greek and math symbols in posts **URL:** \ **Category:** About This Message Board\ **Created:** [December 16, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860 "2016-12-16T16:12:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/1 "2016-12-16T16:12:11Z")
How does one include Greek letters and math symbols in a post. My immediate need is delta and the infinity sign, but I’d like to know this more generally. I tried searching, and came up with lots of threads about Greek letters ON the boards, but didn’t get one about them IN the boards, if you follow. But I will calmly accept a “here, let me Google that for you” citation if you are so inclined, because I can’t help but think this has been covered. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/2 "2016-12-16T16:22:31Z")
Easiest is probably to find them somewhere else and copy and paste. Heck, bookmark this thread and you can pull them from here as needed. Α α Β β Γ γ Δ δ Ε ε Ζ ζ Η η Θ θ Ι ι Κ κ Λ λ Μ μ Ν ν Ξ ξ Ο ο Π π Ρ ρ Σ σ Τ τ Υ υ Φ φ Χ χ Ψ ψ Ω ω ---
**Author:** ![TroutMan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troutman/32/6721_2.png) [@TroutMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TroutMan)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/3 "2016-12-16T16:24:43Z")
I do it by googling “delta symbol” or whatever, copying it from the search results, and pasting it in the post. Δ∞ ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 4:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/4 "2016-12-16T16:30:44Z")
And if you want sub- or superscripts, wrap (sub) (/sub) and (sup) (/sup) respectively around your index, but replace () with. ---
**Author:** ![Inner\_Stickler](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/inner_stickler/32/318_2.png) [@Inner\_Stickler](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Inner_Stickler)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/5 "2016-12-16T16:42:06Z")
Ignotus, you can use [noparse][noparse][/noparse][/noparse] to show coding. [noparse][noparse]H[sub]2[/sub]O[/noparse][/noparse] yields [noparse]H[sub]2[/sub]O[/noparse] ---
**Author:** ![D18](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c57346/32.png) [@D18](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D18)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/6 "2016-12-16T17:58:51Z")
Thank you! ---
**Author:** ![Giles](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giles/32/60_2.png) [@Giles](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giles)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/7 "2016-12-16T18:50:20Z")
The two ways I use for non-English characters are: (1) Look it up in Wikipedia, and copy-and-paste. In particular, use the links between the different language versions on Wikipedia. For example, I could look up the article on Donald Trump, follow the link labeled “Русский” and find that he is “Дональд Трамп” in Russian. (2) Use the application called Character Map that you should find under Windows Accessories. That’s a good way to find pictorial characters like 🙂 and ֍. ---
**Author:** ![Ignotus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/ecc23a/32.png) [@Ignotus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ignotus)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 9:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/8 "2016-12-16T21:35:37Z")
> [@Inner\_Stickler](#): > > Ignotus, you can use [noparse][noparse][/noparse][/noparse] to show coding. > [noparse][noparse]H[sub]2[/sub]O[/noparse][/noparse] yields [noparse]H[sub]2[/sub]O[/noparse] Cool! Gotta try it! Thanks! ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/9 "2016-12-16T21:46:54Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > …(2) Use the application called Character Map that you should find under Windows Accessories. That’s a good way to find pictorial characters like 🙂 and ֍. Another approach: More or less the same UI as CharMap is available inside Word or inside Outlook’s email editor. One or the other of those apps will almost always be running on my machine. The exact menu location varies, but it’s generally Insert \>\> Character or Insert \>\> Symbol. It can be quicker to go that route vice firing up charmap. Either way you’re ending up with the same total roster of symbols. ---
**Author:** ![TBG](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c89c15/32.png) [@TBG](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TBG)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 11:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/10 "2016-12-16T23:56:42Z")
Keep in mind, what works in one browser may not work in all browsers. Particularly, mobile browsers might give very different results than you expect. ---
**Author:** ![Amateur\_Barbarian](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/59ef9b/32.png) [@Amateur\_Barbarian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Amateur_Barbarian)\ **Post date:** [December 16, 2016, 11:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/11 "2016-12-16T23:59:59Z")
There’s also alt-key codes, which you can find charts of, print out such if necessary, and memorize the few codes you routinely use. ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/12 "2016-12-17T16:09:28Z")
