How to Insert Approximate Symbol in Excel?

The approximate symbol (≈) is used to indicate that a number is approximately equal to another number but not exactly the same.

It is commonly used in mathematics, science, and engineering to denote a close estimate or rounding of a precise value.

In this article, I will show you some simple ways to insert an Approximate symbol (also called the Almost Equal To symbol) in Excel

Keyboard Shortcut to Insert Approximate Symbol in Excel

Below are the keyboard shortcuts to insert Approximate symbol in Excel:

ALT + 247
  1. Ensure that the Num Lock on your keyboard is on.
  2. Press and hold down the ALT key.
  3. Type 247 on the numeric keypad (while holding the ALT key).
  4. Release the ALT key to insert the approximate symbol.

Excel on Mac does not have a direct keyboard shortcut for the approximate (almost equal to) symbol in Excel. The symbol can be inserted using the Symbol dialog box.

Inserting Approximate using the Symbol Dialog Box

To insert the approximate symbol in Excel using the Symbol Dialog Box, follow these steps:

  1. Click on the cell where you want to insert the symbol.
  2. Click the Insert tab on the Excel ribbon.
Click the insert button - Approximate Symbol in Excel
  1. Click on the Symbol button.
Click on the symbols icon in the ribbon - Approximate Symbol in Excel
  1. In the Symbol dialog box, select the ‘Mathematical Operator’ subset from the drop-down.
Select mathematical operator as the subset from the drop down
  1. Locate the approximate symbol (≈) by scrolling through the symbol list
Select the approximate symbol from the symbol dialog box
  1. Select the symbol and click on the Insert button.
Click the insert tab to get the approximate symbol in the cell
  1. Close the dialog box after the symbol is inserted.

Inserting Approximate Symbol using Formula

Below is the formula you can use to get the approximate (almost equal to) symbol in a cell in Excel:

=UNICHAR(8776)
Formula to get the approximate symbol in Excel

Copy and Paste the Approximate Symbol into Excel

Another easy way to insert the approximate symbol is to copy it from a web page or any other document and then paste it into Excel. Here is the symbol for you to copy: 

≈

Below is a table that summarizes all the methods to insert the Approximate symbol in Excel:

DescriptionDetails
Name of SymbolApproximate Symbol
Symbol Text≈
Shortcut for WindowsAlt + 247
Shortcut for MacUse the Symbol Dialog Box
Inserting using Symbol Dialog BoxFind ≈ in Symbol dialog box under Mathematical Operators
Inserting using Formula=UNICHAR(8776)

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I am a huge fan of Microsoft Excel and love sharing my knowledge through articles and tutorials. I work as a business analyst and use Microsoft Excel extensively in my daily tasks. My aim is to help you unleash the full potential of Excel and become a data-slaying wizard yourself.

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