Using the degree symbol

While this probably won’t be useful to most readers, I thought I would share how to produce the degree symbol (°) using only your keyboard, on both a PC and a Mac.

On a PC: Hold the Alt key, then type 0176 on the numeric keypad, and release the Alt key.

On a Mac: Hold the Option key, type k, release the Option key.

In Mac software, the symbol for the Option key looks like a two-pronged fork. The confusing key names and symbols are one of the things I like least about Macs. They really put me off using hotkey combinations, even though I have been using Macs daily for about four years now.

Anyhow, you can now use the appropriate symbol when writing phrases like: “avoiding a mean temperature increase of more than 2°C above pre-industrial levels.”

Author: Milan

In the spring of 2005, I graduated from the University of British Columbia with a degree in International Relations and a general focus in the area of environmental politics. In the fall of 2005, I began reading for an M.Phil in IR at Wadham College, Oxford. Outside school, I am very interested in photography, writing, and the outdoors. I am writing this blog to keep in touch with friends and family around the world, provide a more personal view of graduate student life in Oxford, and pass on some lessons I've learned here. View all posts by Milan