How to insert alpha symbol in Word: 4 Methods

Alpha (α), the first Greek alphabets is one of the most commonly used Greek letters in mathematics and science. However, inserting alpha symbol in Word is not straightforward as there is not keys associated with it. So, in this blog you learn four different methods to type Alpha (α) symbol in Microsoft Word.

Four methods to type alpha symbol in Microsoft Word

Table of Contents

Method 1: Math Autocorrect – The smartest way to insert Alpha

To insert alpha, simply type “\alpha” and hit space. This is math autocorrect shortcut and works only inside equation editor by default. However, using the following one time setting, you can make it work outside equation editor too.

Click Files → Options to open Word Options
Navigate to Proofing and click AutoCorrect Options button to open Auto Correct window
Navigate to Math Autocorrect tab
Check the box against “Use Math Autocorrect options outside Math region“
Click Ok and close all the dialogue box

Enable math autocorrect outside math region — How to enable Math Autocorrect shortcut

Method 2: Insert > Symbols

It is the most commonly used method to insert symbols in Word including Greek letter. To insert Alpha (α):

Navigate to Insert Tab > Symbols and click on More Symbols. to open Symbol window.
Select “normal text” or any other desired font in Font and “Greek and Coptic” in Subset.
Search for “α” symbol and double click it to insert.
Click Cancel to close the Symbol Window.

Method 3: Alt X Code – Fast but need to memorize code

In this method, you type 03b1 (Alt X code of Alpha) and press Alt X immediately after it to get α.

Method 4: Alt Code

This method is universal (i.e. works even outside of Ms Word) but needs a dedicated Number Pad keys in your keyboard. To type alpha, hold down Alt key and type 224 using special number pad keys.

Summary

Four methods to type alpha viz. Math Autocorrect, Insert > Symbols, Alt X and Alt code are summarized below.

Method	Description
Math Autocorrect (Fastest and Easiest)	Type \alpha & hit space. Works in equation editor, but with one time setting can be made to work everywhere.
Insert > Symbols	Navigate Insert > Symbols and click on More Symbols. In the Symbol widow, select “Greek and Coptic” in Subset and double click on α symbol to insert it.
Alt X	Type 03b1 and press ALT + X immediately after it.
Alt Code	Hold Alt key and type 224 using number pad keys. Works only with keyboard with dedicated Number Pad.

How to insert alpha symbol in Word (Windows)

C P Gupta

C P Gupta is a YouTuber and Blogger. He is expert in Microsoft Word, Excel and PowerPoint. His YouTube channel @pickupbrain is very popular and has crossed 9.9 Million Views.