How to insert square root symbol in Excel (7 easy ways)

How to insert square root symbol in Excel

In this article, I will narrate how to insert square root symbol in Excel. The square root is one of the most used symbols in Excel.

I will show several ways. Choose the method that best suits your purpose.

Table of Contents

Inserting square root symbol in Excel
Working File
Related Readings
Conclusion

Inserting square root symbol in Excel

1) Using Insert tab

This is the simplest way.

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

In the Insert group of commands, select the Symbol command. It will open the Symbol dialog box.

Symbol dialog box will appear. By default, as 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.

Select (normal text) and subset Mathematical Operators in the Symbol dialog box. Then click on the Insert and then Close the dialog box.

2) Using Character Code 221A in the Symbol dialog box

This process is almost the same as above.

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). Symbol dialog box will appear.

Symbol dialog box Excel

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. Square root symbol will be selected.
Now press Insert and Close button respectively.

Select Unicode (hex) and input character code 221A. It will select the square root symbol in the dialog box. Just press Insert and then close the dialog box.

3) Using Excel Function UNICHAR (8730)

You can also use UNICHAR function (with code 8730) of Excel to insert the square root symbol in Excel. See how I have used this function (image below).

Using Unichar (8730) formula to insert square root symbol in excel.

4) Keyboard Shortcut ALT + 251

Take a cell to the edit mode and select the position where you want to put the square root symbol.

square root symbol in excel using keyboard shortcut ALT + 251

Now press ALT + 251 in the keyboard. The symbol will be placed.

Take the cell in the Edit mode and then place the square root symbol with keyboard shortcut ALT + 251

Finally, press Enter key on the keyboard.

Square root symbol is inserted in the cell.

5) Using keyboard shortcut ALT + N + U

This is also good.

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

Using keyboard shortcut ALT + N + U to insert the square root symbol in a cell.

Now just Insert the symbol and then Close the dialog box. A straight-forward method.

6) Using 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).

Select the cells where you want to insert the square root symbol.

select the cells where you want to insert the square root symbols.

Now open the Format Cells dialog box clicking on the little arrow on the bottom right corner of the Number group of commands.

Select the Custom option from the left pane. And put your cursor before the General format and press ALT + 251 on your keyboard.

Format Cells dialog box. Select Custom number format and then place the square root symbol before the General formatting with the keyboard shortcut ALT + 251

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

numbers with square root symbol before them

7) 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.

Open the Visual Basic Editor (Developer tab -> Code window -> Select the Visual Basic command)
In the editor, insert a new module.

Open the Excel VBA Editor and inserting a new module.

In the module window, insert the following code:

insert VBA code in the Excel VBA editor in the new module.

Source code

Sub square_symbol()
 
Selection.NumberFormat = ChrW(8730) & "General"
 
End Sub

Now close the Visual Basic editor and save the workbook (CTRL + S).
Let’s now select some cells that have some numbers.

select a range of cells.

Now 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

Open the Macro dialog box and select the macro that we have recently created.