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Not Equal To Symbol (≠)

The not equal to symbol (≠) means two values are different — it is an equals sign with a slash through it.

≠

Not Equal To · U+2260 · Comparison Signs

Click the symbol or the button to copy it, then paste it anywhere — documents, messages, bios and code.

Not Equal To Symbol codes

Code	Value
Unicode code point	`U+2260`
Unicode name	`Not Equal To`
HTML named entity	`≠`
HTML decimal	`≠`
HTML hex	`≠`
CSS content code	`\2260`
JavaScript / JSON	`\u2260`
Windows Alt code	No standard Alt code — copy it from the card above
LaTeX	`\neq`

Not Equal To Symbol variants (8)

8 related glyphs — click any tile to copy it. Tiles with a page open that symbol's own page.

=Equals Sign ≈Almost Equal To ≥Greater-Than Or Equal To ≤Less-Than Or Equal To≉Not Almost Equal To≇Neither Approximately Nor Actually Equal To≔Colon Equals≢Not Identical To

Meaning & usage

The ≠ sign states that two values are not the same, whether numbers (5 ≠ 3), amounts in an equation that doesn't balance, or options in a comparison ('the two plans ≠ in price'). Programmers write it as != in most languages because ≠ itself is not on the keyboard, but in documents, slides and social posts the real symbol looks far cleaner. Copy it from here whenever typing it would be a fight.

Examples in use

0.999… ≠ 1 in a finite calculation
His answer ≠ the mark scheme
!= is how programmers type ≠ in code

How to type the not equal to symbol

Windows

There is no Alt code or direct key for ≠. In Microsoft Word, type 2260 and press Alt+X to convert it. Everywhere else, click the Copy button at the top of this page and paste it (Ctrl+V) — that always works.

Mac

There is no Option-key shortcut for ≠ on a Mac. Open the Character Viewer with Control+Command+Space, search for "Not Equal To Symbol", and double-click to insert — or copy it from this page.

iPhone & Android

Most phone keyboards have no built-in key for ≠. Open this page on your phone, tap Copy, then paste it into your message or bio. (On Android, Gboard's emoji search finds some symbols by name.)

Linux

Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 2260 and press Enter (works in most GTK apps and terminals with IBus). Or copy it from this page.

Frequently asked questions

How do I type ≠ on a keyboard?

There is no standard Alt code or keyboard key for ≠. Copy it from this page; on a Mac you can also find it in the Character Viewer (Control+Command+Space).

What is the difference between ≠ and ≈?

The sign ≠ just says two values are different, however slightly. The sign ≈ says they are different but very close — almost equal.

Why do programmers write != instead of ≠?

Early keyboards and programming languages only allowed plain ASCII characters, so != became the standard stand-in for ≠ in code.

Why does ≠ sometimes show as a box or question mark?

The box (called tofu) means the device or font viewing it has no drawing for U+2260 (Not Equal To). The character itself is fine — try a different font or a newer device, or use one of the variants on this page.

Is the Not Equal To Symbol free to use?

Yes. ≠ is a standard Unicode text character published in the Unicode Character Database. You may use it in personal and commercial documents, designs and products without permission or payment.