Official documentation
Insert ASCII or Unicode character codes in Word
Microsoft Support, 2026
Read the originalRead on October 16, 2026
- What it is
- Microsoft's guide to typing symbols in Word with Alt codes and Unicode codes, with a table of legal, currency and math symbols and their codes. It says to type ASCII codes on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on.
- How much weight it carries
- Official Microsoft documentation for Word on Windows. Symbol codes and key behavior can differ on Mac and in other apps, and the font must contain the character. We checked the page on 16 October 2026 and did not test the codes in every Word version.
Facts taken from this source
- Microsoft's table of legal symbols in Word lists the section sign (§) as ALT+0167.
“Legal symbols © ALT+0169 ® ALT+0174 § ALT+0167 ™ ALT+0153” (Table of symbols, Legal symbols)
- Microsoft says to type ASCII character codes with the numeric keypad and Num Lock on, not the number row across the top of the keyboard.
“Use the numeric keypad with Num Lock on to type the ASCII numbers, not the numbers across the top of your keyboard.” (Inserting ASCII Characters)