It is easy to tell square root of 9 is equal to 3. However, typing this in a readable format is not simple. You can use equation editor in Microsoft Office or use dedicated applications like LaTex. Unfortunately, using equation editor in Word or Excel is difficult task as the content will not align with other text content on your document. Also, for the use of few times you don’t need equation editor. When you want to type square root, cube root and fourth root symbols on your documents then the easy way is to use alt code shortcuts.
Alt Code Shortcut for Square Root Symbol
Square root or principal square root symbol √ does not have 2 on the root. When A2=B then A is the square root of B indicated as √B = A. For example, √4 = 2. Here are the shortcuts for square root in Windows and Mac computers.
| Symbol Name | Square Root |
| Category | Mathematical symbol |
| Alt Code (Windows) | Alt 8730 |
| Alt + X (Word) | 221A Alt X |
| Option Code (Mac) | Option 221A |
| HTML Entity Name | √ |
| HTML Entity Decimal | √ |
| HTML Entity Hexadecimal | √ |
| CSS Value | \221A; |
| JS Value | \u221A |
| Decimal | 8730 |
| Hexadecimal | 221A |
| Unicode Point | U+221A |
Alt Code Shortcut for Cube Root Symbol
When A3 = B then A is the cube root of B indicated as ∛B = A. For example, ∛8 = 2.
| Symbol Name | Cube Root |
| Category | Mathematical symbol |
| Alt Code (Windows) | Alt 8731 |
| Alt + X (Word) | 221B Alt X |
| Option Code (Mac) | Option 221B |
| HTML Entity Decimal | ∛ |
| HTML Entity Hexadecimal | ∛ |
| CSS Value | \221B; |
| JS Value | \u221B |
| Decimal | 8731 |
| Hexadecimal | 221B |
| Unicode Point | U+221B |
Alt Code Shortcuts for Fourth Root Symbol
When A4 = B then A is the fourth root of B indicated as ∜B = A. For example, ∜16 = 2.
| Symbol Name | Fourth Root |
| Category | Mathematical symbol |
| Alt Code (Windows) | Alt 8732 |
| Alt + X (Word) | 221C Alt X |
| Option Code (Mac) | Option 221C |
| HTML Entity Decimal | ∜ |
| HTML Entity Hexadecimal | ∜ |
| CSS Value | \221C; |
| JS Value | \u221C |
| Decimal | 8732 |
| Hexadecimal | 221C |
| Unicode Point | U+221C |
Typing Square Root, Cube Root and Fourth Root in Windows
Follow one of the methods in Windows based documents like Word, PowerPoint, Excel and Outlook.
- Press the alt key and type 8730 using numeric keypad to make square root √ symbol.
- Only on Microsoft Word documents, type 221B and press alt and x keys to make cube root symbol ∛.
- Press “Win + ;” keys to open Windows emoji keyboard. Click on the “Symbols” icon and then “Math” symbols. Search and insert square root and other high-order root symbols.
- When you are in Office application like Word, go to “Insert > Symbols” and insert root symbols.
- Enable Math AutoCorrect function to type with keyboard shortcuts like below:
| \sqrt | √ | Square root |
| \cbrt | ∛ | Cube root |
| \qdrt | ∜ | Fourth root |
Inserting on Mac Documents
- On MacBook, change the keyboard layout to Unicode Hex Input. Hold the option or alt key and type 221C to produce fourth root symbol ∜.
- Open Character Viewer by pressing “Control + Command + Space”. Either go to “Math Symbols” or search for “root” using the search box. Find the square, cube or fourth root symbols to insert on Pages, Keynote and Numbers.
Symbol Display
As you can see the root symbols will not have the top horizontal line when typing with shortcuts. However, on Mac, you can select the font variations from Character Viewer that includes the top bar in the root symbols.
√
∛
∜
Other Names for Root Symbols
In mathematics, square root and other root symbols are referred with the below names.
- Radical symbol
- Radical sign
- Root symbol
- Radix
- Surd
Arabic Cube and Fourth Root Symbols
The Unicode system has two more root symbols in Arabic as listed below.
| Symbol | ؆ | ؇ |
| Name | Arabic-Indic cube root | Arabic-Indic fourth root |
| Windows | Alt + 1542 | Alt + 1543 |
| Mac | Option + 0606 | Option + 0607 |
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