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

The 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.

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

1) Using Excel Insert Tab to Insert Square Root Symbol

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

3) Using Excel UNICHAR Function to Insert Square Symbol

4) Applying Keyboard Shortcut to Insert Square Root Symbol

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

6) Applying Custom Number Format

7) Insert Square Root Using Excel VBA

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

Conclusion

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Inserting Square Root Symbol.xlsm

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

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:

At first, 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, a Symbol dialog box will appear. By default, the Font, (normal text) 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 You’re done.

Thus you can easily insert the square symbol in an Excel cell.

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

The process of this method is almost similar to the previous one. Let’s just go through it.

Steps:

First, select a cell (where you want to show the symbol)
Next, open the Symbol dialog box (Insert tab -> Symbols group of commands->click on the Symbol command). The Symbol dialog box will appear.

Thereafter, 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 field type 221A. The square root symbol will be selected.
Next, press the Insert and Close buttons respectively.

This operation will insert the square symbol in the desired cell.

3) Using Excel UNICHAR Function to Insert Square Symbol

We can also use the UNICHAR function to insert the square root symbol. Let’s stick to the discussion below.

Steps:

First, type the following formula in any cell.

=UNICHAR(8730)&100

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

Thus you can insert the square root symbol using the UNICHAR function.

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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. Please read the description below.

Steps:

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

Note:

You must use the numbers from the NumPad. If your keyboard doesn’t have the NumPad buttons, 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. A straight-forward method.

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. And put your cursor before the General format and press ALT + 251 on your keyboard.

Thereafter, 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.

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 window -> Select the Visual Basic command)
Next, in the editor, insert a new module.

After that, in the module window, insert the following code.

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.

After that, go to Developer tab -> Code window -> click on Macros command -> Macro dialog box will appear -> In the dialog box, select the macro (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:

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

Next, type the symbol Ö and press ENTER.

Thus you can insert the square root symbol in an Excel sheet.

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 to your Excel sheet.

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.

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

Download Practice Workbook

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

1) Using Excel Insert Tab to Insert Square Root Symbol

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

3) Using Excel UNICHAR Function to Insert Square Symbol

4) Applying Keyboard Shortcut to Insert Square Root Symbol

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

6) Applying Custom Number Format

7) Insert Square Root Using Excel VBA

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

Conclusion

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