± plus minus
±
U+00B1
Copy as
| Character | ± | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+00B1 | |
| HTML decimal | ± | |
| HTML hexadecimal | ± | |
| HTML named entity | ± | |
| CSS content | \00B1 | |
| JavaScript / UTF-16 | \u00B1 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | C2 B1 |
Meaning & usage
Plus minus (±) belongs to mathematical notation rather than ordinary punctuation.
Use it in formulas, comparisons or technical explanations, and define its role when the context is ambiguous.
U+00B1 identifies this exact plus minus form; copying the character preserves its Unicode identity, while its appearance depends on the font or emoji renderer.
plus minus occupies one Unicode code point. A similar-looking letter, punctuation mark or emoji is not necessarily interchangeable with ± in search, filenames or text processing.
How to type plus minus
- Windows
- Use Win + . for the emoji and symbol panel, or Character Map for supported fonts. In Microsoft Word, enter each hexadecimal code (B1) and press Alt + X. There is no universal decimal Alt code for this character; legacy Alt codes depend on the code page.
- Mac
- Open Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search for plus minus. With the Unicode Hex Input keyboard enabled, hold Option and enter the UTF-16 units shown above. Standard Option shortcuts do not cover every Unicode symbol.
- Linux
- In compatible GTK applications, press Ctrl + Shift + U, enter B1, then Enter. Enter each code point separately for sequences. Other desktops or apps may require their character picker.
- iPhone & Android
- Look for plus minus in your emoji keyboard if available, or copy it here and paste. Save frequently used symbols as a text replacement or keyboard shortcut; availability varies by keyboard.