Pi Symbol (π)

Copy the pi symbol π with one click below. On Windows, hold Alt and type 227 on the number pad. On a Mac, press Option + P. Pi is about 3.14159, the number you get when you divide any circle’s distance around by its width.

Pi symbol codes

These are the pi signs, with the HTML code and the Windows Alt code. Each sign in the tool above also shows its Unicode number.

Sign	HTML	Alt
π Small pi	π	227
Π Capital pi	Π	None
ϖ Pi variant	ϖ	None
ℼ Double-struck pi	ℼ	None
𝜋 Math italic pi	𝜋	None
∏ Product sign	∏	None

Use Alt + 227 with no zero in front. Alt + 0227 gives ã, a letter used in Portuguese, because the codes with a 0 come from a different character set. Our Alt Code Finder shows both kinds side by side.

How to type the pi symbol

Windows

Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, type 227 on the number pad and let go of Alt. The number keys above the letters do not work for Alt codes. On a laptop without a number pad, press Windows key + . (period), click the Ω tab and look through the symbol lists for π. Our Alt codes guide explains the rest.

Mac

Press Option + P on the standard US keyboard. Option + Shift + P gives ∏, the product sign. Our Mac symbols guide has more Option shortcuts like these.

Microsoft Word

Type 03C0 and press Alt + X. Or press Alt + = to start an equation, type \pi and press Space.

Skip the old trick of typing p in the Symbol font. It looks like π on your screen, but it is still the letter p, so it turns back into a p when you paste it into an email, a website or Google Docs.

Google Docs

Go to Insert > Symbols > Special characters and search for “pi”. Inside an equation (Insert > Symbols > Equation), type \pi and press Space. Our Google Docs guide shows more ways.

Excel and Google Sheets

There are two different things here. =PI() gives the number 3.14159265358979, which you can use in math, like =PI()*A1^2 for the area of a circle. =UNICHAR(960) gives the π sign as text, for labels and headings.

iPhone and Android

The iPhone keyboard has no π key, so copy it from this page or set up a shortcut in Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement. On Android, Gboard has π on the second symbols page: tap ?123, then =\<.

Chromebook

Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 3c0, then press Space or Enter.

HTML, CSS and LaTeX

In HTML, use π or π. In CSS, use content: "\03C0";. In LaTeX, \pi gives π, \Pi gives Π and \varpi gives ϖ.

What does π mean?

Pi is the ratio of a circle’s circumference to its diameter. It is the same for every circle, big or small, and it starts 3.14159 26535 89793. The digits never end and never fall into a repeating pattern.

You meet it in the two circle formulas everyone learns in school. The distance around a circle is 2πr, and the area is πr². For a circle with a radius of 5 cm, the area is π × 5² ≈ 78.5 cm². When you only need a rough answer, 3.14 or 22/7 is close enough.

π, Π or ∏: which one do you need?

Sign	Use it for
π	The number pi, 3.14159…
Π	The capital Greek letter, in Greek words and names
∏	Multiplying a list of numbers in math, the product sign
ϖ	An old form of pi seen in some physics and astronomy formulas

Π and ∏ look close, but they are different characters. In math, use ∏ for a product, the way ∑ is used for a sum. Our math symbols page lists both.

Where the π sign comes from

The Welsh mathematician William Jones first used π for this number in 1706. The Swiss mathematician Leonhard Euler started using it in the 1730s, and because his books were read all over Europe, the sign stuck. The letter was likely picked because it is the first letter of the Greek words for “periphery” and “perimeter”.

Today pi even has its own day. March 14 is Pi Day, because in the US the date is written 3/14.

Frequently asked questions

What is the Alt code for pi?

Alt + 227 on the number pad. Do not add a zero in front, because Alt + 0227 gives ã.

How do I type pi on a Mac?

Press Option + P. It works in almost every app on the US keyboard layout.

What is the HTML code for pi?

π or π. Both show π.

Is π exactly 3.14?

No. 3.14 is a rounded value. Pi has endless digits, so 3.14, 3.1416 and 22/7 are all close approximations, not the exact value.

How do I use pi in Excel?

Use =PI() inside a formula, for example =PI()*2^2 for the area of a circle with a radius of 2. Typing the π sign itself into a formula will not work.

Sources: the Unicode Greek and Coptic chart (U+03C0), the Mathematical Operators chart (U+220F) and Florian Cajori’s A History of Mathematical Notations (1928). Written by Muhammad Ilyas, updated October 2026.

More math signs: infinity ∞, square root √, multiplication sign × and all math symbols in one place.