By Igor R. · Updated September 2026 Tested on Windows 11, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Word and Google Docs. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard.
Short answer: On Windows, hold Alt and type 0167 (§), 0182 (¶), 0134 (†) or 0135 (‡) on the numeric keypad. On a Mac, press Option + 6 (§), Option + 7 (¶), Option + T (†) or Option + Shift + 7 (‡). The numero sign № has no Alt code on a US-English system — type 2116 then Alt + X.
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Need a different mark? The alt code finder has every symbol with its Windows, Mac and HTML method.
These five show up in contracts, court filings, academic papers and footnotes: the section sign §, the pilcrow ¶ (paragraph mark), the dagger †, the double dagger ‡ and the numero sign №. None are on a standard keyboard. Here’s the fastest way to type each, plus when to use which. This is part of the Punctuation hub.
Quick reference
| Symbol | Name | Windows (keypad) | Mac | Word | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| § | Section sign | Alt + 0167 | Option + 6 | 00A7 + Alt + X | § |
| ¶ | Pilcrow (paragraph) | Alt + 0182 | Option + 7 | 00B6 + Alt + X | ¶ |
| † | Dagger | Alt + 0134 | Option + T | 2020 + Alt + X | † |
| ‡ | Double dagger | Alt + 0135 | Option + Shift + 7 | 2021 + Alt + X | ‡ |
| № | Numero sign | none | none | 2116 + Alt + X | № |
The two gaps in that last row are real, not omissions — see below.
Windows
Alt codes (numeric keypad, Num Lock on): 0167 §, 0182 ¶, 0134 †, 0135 ‡. Use the keypad, not the top-row numbers.
No numeric keypad? In Word, type the Unicode hex and press Alt + X — 00A7 → §, 00B6 → ¶, 2020 → †, 2021 → ‡, 2116 → №. Or use Win + . and search the name. If an Alt code returns the wrong character, you’re on the number row — see why Alt codes don’t work.
The numero Alt code trap
You’ll find Alt + 0185 listed for № on plenty of sites. On a US-English Windows system it gives ¹ (superscript one), not №.
Here’s why. Alt codes with a leading zero read from your system’s active code page. On US-English Windows that’s Windows-1252, and № isn’t in Windows-1252 at all — nor in the older CP437 that no-leading-zero codes use. № only sits at 185 in Windows-1251, the Cyrillic code page. So the shortcut is real, but only on a Russian-locale system.
On a US-English machine there is no Alt code for №. Use 2116 + Alt + X in Word, the Win + . panel elsewhere, or copy it from above.
Mac
Each of the four editorial marks has a clean Option shortcut: Option + 6 for §, Option + 7 for ¶, Option + T for †, and Option + Shift + 7 for ‡. They work system-wide.
№ has no Option shortcut. Open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search numero, or enable Unicode Hex Input and press Option + 2116. If you forget any of the others, the Character Viewer also finds them by name — search section, pilcrow or dagger.
Word, Google Docs and the web
Microsoft Word: the Alt + X hex method above is most reliable, or go Insert → Symbol → Special Characters, where § and ¶ have their own entries.
Google Docs: Insert → Special characters, then search section, pilcrow, dagger or numero. The Mac Option keys and Windows Alt codes also work in a document.
Chromebook / Linux: press Ctrl + Shift + U, type the hex (00a7 §, 00b6 ¶, 2020 †, 2021 ‡, 2116 №), then Enter.
Phones: these aren’t on the default keyboards — copy them from the tool above, and save the ones you use as text replacements (iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement; Android: Personal dictionary).
Russian and Ukrainian layouts carry № on the number row, since it’s standard in Cyrillic typography. If you write in Russian regularly, installing the layout is faster than any shortcut — see how to type in Russian.
HTML / web: § (§), ¶ (¶), † (†), ‡ (‡). № has no named entity — use the numeric form №. The others are §, ¶, †, ‡.
When to use which
- § — section sign. Cites a numbered section, especially in law: Bluebook style writes 16 U.S.C. § 580p. Use §§ for a range of sections (§§ 1–5), not a single one.
- ¶ — pilcrow. Marks or cites a paragraph (see ¶ 8 of the complaint). In Word, the ¶ toolbar button toggles formatting marks so you can see paragraph breaks. It’s also called the paragraph mark or “blind P”.
