How to Type the Section Sign ( § ) on a PC Keyboard

Type the Section Symbol ( § ) on Windows

by | Jan 23, 2024 | Windows Tips and Resources

You can refer to a section—say, in a legal text—in brevity and style using the correct sign. Find out here how to type the section sign ( § ) on Windows, using a keyboard shortcut or the emoji panel.

First, Greek Next to Writing

In Ancient Greek, “next to (something) written” is paragraphos. This is, of course, the origin of the word paragraph.

Paragraphos was imported into English at least twice, however. The second time, it came by way of the French pelagreffe, as the Middle English pylcrafte, which turned into pilcrow.

The pilcrow marks a paragraph. By analogy, the silcrow (no Ancient Greek or Middle French heritage) marks a section; let’s add it to our documents and legal treatises:

How to Type the Section Sign ( § ) on Windows

On a Mac? How to Type the Section Sign ( § ) on a Mac
Looking for ‘¶’? How to Type the Paragraph Sign ( ¶ ) on Windows

To use the section sign in text on Windows 10, you can choose between a few different input methods—each with its little shortcomings, and each with its appeal.

Using the Windows Emoji Panel to Enter the Section Sign (Quick One-Up)

Time needed: 1 minute

To input the section (paragraph) sign character on Windows using its emoji panel:

  1. Press Windows . (period) to open the Windows emoji panel.

  2. Go to the %⟳△+ tab.

    Windows 10: Go to the Ω tab.

  3. Scroll to or select the < (General punctuation) section.

  4. Now click or tap § (section symbol) to insert the sign.

    After the section sign: Always insert a no-break space after the section sign followed by the section number; this prevents an unsightly and misplaced § sign alone by itself at the end of a line.
    Sections: If you refer to more than one section (or a range), use two section signs immediately following each other, like “See preamble, §§ 14–17”.
    Insert the section symbol on Windows using the emoji panel

Using the Windows Touch Keyboard (Swift Access)

To enter the section symbol with the full Windows 11 touch keyboard:

  1. Click or tap the Touch keyboard button to bring up the Windows touch keyboard.
  2. Enable the default layout for the touch keyboard.
    Here’s how: Click the settings gear icon, then select Keyboard layout | Default from the menu that has appeared.
  3. Tap or click and hold S.
  4. Highlight § in the selection that pops up.
  5. Let go to insert the section sign.
    Typing the section symbol with the Windows touch keyboard

Windows 10

You can also access the symbols panel using the full Windows 10 touch keyboard:

  1. Click or tap the Touch keyboard button in the Windows taskbar.
    No Touch keyboard button: If you do not see Touch keyboard in your taskbar, you can enable the button using the taskbar’s context menu.
  2. Tap or click &123 on the keyboard.
    No &123 button: If you see the on-screen keyboard—which lacks the &123 button—, click the keyboard options button and choose the first keyboard in the top row (the touch keyboard).
  3. Now click or tap Ω.
  4. Open the < section.
  5. Tap or click § to insert it.
    Type the section symbol with the Windows touch keyboard

Using the US-International Keyboard to Enter the Section Sign (Permanently Easy)

To type the section sign ( § ) directly on the keyboard, use the United States-International keyboard:

  1. Enable the United States-International keyboard layout for Windows.
  2. Press and hold the Windows key.
  3. Press Space repeatedly until the ENG INTL keyboard is highlighted.
  4. Let go of the Windows and Space keys.
    Taskbar: You can also switch to the United States-International keyboard using the Windows taskbar.
  5. Now press AltGr Shift S to insert the section sign §.

Using the Windows Alt Code for the Section Sign (Requires a Numeric Keypad)

To enter the section sign with the numeric keyboard and the Windows Alt code:

  1. Do turn on NumLock.
  2. Press and hold the Alt key.
  3. Now type 0167 on the numeric keypad.
    NumLock required: Using the number keys above the letters on the keyboard does not work.
  4. Release Alt.

How to Type the Section Symbol Using Unicode (Cumbersome but Universal)

To insert the section symbol using Unicode and NumPad in Windows:

  1. Press and hold Alt.
  2. Press + on the numeric keyboard.
  3. Now type 000000A7.
  4. Release the Alt key.

Using the MS Office Symbol Dialog (Easy in Word and other Office Applications)

You can also easily enter the section sign in documents using the ribbon or a keyboard shortcut in Word and other Office applications.

How to Type the Section Sign ( § ) on Windows: FAQ

Can I copy and paste the section sign?

Yes. You can copy the ‘§’ sign for posting anywhere using the following button:

§

How do I type the subsection symbol?

You can use the section symbol to refer to both sections and subsections. The hierarchy will be in the section numbering scheme—e.g., sections using upper and subsections lower case or hierarchical numbering with dot as a separator.

Examples: “§ 14” for a section, “§ a” for subsection a, or “§ 14.3” for subsection 14.3.

How do I enter the section sign in LaTeX?

To use the section sign in LaTeX, enter \S.

(How to type the section symbol (§) tested with Windows 11 Version 22H2 and Windows 10 Version 21H1; updated January 2024)

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