8 Ways to Type Mu/Micro symbol in Word and Mac?
Micro is the 12th letter of the Greek alphabet (U+00B5) which is primarily used in physics. Some of the quantities are very large or small, so we use prefixes to express these quantities.
It is also a prefix that is useful to express very small quantities. Its value is (0.00001).
For example, if you have a small number like 0.000025, you can write it 2.5µ.
In Microsoft windows or Mac, we don’t have special characters like backwards 3, sigma, degree sign, and micro symbol on the keyboard, but we can insert them using alternative codes. In Microsoft windows, Press and hold the Alt key and then type 0181. It will convert it into a micron symbol. You must have a numeric keyboard to use this code, or you can enable a numeric keyboard by pressing Fn and Numlock key. On Mac, you can insert it by using the option + M. Press the Option and M together. It will convert it into micro.
Short keys and Alt code for micron symbol:
| Symbol Name | Micro |
| Symbol | µ |
| Microsoft word shortcut code | 00B5+Alt-X |
| Alt code (1) | 0181 |
| Alt code (2) | 230 |
| Microsoft windows shortcut code (1) | Alt+0181 |
| Microsoft windows shortcut code (2) | Alt+230 |
| Unicode | U+00B5 |
| Hex Code | µ |
| Html Code | µ |
| CSS Code | \00B5 |
| Mac shortcut code | Option+M |
Copy and Paste Micro:
There are numerous ways to insert any symbol, but copying and pasting is the easiest and most frequently used method to type any character. You can copy mu from the below box and then paste it wherever you want. Once you copy from here, you can save it on your document to reuse it, so you don’t need to search for it next time.
| µ |
6 Ways to Insert Mu Symbol in Word/Excel:
There are six methods to insert mu (µ) in Ms word. However, some of them are used in excel too to insert a micro sign.
- Copy and Paste.
- Symbol Font.
- Alt Code.
- Autocorrect Method
- Shortcut Keys.
- Symbol Library.
Step 1: Copy and Paste
As mentioned earlier, you can copy and paste the micro sign anywhere or on any device you want. Just select “µ” by double-clicking on it. Copy it by pressing Ctrl+C and then paste it using Ctrl+V wherever you want.
You can save it anywhere on your computer, so you don’t need to search for it again.
Step 2: Symbol Library
There are many built-in symbols in Microsoft word and Excel. Select the symbol under the insert option on the top row of the page. Here you can see many signs. Find the micro and insert it. If you cannot find a micro letter, enter Unicode 00B5 in the character box and press insert.
Insert → Symbol → More symbols.
Find the micro and insert. If you can’t find it, type 00B5 in the character box.
Step 3: Symbol Font
Using the symbol font option, you can convert any letter into its corresponding symbol. Press and hold CTRL+SHIFT+Q on your keyboard, then type m, and you will see the micron sign on your document.
- CTRL+SHIFT+Q to convert the font into a symbol.
- Type m to see the micro sign on your document.
Step 4: Autocorrect method
When you type a wrong letter, autocorrect will sometimes correct it for you. You can use this method to change any letter in MS Word into a symbol by using the autocorrect option.
In Microsoft Word, click Insert and then choose a symbol. Find and select the mu. Select the autocorrect option now. Enter “microsign” in the Replace box, then click “add” and “save.” When you enter this Greek symbol in Microsoft Word, it will now be autocorrected to “µ“.
Step 5: Alt Code
The most practical method for inserting a micron in MS Word is using alternative code. If you use these symbols frequently, you should save these alternative codes. In Microsoft Word, Press and hold the Alt key and type 230. It will convert it to mu.
| Press and hold the Alt key and type 230. Alt + 230 = µ |
Note: Your keyboard must have a numeric option to use any alternative code. It will be available on the right side of the keyboard if you use a separate keyboard.
If you’re using a laptop, you can enable it by pressing Fn + Numlock.
Step 6: Short Keys
There is one more method to insert this symbol by shortcut code. In Microsoft word, type Unicode 00B5 and press Alt-X without putting space between Unicode and Alt-X.
| Type 00B5 and press Alt-X. 00B5 + Alt-X = µ |
How To Type Micro Sign on Mac?
Although there’s no dedicated key for the micro on mac keyboard still, you can insert it on the mac.
There is a lot of difference between inserting it on mac and windows. You can use multiple methods to insert it on windows but only one way on mac. Here we will use a shortcut code to insert a mu letter on mac.
Press and hold Option + M on the mac, and it will be converted into micro.
How to Insert Micro Letter Using Character Map?
Here is another method to type a micron sign in Microsoft windows. You can insert it by using a character map in Microsoft windows. Click on the search bar and type character map and click on it. A pop-up menu will appear.
Tick the advanced menu and type the micro in the search option. Now select it and copy it. You can paste it anywhere you want.
How to Type Mu on Android?
There’s no shortcut or alternative code to insert it on android still you can insert it on android. Here you can use the first method which is copy and paste. You can select and copy it from here and paste it onto your android device. This is the only method to insert the mu on android.
You can also download the Greek symbols keyboard from the play store to type any Greek sign on android.
How to Type Micro on iPhone/iOS?
There’s no specific Greek sign on the iPhone keypad and you can’t use any code to insert it on your iPhone. Like Android, you can insert it on iPhone by copying and pasting. You can copy it from here and then paste it on your iPhone text app where you want.
Conclusion:
As mentioned above, there are multiple ways to enter micro symbol on different devices. If someone has a sharp memory then using Alt code is good but the easiest and recommended method is copy and paste.
