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Beta Symbol (β)

Beta (β) is the second letter of the Greek alphabet — home of beta testing, beta waves and the ß lookalike it is often confused with.

Greek Small Letter Beta · U+03B2 · Greek Letters

Click the symbol or the button to copy it, then paste it anywhere — documents, messages, bios and code.

Beta Symbol codes

Code	Value
Unicode code point	`U+03B2`
Unicode name	`Greek Small Letter Beta`
HTML named entity	`β`
HTML decimal	`β`
HTML hex	`β`
CSS content code	`\3B2`
JavaScript / JSON	`\u03B2`
Windows Alt code	No standard Alt code — copy it from the card above
LaTeX	`\beta`

Beta Symbol variants (4)

4 related glyphs — click any tile to copy it. Tiles with a page open that symbol's own page.

ΒGreek Capital Letter BetaαGreek Small Letter Alpha γGreek Small Letter GammaßLatin Small Letter Sharp S

Meaning & usage

β follows α in the Greek alphabet, so 'beta' means second everywhere: the beta version of software (tested after alpha), beta brain waves, beta decay in physics, and the beta coefficient measuring a stock's volatility. Its capital Β is identical to a Latin B, making lowercase β the useful copy. One warning: β is not the German sharp S (ß) — they are different characters with different jobs, though at a glance they could be twins.

Examples in use

Join the β test of our app
β = 0.8 means a steadier stock
Beta waves dominate when you are alert

How to type the beta symbol

Windows

There is no Alt code or direct key for β. In Microsoft Word, type 03B2 and press Alt+X to convert it. Everywhere else, click the Copy button at the top of this page and paste it (Ctrl+V) — that always works.

Mac

There is no Option-key shortcut for β on a Mac. Open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space, search for "Beta Symbol", and double-click to insert — or copy it from this page.

iPhone & Android

Most phone keyboards have no built-in key for β. Open this page on your phone, tap Copy, then paste it into your message or bio. (On Android, Gboard's emoji search finds some symbols by name.)

Linux

Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 03b2 and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between β and ß?

β is the Greek letter beta. ß is the German letter 'sharp S', used in words like Straße. They look alike but are unrelated characters.

How do I type β on a keyboard?

There is no standard Alt code. Copy β from this page; in Word, type 03B2 then press Alt+X.

Why does β sometimes show as a box or question mark?

The box (called tofu) means the device or font viewing it has no drawing for U+03B2 (Greek Small Letter Beta). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.

Is the Beta Symbol free to use?

Yes. β is a standard Unicode text character published in the Unicode Character Database. You may use it in personal and commercial documents, designs and products without permission or payment.