Symbols

Multiplication Symbol (×): How to Type, Copy, and Use It

ByGlenda Jnku

Copy and paste the multiplication symbol

The multiplication sign and the multiplication dot, with the codes you’re likely to need. Use the grid above to copy with one click; this table is the reference.

Symbol	Name	Unicode	Windows	HTML
×	multiplication sign	U+00D7	Alt + 0215	×
·	middle dot	U+00B7	Alt + 0183	·
⋅	dot operator	U+22C5	Alt + 8901	⋅
∗	asterisk operator	U+2217	Alt + 8727	∗

None of these are on a standard keyboard, so each takes a shortcut, a code, or a copy. The sections below cover each device, then the part that trips people up: which symbol to use for multiplication and when.

How to type the multiplication symbol on any device

Type × on Windows

Use the Alt code: turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type 0215 on the numeric keypad for ×. On a laptop with no keypad, press Windows + . for the symbol panel and search “multiplication” or “times.”

Type × on Mac

The Mac has no dedicated × shortcut. The quickest way is Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, then search “multiplication” and double-click ×. Alternatively, set up a text replacement (System Settings → Keyboard) so a trigger like xx expands to ×.

Type × on iPhone and Android

On the symbols keyboard (123 then #+=), some keyboards include ×; on others, press and hold the letter x or the asterisk to reveal it. If it’s not there, copy × from the grid above, or use the calculator app, which multiplies with a × button.

Type × in Microsoft Word

Type 00D7 then press Alt + X to convert the code into ×. Or use Insert → Symbol, where × sits among the Latin-1 characters. The Windows Alt code, Alt + 0215, also works. In Word’s equation editor (Alt + =), you can type \times.

Type × on Linux

Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00d7, then Enter. With a Compose key, Compose then x then x also makes ×.

Add × in HTML and CSS

In HTML, × is × or the numeric ×. In CSS, a × in a content value is the escaped code point \00D7.

× is not the letter x

This is the mix-up at the heart of the multiplication sign: × is a distinct character, not a lowercase x. They look similar, but the true multiplication sign (U+00D7) is symmetrical and centred on the line, while the letter x is a piece of the alphabet that sits on the baseline and often leans slightly. Type them side by side in most fonts and you can see the × is squarer and floats in the middle: 3 × 4 versus 3 x 4.

Does it matter? For quick notes, everyone understands “3 x 4,” and no harm done. But the real × is better whenever it counts: it’s searchable as a multiplication sign, it reads correctly to screen readers (as “times,” not “ex”), and it simply looks right in anything typeset — a worksheet, a spec, a product listing. So for casual typing the letter x is fine, but when you can reach the real ×, use it.

The many ways to show multiplication

Multiplication is written more different ways than any other operation, and each has its place. Knowing them stops you from using the wrong one in the wrong setting.

The × sign is the standard for arithmetic and everyday sums (3 × 4). The middle dot · (or the dot operator ⋅) is used in algebra and higher maths, where × would clash with the variable x, so you write a · b. The asterisk * is the multiplication sign in programming, spreadsheets, and calculators (3 * 4). And in algebra, multiplication is often shown by just placing symbols together — 2a means 2 × a, and 3(x + 1) means 3 times that bracket.

Form	Used in	Example
×	arithmetic	3 × 4
· (dot)	algebra, higher maths	a · b
* (asterisk)	code, spreadsheets	3 * 4
(none)	algebra shorthand	2a, 3(x+1)

Why algebra drops the × sign

Here’s a question that puzzles a lot of students: why does the × sign, drilled into you in primary school, suddenly disappear in algebra? The answer is the look-alike problem again. Once letters start standing for numbers, a × sign sitting next to the variable x becomes a recipe for confusion — x × x is a genuine eye test.

So algebra quietly retires the × and switches to two clearer conventions: the middle dot (a · b) when a multiplication sign is needed, and, more often, simple juxtaposition — writing the factors right next to each other. That’s why 2a, xy, and 3(x + 1) all mean multiplication with no symbol at all. It isn’t that the rules changed; it’s that the × sign stopped being safe to use around letters. The same logic is why calculators and code use the asterisk instead.

× as ‘by’: dimensions and screen resolutions

The × sign has a second job that isn’t really multiplication: it means “by” when you’re giving dimensions. A 1920 × 1080 screen is “nineteen-twenty by ten-eighty”; an 8 × 10 photo is “eight by ten”; a 2 × 4 plank is “two by four.” You read the × aloud as “by,” not “times,” even though it’s the same character.

This is everywhere in the physical and digital world — paper sizes, picture frames, TV resolutions, table dimensions, even the “2x” in a recipe or a zoom setting (there the x usually means “times,” as in twice). When you’re listing width by height, the proper × sign looks far cleaner than a lowercase x, which is one more reason to use the real character in product specs and listings.

Written	Read as	Means
1920 × 1080	by	screen width by height
8 × 10	by	photo size in inches
2 × 4	by	lumber width by depth

× in code and spreadsheets: use the asterisk

In programming and spreadsheets, the multiplication sign is the asterisk *, never ×. Writing 3 * 4 multiplies; writing 3 × 4 is a syntax error, because the language doesn’t recognise the × character as an operator. It’s the same trap as trying to use the ² character in code — the printed symbol and the working operator are different things.

So in Excel and Google Sheets, a formula multiplies with =A1*B1. In JavaScript, Python, C, and most languages, it’s a * b. If you want to display a × in a spreadsheet cell as text, that’s fine (=A1&" × "&B1), but the actual calculation always uses *. In a URL, × is percent-encoded as %C3%97, and the escape in code is \u00D7.

Copy-paste HTML codes

Every code for the multiplication sign and its relatives in one place. Click a cell and copy.

Symbol	Named entity	Numeric entity	URL (percent) code
×	×	×	%C3%97
·	·	·	%C2%B7
⋅	⋅	⋅	%E2%8B%85

In a CSS content value, use \00D7 for ×. For the division sign and other operators, see the [math symbols Alt codes](/math-symbols-on-keyboard-alt-codes/) reference, and for the plus-minus sign the [plus-minus symbol](/plus-minus-symbol/) guide.

Troubleshooting

My × shows as a box or garbled text

That’s an encoding mismatch: the UTF-8 bytes for × are being read as an older encoding. Set the file, database, and page charset to UTF-8 and × displays correctly.

My 3 × 4 won’t calculate in Excel

Excel doesn’t recognise the × character as multiplication. Use the asterisk: =3*4 or =A1*B1. The × is only for display text, not for the formula.

Alt + 0215 isn’t working

Make sure Num Lock is on and you’re using the numeric keypad, not the top-row numbers. On a laptop without a keypad, use Windows + . and search “multiplication,” or copy × from the grid above.

FAQ

How do I type the multiplication symbol?

On Windows, hold Alt and type 0215. In Word, type 00D7 then Alt + X. On a Mac, use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space). In HTML, write ×. Or click × in the grid above.

Is the × the same as the letter x?

No. The multiplication sign × (U+00D7) is a symmetrical, centred cross; the letter x is an alphabet character on the baseline. They look alike but differ for search, screen readers, and typesetting. Use the real × where it matters.

Why does algebra not use the × sign?

Because × looks too much like the variable x. Algebra uses the middle dot (a · b) or simply writes factors together (2a, xy, 3(x + 1)) instead.

How do I multiply in Excel or code?

Use the asterisk, not ×: =A1*B1 in Excel, a * b in most programming languages. The × character is not a valid operator and causes an error.

How do I write × in HTML?

Use × or ×. In a URL, × is percent-encoded as %C3%97.