Home › Math Symbols › Plus-Minus Symbol

Plus-Minus Symbol (±)

The plus-minus symbol (±) means 'give or take' — a measurement of 50 ± 2 could be anywhere from 48 to 52.

Plus-Minus Sign · U+00B1 · Math Symbols

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

Plus-Minus Symbol codes

Code	Value
Unicode code point	`U+00B1`
Unicode name	`Plus-Minus Sign`
HTML named entity	`±`
HTML decimal	`±`
HTML hex	`±`
CSS content code	`\B1`
JavaScript / JSON	`\u00B1`
Windows Alt code	`Alt+0177`
LaTeX	`\pm`

Plus-Minus Symbol variants (4)

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

∓Minus-Or-Plus Sign+Plus Sign −Minus Sign ≈Almost Equal To

Meaning & usage

± packs two ideas into one symbol: a value could be that much more, or that much less. Engineers use it for tolerances (±0.1 mm), scientists for measurement error, doctors for blood pressure ranges, and everyone for rough plans ('arrive at 7 ± 15 minutes').

It is also half of the standard deviation symbol pairing in statistics. On Windows it types with Alt+0177; everywhere else, copying it is fastest.

Examples in use

Drill a hole 10 mm ± 0.2
Room temperature 22°C ± 1
Delivery in 3 ± 1 days

How to type the plus-minus symbol

Windows

Hold the Alt key and type 0177 on the numeric keypad (Num Lock on), then release Alt. The code is Alt+0177. It also works in Word with the same keys.

Mac

Press Option+Shift+= (Mac, US keyboard layout).

iPhone & Android

Most phone keyboards have no built-in key for ±. 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 00b1 and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I type ± on Windows and Mac?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0177 on the numeric keypad. On a Mac (US layout), press Option+Shift+=. Or copy it from this page.

What does ∓ mean?

The flipped symbol ∓ is 'minus or plus'. It appears paired with ± in equations so the signs stay opposite: x ∓ y is read against a ± elsewhere in the formula.

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

The box (called tofu) means the device or font viewing it has no drawing for U+00B1 (Plus-Minus Sign). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.

Is the Plus-Minus Symbol free to use?

Yes. ± 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.