He bade 3♠ … There’s a wealth of escape codes … of the form &#[some decimal number]; … where `[some decimal number]` is some decimal number without the square brackets … in the above I use 9824 … [noparse]♠[/noparse] … so that means the noparse tag doesn’t work with the escape codes … (rats) **&** #9824; … ah, but putting bolding tags around the ampersand does work, just remember to not bold the ampersand if you want the escape code to render properly … Here’s the list (and some more explanations) on Wikipedia ["List of XML and HTML character entity references’](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/List_of_XML_and_HTML_character_entity_references) … Enjoy … ---
**Author:** ![Lumpy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lumpy/32/446_2.png) [@Lumpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lumpy)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/13 "2016-12-17T18:04:07Z")
I’ve often thought a selection of the most useful symbols should be available in the reply editor. My nominees would include: degrees ° trademark ™ cents ¢ one-half ½ ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 6:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/14 "2016-12-17T18:04:15Z")
> [@TBG](#): > > Keep in mind, what works in one browser may not work in all browsers. Particularly, mobile browsers might give very different results than you expect. This is a large part on why I try to post without depending on any actual symbols. Some mobile devices have incomplete fonts. Sure, use the symbols, but make sure it’s clear even if you can’t read the symbol. And, while rare, some desktop browsers still lack full emoji support, while mobile has 'em, so you can’t depend no those, either. ---
**Author:** ![jtur88](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e9c0ed/32.png) [@jtur88](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jtur88)\ **Post date:** [December 17, 2016, 8:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/15 "2016-12-17T20:10:54Z")
It you ever want to write Toys-Я-Us, you can even copy and paste that out of the Russian alphabet. ---
**Author:** ![Northern\_Piper](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/northern_piper/32/5304_2.png) [@Northern\_Piper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Northern_Piper)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/16 "2016-12-18T20:47:16Z")
I just use my Mac. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Leo\_Bloom](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/leo_bloom/32/10377_2.png) [@Leo\_Bloom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leo_Bloom)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/17 "2016-12-18T20:47:35Z")
**Харпо Марь** is not a member of SD. ---
**Author:** ![LSLGuy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/lslguy/32/5813_2.png) [@LSLGuy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LSLGuy)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 8:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/18 "2016-12-18T20:59:58Z")
> [@Northern\_Piper](#): > > I just use my Mac. 🙂 I know you’re joking, but how does a Mac handle entering Greek or math symbols? It’s been decades since I’ve had a Mac. Is it so easy to use that you just think “Gee, I sure wish I had a 18 point bold red uppercase sigma right about now” and it suddenly appears? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Biffster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/biffster/32/339_2.png) [@Biffster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Biffster)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 9:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/19 "2016-12-18T21:34:00Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I know you’re joking, but how does a Mac handle entering Greek or math symbols? It’s been decades since I’ve had a Mac. > > Is it so easy to use that you just think “Gee, I sure wish I had a 18 point bold red uppercase sigma right about now” and it suddenly appears? 🙂 It just works. Think different. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk ---
**Author:** ![watchwolf49](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/e9c0ed/32.png) [@watchwolf49](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/watchwolf49)\ **Post date:** [December 18, 2016, 10:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860/20 "2016-12-18T22:31:33Z")
> [@LSLGuy](#): > > I know you’re joking, but how does a Mac handle entering Greek or math symbols? It’s been decades since I’ve had a Mac. > > Is it so easy to use that you just think “Gee, I sure wish I had a 18 point bold red uppercase sigma right about now” and it suddenly appears? 🙂 Macs have an “option” key between the “control” and “command” keys … just holding this “option” key down doubles the available character set for the keyboard … and many of the common math symbols are represented … ∆ = Option j ∂ = option d º = option 0 ∞ = option 5 Just very simple, easy and effective … [sub]4[/sub] ∫ x _dx_ = 8 [sup]0[/sup] ETA: ∑ [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/greek-and-math-symbols-in-posts/774860.md?page=2)