How to Type the Pi Symbol
π is the Greek small letter pi, used for the circle constant 3.14159…. Mac has a one-key shortcut; Windows has an old Alt code with a trap in it. Here are all the reliable methods.
Last reviewed on October 3, 2026.
Quick Reference
Mac
Press Option + P. (Option + Shift + P gives ∏, the product sign.)
Option + P
Windows
Hold Alt and type 227 on the numeric keypad — without a leading zero. Alt + 0227 produces ã instead.
Alt + 227
Microsoft Word
Type 03C0 and press Alt + X. In an equation (Alt + =), type \pi followed by a space.
03C0, Alt + X
Linux
Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 3c0, then press Enter.
Ctrl + Shift + U, 3c0, Enter
HTML
Use π or π. Capital pi is Π (Π).
π or π
Pi and Its Look-alikes
| Symbol | Name | Unicode | Typical use |
|---|---|---|---|
| π | Greek small letter pi | U+03C0 | The constant 3.14159… |
| Π | Greek capital letter pi | U+03A0 | Greek text |
| ∏ | N-ary product | U+220F | Product of a sequence (Mac: Option + Shift + P) |
| ϖ | Greek pi symbol | U+03D6 | Variant glyph in some maths texts |
For the number, always use the small letter π (U+03C0). The large ∏ is a different mathematical operator, not a capital π for decoration.
Office, Spreadsheets & Code
- Excel / Google Sheets:
=PI()returns 3.14159265358979 (15 significant digits).=UNICHAR(960)returns the π character for labels. - Google Docs: Insert → Special characters → search "pi", or Insert → Equation and type
\pifollowed by a space. - LaTeX:
$\pi$in maths mode;\Pifor the capital. - Python:
math.pifor the value;"\u03c0"for the character. - JavaScript:
Math.PIfor the value;"\u03C0"for the character.
Phones & Laptops
- Android (Gboard): tap
?123, then=\<— π is on the second symbols page. - iPhone / iPad: the default English keyboard has no π key. Add the Greek keyboard (Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards) and type p, or create a Text Replacement such as
;pi→ π. - Windows laptops without a keypad: press Win + ., open the Symbols tab (Ω) and look in the Greek section, or use Character Map.
About π
Pi is the ratio of a circle's circumference to its diameter: approximately 3.14159265358979. It is irrational, so its decimal expansion never ends or repeats. Common approximations are 3.14 and 22/7 (which is slightly too large, about 3.142857).
The Welsh mathematician William Jones used π for the constant in 1706, and Leonhard Euler's adoption of it in the 1730s and 1740s made the notation standard. Pi Day is celebrated on March 14 (3/14).
Technical Details
Unicode: U+03C0
HTML Entity: π
HTML Decimal: π
Alt Code (Windows): Alt + 227 (OEM code page 437)
Unicode block: Greek and Coptic
Name: GREEK SMALL LETTER PI