ASCII Symbol for Degree: How to Use ° in HTML, Excel, and Word

The ASCII symbol for degree (°) is widely used. It shows temperature, angles, or degrees of latitude. You may want to use it in different programs. This guide will show you how to type or insert the degree symbol in HTML, Excel, and Word.

We will keep it simple and clear. You will learn step-by-step methods for each software. Let’s get started.

What is the Degree Symbol?

The degree symbol (°) is a small raised circle. It appears right after a number. For example, 25°C or 90° angle. It is not a standard ASCII character. ASCII supports only 128 basic characters. But it has extended codes. The degree symbol is part of the extended ASCII set or Unicode set. In decimal, its ASCII value is 176.

How to Type the Degree Symbol Using a Keyboard

Before we go into HTML, Excel, or Word, here is a quick tip. You can type the degree symbol on most keyboards.

On Windows:

• Hold down the Alt key.
• While holding, type 0176 on the numeric keypad.
• Release the Alt key. The ° symbol appears.

On Mac:

• Press Option + Shift + 8.
• You will see the degree symbol instantly.

This method works in most software that supports text input.

ASCII Symbol for Degree in HTML

If you are writing code in HTML, there are two easy ways to insert the degree symbol.

Method 1: Use HTML Entity

The easiest way is to use HTML character entities. This makes sure the browser reads it correctly.

Here are the two main options:

• ° – Most common. Example: 25°C
• ° – Uses the ASCII code. Example: 25°C

Both give the same result: 25°C

When to Use This:

Use it in:

• Websites
• Emails written in HTML
• Blog posts with HTML editing

Example in HTML:

htmlCopyEdit<p>The temperature today is 30&deg;C.</p>

This will show: The temperature today is 30°C.

ASCII Symbol for Degree in Microsoft Excel

You can easily add the degree symbol in Excel. Here are three simple methods.

Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut

Use the Windows shortcut:

• Click the cell where you want the symbol.
• Press Alt + 0176 using the numeric keypad.
• The symbol will appear.

Method 2: Use CHAR Function

The CHAR function in Excel can insert ASCII symbols.

Type this in a cell:

excelCopyEdit=CHAR(176)

This will show: °

You can combine it with numbers like this:

excelCopyEdit=25 & CHAR(176) & "C"

Result: 25°C

Method 3: Insert Symbol Menu

• Click on the cell.
• Go to the Insert tab.
• Click Symbol on the right.
• Choose Unicode (hex) or ASCII (decimal).
• Find character code 176.
• Click Insert.

This works well if you don’t remember the shortcuts.

ASCII Symbol for Degree in Microsoft Word

Word makes it very simple to add the ASCII symbol for degree. Here are several methods.

Method 1: Keyboard Shortcut

Just press Alt + 0176 on the numeric keypad. The ° symbol will appear in your text.

Method 2: Using Symbol Dialog

• Go to the Insert tab.
• Click Symbol → More Symbols.
• Choose font: (normal text).
• Set subset to Latin-1 Supplement.
• Scroll down or enter code: 176.
• Click Insert, then Close.

Now you have the degree symbol in your Word document.

Method 3: Use Superscript Zero

If nothing else works, type the number 0, highlight it, then:

• Go to the Home tab.
• Click the Superscript (x²) icon.

It looks like the degree sign, but this is just a trick. It is not the real symbol.

ASCII Symbol for Degree in Unicode

The ASCII symbol for degree is also available in Unicode. Unicode is a universal standard for text.

The degree symbol has the Unicode code U+00B0. In HTML, you can also write it as °.

This is helpful if you’re writing software or scripts that support Unicode.

Using the Degree Symbol in Other Programs

Here are a few more tools where you can use the degree symbol.

Google Docs:

• Click where you want the symbol.
• Go to Insert → Special characters.
• Search for “degree.”
• Click the degree symbol to insert it.

Google Sheets:

• Use the formula:

excelCopyEdit=CHAR(176)

Just like Excel.

PowerPoint:

• Same as Word.
• Use Alt + 0176 or the Insert Symbol method.

Mobile Devices:

• On iPhone/iPad: Hold the 0 key, and you’ll see the degree symbol.
• On Android: Long press the 0 key, and the ° symbol appears.

ASCII Symbol for Degree in Programming

You may need the symbol in programming or scripting.

In Python:

pythonCopyEditprint("Temperature: 25\u00B0C")

In JavaScript:

javascriptCopyEditlet temp = "25\u00B0C";
console.log(temp);

In JSON:

jsonCopyEdit{ "temp": "25\u00B0C" }

Always use Unicode escapes in programming to avoid errors.

Common Uses of the Degree Symbol

Here are some common ways we use the degree symbol:

1. Temperature: 30°C, 98.6°F
2. Angles: 90°, 45°
3. Geography: 40°N, 74°W
4. Engineering: Tolerances and slopes
5. Science: Chemistry or physics values

Final Tips

• Use Alt + 0176 for quick typing.
• In HTML, use ° or °.
• In Excel, use CHAR(176).
• In Word, use Insert → Symbol.

The ASCII symbol for degree is easy to use once you know these steps.

It helps in many fields like science, math, and writing.

Conclusion

The ASCII symbol for degree (°) is very useful. It’s simple to add in HTML, Excel, or Word. Just use the right shortcuts or functions. Now you can add ° in your work quickly and easily. Make your documents, websites, and sheets look more professional.