Short answer: On Windows, hold Alt and type 10003 on the numeric keypad for ✓ (10007 for ✗, 9745 for ☑). In Excel, use =UNICHAR(10003). On a Mac or phone, copy the one you need from the tool below.
Tap to copy a check, cross or box
Check marks, crosses and checkboxes are the language of to-do lists, forms, comparison tables and status columns — ✓ for yes/done, ✗ for no/failed, ☑ and ☐ for ticked and empty boxes. None sit on a standard keyboard, and in Excel there’s a right and a wrong way that decides whether your ticks survive a font change. This is part of the Stars & Hearts hub.
Quick reference
| Symbol | Name | Windows (keypad) | HTML | Unicode |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ✓ | Check mark | Alt + 10003 | ✓ | U+2713 |
| ✔ | Heavy check | Alt + 10004 | ✔ | U+2714 |
| ✗ | Cross (ballot X) | Alt + 10007 | ✗ | U+2717 |
| ✘ | Heavy cross | Alt + 10008 | ✘ | U+2718 |
| ☑ | Checked box | Alt + 9745 | ☑ | U+2611 |
| ☐ | Empty box | Alt + 9744 | ☐ | U+2610 |
| ☒ | Crossed box | Alt + 9746 | ☒ | U+2612 |
Windows
Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type the code on the numeric keypad (not the number row): Alt + 10003 for ✓, Alt + 10007 for ✗, Alt + 9745 for ☑, Alt + 9744 for ☐. These are Unicode values and work in Unicode-aware apps like Word, WordPad and browsers.
No numeric keypad? Press Win + . to open the emoji and symbols panel and search check or ballot, or use Character Map. If an Alt code returns the wrong character, you’re on the top-row numbers — see why Alt codes don’t work.
Excel — the portable way (and the trap)
Excel is where most people need a tick, and where the common advice quietly backfires. Two approaches:
- Unicode (recommended, portable): use =UNICHAR(10003) for ✓, =UNICHAR(9745) for ☑, =UNICHAR(10007) for ✗. Or go Insert → Symbol, choose the Segoe UI Symbol font, and pick ✓. These stay check marks no matter what font the cell later uses.
- Wingdings (legacy, fragile): set the cell font to Wingdings and type Alt + 0252 for a tick. It works, but the character is really the letter “ü” dressed up by the Wingdings font — change the font, copy it elsewhere, or export to CSV/PDF and it can turn back into a plain letter.
Rule: if the sheet will be shared, exported or reused, use the Unicode method. Keep Wingdings only for a quick throwaway tick. (More spreadsheet symbol tips: symbols in Google Sheets.)
Word and Google Docs
Microsoft Word: type the Unicode hex then Alt + X — 2713 → ✓, 2717 → ✗, 2611 → ☑, 2610 → ☐. Or go Insert → Symbol → More Symbols and choose the Segoe UI Symbol font. For clickable checkboxes in a form, use the Developer tab → Check Box Content Control.
Google Docs: go to Insert → Special characters and search check, tick or ballot. For an interactive checklist, use Format → Bullets & numbering → Checklist.
Mac
macOS has no dedicated Option shortcut for these. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search check, cross or ballot, and double-click to insert. For coloured versions, the emoji picker has ✅ and ❌.
iPhone and Android
The default keyboards don’t carry the plain text marks (✓ ✗ ☑). Copy them from the tool above, or use the emoji keyboard for the emoji versions — ✅ (check), ❌ (cross), ☑️ (checked box). For repeat use, save a text replacement (iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement; Android: Settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary).
Chromebook / Linux: press Ctrl + Shift + U, type the hex (2713 for ✓), then Enter.
HTML / web: ✓ has a named entity ✓ (also ✓); the others use numeric entities — ✗ ✗, ☑ ☑, ☐ ☐.
✓ is not √
The check mark ✓ (U+2713) looks a lot like the square-root sign √ (U+221A), but they’re different characters with different meanings. Use ✓ for “done/correct”; use √ only for maths — see the square root symbol. Pasting a tick where a root belongs (or vice versa) is a common and easy-to-miss slip.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Tick turns into a plain letter | You used the Wingdings font trick and the font changed. Use =UNICHAR(10003) or a real Unicode ✓ instead. |
| Alt + 10003 does nothing | Num Lock off, or top-row numbers used. Use the numeric keypad. Some Excel/PowerPoint builds ignore this code — use Insert → Symbol there. |
| ✓ shows as a box ▯ | The font lacks the glyph. Switch to Segoe UI Symbol, Arial or a similar common font. More: symbol showing as a box. |
| Need a clickable checkbox | In Word use the Developer tab’s Check Box control; in Google Docs use the Checklist bullet style. ☑/☐ are display-only glyphs. |
| Confused ✓ with √ | They’re different characters — ✓ is U+2713, √ is U+221A. |
Frequently asked questions
How do you type a check mark on Windows?
Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type 10003 on the numeric keypad for ✓, then release Alt. Use 10004 for the heavy check ✔. The number row above the letters won’t work — you need the keypad.
How do you insert a check mark in Excel?
The portable way is the formula =UNICHAR(10003) for ✓ (or =UNICHAR(9745) for ☑), or Insert → Symbol with the Segoe UI Symbol font. Avoid the Wingdings font trick for anything you’ll share or export, because the tick can revert to a plain letter when the font changes.
How do you type a checkbox ☑ or an empty box ☐?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 9745 for ☑, 9744 for ☐, or 9746 for ☒, using the numeric keypad. In Word, type 2611 or 2610 and press Alt + X. For a clickable checkbox, use Word’s Developer tab or a Google Docs checklist.
How do you type a check mark on a Mac?
There’s no dedicated Option shortcut. Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search “check” or “ballot”, and double-click the symbol. For coloured versions, use the emoji picker (✅ ❌).
What is the difference between the check mark ✓ and the square root √?
They look similar but are different characters: ✓ (U+2713) means done or correct, while √ (U+221A) is the mathematical square-root sign. Don’t substitute one for the other, especially in maths or code.
What are the Unicode code points and HTML entities for check and cross symbols?
✓ is U+2713 (HTML ✓), ✗ is U+2717 (✗), ☑ is U+2611 (☑) and ☐ is U+2610 (☐).
Recap
- Windows → Alt + 10003 (✓), 10007 (✗), 9745 (☑).
- Excel → =UNICHAR(10003) — portable, unlike the Wingdings trick.
- Word → 2713 then Alt + X.
- Mac / phone → copy it, or use Character Viewer / emoji.
Written by Igor R.. Tested on Windows 11, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Word, Excel and Google Docs. Last updated July 2026. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard.