How to Type the Plus or Minus Symbol
Use ± in measurements, estimates, math notes, and reports without formatting mistakes.
What ± means
The plus or minus symbol ± usually shows a tolerance, range, or possible variation. For example, 10 ± 0.5 mm means the value can be slightly above or below 10 mm.
The easiest way to type it
If you do not remember your operating system shortcut, copy ± and paste it. This is often faster than searching through a symbol dialog, especially on shared computers.
Avoid a common mistake
Do not type “+/-” in polished documents if the real symbol is available. The Unicode symbol looks cleaner and is easier to read in reports, specs, and academic work.
Related symbol collections
If you want more options, browse our mathematical symbols. These pages are useful when you need to compare similar characters before copying one into a document.
Is ± supported everywhere?
Yes, it is a standard Unicode character and works in modern browsers, documents, spreadsheets, and most apps.