How to Insert Square Root Symbol in Excel (8 Easy Ways)

This article will show you how to insert the square root symbol in Excel. Sometimes you may need to store irrational numbers as data in an Excel sheet. If you want to keep the exact form of that number, you require the square root symbol. For example, you want to store √5 instead of 2.236 (approximate value of √5). In that case, you should know how to insert the square root symbol in Excel. Please stay tuned to this article to see the processes of how to insert this common mathematical symbol in Excel.

How to Insert Square Root Symbol in Excel: 8 Easy Ways

In the following image, you will see the overview of this article. The square root is one of the most used symbols in Excel.

Please go through the whole article for a detailed explanation of these methods.

1) Using Excel Insert Tab to Insert Square Root Symbol

The most common process of inserting the square symbol is to search for this symbol in the Symbols ribbon and then insert it in a cell. Let’s go through the process below for a better understanding.

Steps:

• Select the cell where you want to show the square root symbol.
• Next, open the Insert tab -> Symbols group of commands (the last one on the tab) -> Click on the Symbol command.

• After that, the Symbol dialog box will appear. By default, the (normal text) as Font will be selected. In the Subset (on the right side of the dialog box), choose Mathematical Operators. And you will find the square root symbol.
• Press the Insert command (bottom-right corner of the dialog box) and then choose the Close button.

Read More: How to Insert Degree Symbol in Excel

2) Applying Character Code from Symbol Dialog Box to Insert Square Symbol

The process of this method is almost similar to the previous one.

Steps:

• First, select a cell (where you want to show the symbol).
• Open the Symbol dialog box (Insert tab -> Symbols group of commands -> Click on the Symbol command).

• In the dialog box, select Unicode (hex) from the drop-down (at the bottom right corner of the dialog, just above the Cancel button).
• In the Character code box type 221A. The square root symbol will be selected.
• Next, press the Insert and Close buttons respectively.

Read More: How to Add Symbol Before a Number in Excel

3) Using Excel UNICHAR Function to Insert Square Symbol

We can also use the UNICHAR function to insert the square root symbol.

Steps:

• First, type the following formula in any cell.

• After that, you will see the square root symbol with the number after the Ampersand symbol.

Read More: How to Type Math Symbols in Excel

4) Applying Keyboard Shortcut to Insert Square Root Symbol

This might be the easiest way of all the methods to use the keyboard shortcut to insert the square root symbol.

Steps:

• Select any cell and press ALT+251. This will immediately insert the square root.

Note:
You must use the numbers from the Num Pad. If your keyboard doesn’t have the Num Pad, you won’t be able to apply this trick.

5) Implementing Keyboard Shortcut to Open Symbol Window to Insert Square Symbol

You can also open the Symbol window by using another keyboard shortcut. Let’s go through the process.

Steps:

• First, press ALT + N + U on your keyboard. The Symbol dialog box will appear with the square root symbol selected in the dialog box.

After that, just Insert the symbol and then Close the dialog box.

6) Applying Custom Number Format

This method and the next one (using VBA) can be used to insert the square root symbol in more than one cell at a time.

Steps:

• First, select the cells where you want to insert the square root symbol.

• After that, right-click on any of the selected cells and select Format Cells.

• Next, select the Custom option from the left pane.
• Put your cursor before the General format and press ALT + 251 on your keyboard.

• Next, press OK and see what has happened. All the numbers are now having the square root symbols before them.

Thus you can enter square root symbols in a range of cells.

Read More: How to Insert Sigma Symbol in Excel

7) Insert Square Root Using Excel VBA

To use this method, you have to save your Excel file with the extension .xlsm. Because .xlsx files cannot deal with VBA code. If you don’t like to use VBA code in your Excel file, then avoid this method.

Steps:

• First, open the Visual Basic Editor (Developer tab -> Code group -> Select the Visual Basic command).
• From the main ribbon select Module from the Insert tab.

• After that, insert the following code in the Module window.

Sub square_symbol()

Selection.NumberFormat = ChrW(8730) & "General"

End Sub

• Later, close the Visual Basic editor and save the workbook (CTRL + S).
• Next, let’s now select some cells that have some numbers.

• Go to the Developer tab -> Code group -> Click on Macros command -> Macro dialog box will appear.
• In the dialog box, select the macro named square_symbol -> Click on the Run.

• Finally, you see all the numbers now have the square root symbols.

8) Changing Text Font to Symbol Font to Insert Square Root Symbol

Another easy way that you can follow to insert a square root symbol is to use the text font Symbol. Let’s see the process of doing this in the following section.

Steps:

• Select any cell and then go to Home >> Font.
• After that, select the Symbol.

• Next, type the symbol Ö and press ENTER.

Note:
You cannot apply this method if your keyboard doesn’t have this symbol Ö. But you can copy it and use it by pasting it to your Excel sheet.

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Conclusion

In a nutshell, we can consider that you will learn the basic ways of inserting square symbols in Excel. Do you know any other way? I am eager to know. Let me know in the comment box.

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