✓

How to Type a Check Mark

There is no check mark key on a standard keyboard, and no classic Windows Alt code for ✓ either. These are the methods that actually work — in Word, on Windows, Mac, Linux, phones, and HTML.

Last reviewed on October 3, 2026.

Quick Reference

Microsoft Word (Windows)

Type 2713, then press Alt + X. Word converts the hex code into ✓. Use 2714 for the heavy ✔.

2713, Alt + X

Windows (any app)

Press Win + . to open the emoji & symbol panel, then type "check" to find ✔️ and ✅.

Win + . → search "check"

Mac

Press Control + Command + Space to open Character Viewer, then search "check mark".

Control + Command + Space → "check"

Linux

Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2713, then press Enter (GTK apps, GNOME, most IBus setups).

Ctrl + Shift + U, 2713, Enter

HTML

Use the named entity &check; or the numeric reference ✓. Heavy check mark: ✔.

&check; or ✓

Check Mark Variants

Symbol	Name	Unicode	HTML
✓	Check mark	`U+2713`	`&check;` / `✓`
✔	Heavy check mark	`U+2714`	`✔`
✅	White heavy check mark (emoji)	`U+2705`	`✅`
☑	Ballot box with check	`U+2611`	`☑`
☐	Ballot box (empty)	`U+2610`	`☐`
✗	Ballot X	`U+2717`	`✗`
✘	Heavy ballot X	`U+2718`	`✘`
❌	Cross mark (emoji)	`U+274C`	`❌`

✓ and ✔ are ordinary text symbols and take the colour of the surrounding text. ✅ and ❌ are emoji and usually render in colour, which makes them stand out in chat but look out of place in formal documents.

Other Ways in Windows & Office

Because the check mark lives outside the Windows-1252 character set, it has no Alt + 0nnn code. You will often see Alt + 251 recommended — that produces √ (the square root sign), which merely looks similar. It is fine as a quick visual substitute, but screen readers will announce it as "square root".

Word, symbol fonts: Insert → Symbol → More Symbols, choose the Wingdings font and character code 252 for a check mark. In Wingdings 2, Shift + P is a check mark and Shift + R is a checked box. These are font tricks: if the text is copied elsewhere or the font changes, they turn back into the letters ü, P or R. Prefer the real Unicode ✓ for anything that will be shared.
Word checklists: for clickable boxes, enable the Developer tab and insert a Check Box Content Control.
Google Docs: Insert → Special characters → search "check". For interactive lists use Format → Bullets & numbering → Checklist (Ctrl + Shift + 9).
Excel / Google Sheets: =UNICHAR(10003) returns ✓. Google Sheets also offers Insert → Checkbox, and recent Excel 365 builds have Insert → Checkbox.
Character Map (Windows): run charmap, tick Advanced view, search "check", then Select → Copy.

Phones & Text Replacement

iPhone / iPad: open the emoji keyboard and search "check" for ✔️ or ✅. For the plain ✓, add a Text Replacement in Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement (for example ;check → ✓).
Android (Gboard): tap the emoji key and search "check". Gboard's Personal dictionary can store a shortcut for ✓ in the same way.
Mac text replacement: System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements lets you map a short code to ✓ in every app.

In Code & Markup

Markdown task lists: - [ ] and - [x] render as checkboxes on GitHub, GitLab, Obsidian and most GFM renderers.
LaTeX: \checkmark (from the amssymb package). The pifont package offers \ding{51} (✓) and \ding{55} (✗).
CSS: content: "\2713"; in a ::before pseudo-element.
JavaScript / Python / JSON: the escape \u2713.

Technical Details

Unicode: U+2713

HTML Entity: &check; or &checkmark;

HTML Decimal: ✓

Alt Code (Windows): none — use Word's 2713 Alt+X or Win + .

Unicode block: Dingbats

Name: CHECK MARK

Related Symbols

• Bullet √ Square Root Alt Codes View All →