How to Type the Standard Deviation Symbol (σ)

You don’t need a large data set to type the standard deviation sign (σ) also known as the lowercase sigma symbol. 

Learn the handful of quick and easy methods below. 

How to Insert the Standard Deviation Symbol in Microsoft Word

When using Microsoft Word on a PC, click to the place in your document where you would like to insert the standard deviation symbol. Next, hold the Alt key and type the numbers 229.  

The Advanced Symbols library in Microsoft Word is another place to find the standard deviation symbol. You can access the Advanced Symbols library under the Insert tab. Once you access the library, double-click the standard deviation symbol to include it in your document.

Standard Deviation Symbol

If you plan on using the standard deviation symbol multiple times in a Microsoft Word document, you can adjust your AutoCorrect options to automatically replace a word or phrase (such as “standard deviation”) with the symbol. 

How to Insert the Standard Deviation Symbol on a Mac

Open your Mac’s Character Viewer to insert the standard deviation symbol. To do this, locate hold down the Control, Command, and Spacebar keys. Then search for “sigma,” since the symbol for standard deviation is also the lower-case Greek letter sigma. Double-click the standard deviation symbol or highlight and drag the symbol into your document. 

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Another way to include the symbol in your document is to copy and paste the symbol from this article: σ. 

How to Insert the Standard Deviation Symbol on a Mobile Device

Typing the standard deviation symbol is just as easy from the keyboard of an IOS or Android device.

On an iPhone, change your keyboard settings to include Greek. Under Settings, tap General, then Keyboards. From here, you can “Add New Keyboard.” Now you can open the application where you would like to type the standard deviation sign, which is the second letter from the left on the second row of the lower-case keyboard. 

To type the standard deviation symbol on an Android device, download Gboard, the Google Keyboard. Open the application where you would like to type the standard deviation symbol. Select the numbers and symbols tab, then tap on the symbol.

Additional Resources

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