- † and ‡ — daggers. Footnote markers used after the asterisk when symbols (not numbers) are used. The dagger also historically means “died” beside a date in biographies and genealogy.
- № — numero sign. Means “number” before a figure: № 5, room № 12. Standard in Russian, Ukrainian and much of continental European typography; rare in modern English and American usage, where No. is the norm.
Footnote symbol order: when you’re using symbols instead of numbers, the standard sequence is * † ‡ § ‖ ¶ — asterisk, dagger, double dagger, section, parallels, pilcrow.
№ has two lookalikes and one hidden behaviour
It is not Nº and not N°. Those are two characters faked with a masculine ordinal indicator (º, U+00BA) or a degree sign (°, U+00B0). № is a single character, U+2116. If you’ve ever been unsure which of those you’re looking at, degree vs ordinal untangles the whole family.
And it quietly decomposes. № carries a compatibility decomposition to the letters N and o — normalise the text and № becomes the two-character string No. That’s by design, since it was encoded for round-tripping with legacy East Asian and Cyrillic character sets. The practical consequence: search, sorting and any system that normalises input may silently treat № 5 and No 5 as the same string, or split your single character in two. (What Unicode normalisation is doing here.)
So when should you use it? Use № when you’re writing Russian or Ukrainian, setting continental European material, or reproducing a citation that uses it. In English, No. is clearer, universally typeable and won’t get mangled — the same “don’t reach for the special character when a plain one does the job” logic that applies to Roman numerals.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Alt + 0167 does nothing | Num Lock off, or you used the top-row numbers. Use the numeric keypad. |
| Laptop has no numpad | Use Word’s hex + Alt + X (00A7, 00B6, 2020, 2021, 2116), or copy from above. |
| Alt + 0185 gives ¹, not № | № isn’t in Windows-1252. That code only works on a Cyrillic-locale system. Use 2116 + Alt + X. |
| Mixed up § and ¶ | § is the section sign (stacked S’s); ¶ is the paragraph mark (a reversed P). |
| № turned into “No” somewhere | Unicode normalisation — № decomposes to N + o by design. Expected, not a bug. |
№ doesn’t work in HTML | There’s no named entity for №. Use №. |
| Symbol shows as a box ▯ | The font lacks the glyph. Switch to Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman. More: symbol showing as a box. |
Frequently asked questions
How do you type the section symbol § on Windows and Mac?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0167 on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on. On a Mac, press Option + 6. In Word you can also type 00A7 and press Alt + X.
How do you type the pilcrow or paragraph symbol ¶?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0182 on the numeric keypad; on a Mac, press Option + 7. In Word, type 00B6 then Alt + X. The ¶ button on Word’s toolbar toggles the display of paragraph formatting marks.
How do you type a dagger † and double dagger ‡?
On Windows, use Alt + 0134 for † and Alt + 0135 for ‡. On a Mac, press Option + T for † and Option + Shift + 7 for ‡. In Word, type 2020 or 2021 and press Alt + X.
What is the difference between § and ¶, and when do you use each?
§ is the section sign, used to cite a numbered section (for example 16 U.S.C. § 580p, or §§ 1–5 for a range). ¶ is the pilcrow, used to mark or cite a paragraph (see ¶ 8). Legal writing often uses them together.
What order do footnote symbols go in?
When using symbols instead of numbers, the standard order is asterisk, dagger, double dagger, section sign, parallels, pilcrow: * † ‡ § ‖ ¶.
How do you type the numero sign № and when should you use it?
There is no Alt code for № on a US-English system, because the character is absent from the Windows-1252 code page — the widely shared Alt + 0185 only works on a Cyrillic-locale machine and otherwise produces ¹. Type 2116 followed by Alt + X in Word, or copy it. Use № for Russian, Ukrainian and continental European material; in English, No. is clearer and safer.
Recap
- § → Alt + 0167 / Option + 6. Use §§ for a range.
- ¶ → Alt + 0182 / Option + 7.
- † / ‡ → Alt + 0134 / 0135; Option + T / Option + Shift + 7.
- № → no Alt code and no Option shortcut. 2116 + Alt + X, or copy it.
- Footnote order: * † ‡ § ‖ ¶.
- In English, prefer No. over № unless you’re reproducing a citation.
Written by Igor R. Tested on Windows 11, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Word and Google Docs. Last updated September 2026. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard.