α small alpha
α
U+03B1
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| Character | α | |
|---|---|---|
| Unicode | U+03B1 | |
| HTML decimal | α | |
| HTML hexadecimal | α | |
| HTML named entity | α | |
| CSS content | \03B1 | |
| JavaScript / UTF-16 | \u03B1 | |
| UTF-8 bytes | CE B1 |
Meaning & usage
Small alpha (α) is a Greek letter used in writing and scientific notation.
Greek letters often label angles, constants or variables; uppercase and lowercase forms can represent different quantities.
This is the small alpha form, encoded as U+03B1. Its lowercase identity matters in formulas: changing case can change the variable or quantity being represented.
small alpha occupies one Unicode code point. A similar-looking letter, punctuation mark or emoji is not necessarily interchangeable with α in search, filenames or text processing.
How to type small alpha
- Windows
- Use Win + . for the emoji and symbol panel, or Character Map for supported fonts. In Microsoft Word, enter each hexadecimal code (3B1) 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 small alpha. 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 3B1, then Enter. Enter each code point separately for sequences. Other desktops or apps may require their character picker.
- iPhone & Android
- Look for small alpha 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.