The approximately equal sign is a symbol that looks like two wavy lines, like so: ≈. You can type it using your keyboard’s Alt key (hold it down and press the corresponding number) or by using an emoji or text-to-speech converter. If you don’t have a numpad, the Alt method will work too.
You may not use the approximately equal sign every day, but there are scenarios where this is very useful. For example, in math and science, we use it as a comparison operator when comparing quantities that are almost the same. In this case, the “≈” would be used instead of the standard “=” to denote that they’re close in value. It might also come up if you need to represent a value that approximates something else.
You can use this sign in most applications, including Microsoft Word, Excel, or other programs that accept Unicode characters. You’ll need to know its alt code (the number associated with it) to use it on a Windows device. Here’s how.
How to Type the Approximately Equal Sign on a Keyboard
If you don’t have access to any special keys for typing symbols, you can still type them using their Alt codes. This is especially useful for those who only use laptops without a separate numeric keypad (numpad), and it works well even if you do use a tenkeyless or dedicated numpad.
On a Windows computer, here’s what you need to do:
Hold down the Alt key.
Type the approximate equal sign’s alt code using the numeric keypad.
Release the Alt key and done! You’ve typed the approximately equal sign.
This should work on just about any application, including Microsoft Word, Excel, and other similar programs.
Alternatively, if you’re unable to use the numeric keypad, you can use the emoji keyboard instead. The process varies slightly by operating system. For example, on iOS, you can open up the emoji keyboard and then click the “…” button, followed by “Symbols,” and then select “Approximately equal to.” On Android, you can tap the globe icon on the virtual keyboard, which opens the emoji keyboard. Once you’re inside, you can either scroll down until you find the symbol you want or search for it by name.
Another way is to simply copy and paste the symbol directly into whatever program you’re working within.
When to Use the Approximately Equal Sign Versus the Tilde
There are two signs that indicate approximation: the tilde (~) and the approximately equal to sign (≈). These are not interchangeable — depending on context — and they each have slightly different connotations.
For example, if you were to say that one number is “approximately equal to” another, you’d write “≈” rather than the tilde. However, in a more general mathematical context, “~” means “approximately.”
It all depends on whether you’re using it to compare two things, such as two values, or not. The approximately equal sign is typically used in contexts where = would otherwise appear, while the tilde is used when you’re indicating that something is approximately true without making a direct comparison.