How to Type a Not Equal Sign
The not equal sign (≠) indicates inequality between two values. Essential for mathematics, programming, and logic expressions when values are different.
Last reviewed on April 23, 2026.
Quick Reference
Windows
Hold Alt and type 8800 on the numeric keypad (requires Unicode-aware applications).
Alt + 8800
Mac
Press Option + =.
Option + =
Linux
Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 2260, press Enter.
Ctrl + Shift + U, 2260, Enter
HTML
Use the HTML entity ≠ or numeric ≠.
≠ or ≠
Common Uses
The not equal sign is used across mathematics, programming, and logic to express that two values are different or not equivalent.
- Mathematics: x ≠ 0 (x is not equal to zero)
- Programming (visual): Representing != in documentation
- Logic: A ≠ B (A and B are not the same)
- Algebra: 2 + 2 ≠ 5 (false statement)
- Set theory: S₁ ≠ S₂ (sets are different)
Programming Equivalents
In programming, the not equal operator varies by language:
- Most languages: != (C, Java, JavaScript, Python, etc.)
- SQL: <> or !=
- Pascal: <>
- BASIC: <>
- R: !=
The ≠ symbol is typically used in documentation and mathematical notation, while != is used in actual code.
Related Inequality Symbols
≠ Not equal to
< Less than
> Greater than
≤ Less than or equal to (U+2264)
≥ Greater than or equal to (U+2265)
≈ Approximately equal to (U+2248)
Technical Details
Unicode: U+2260
HTML Entity: ≠
HTML Decimal: ≠
Alt Code (Windows): Alt + 8800
Name: NOT EQUAL TO