Math symbols · U+2260

≠Not equal symbol

Not equal to, one character instead of typing != .

How to type it
Unicode
U+2260
Alt code
Alt+8800
HTML
≠
Unicode name
Not Equal To
≠
Your font
01 — Origin

Where the Not equal symbol comes from

The struck-through equals sign is one of a family: Unicode systematically provides negated versions of relational operators by adding a solidus. The equals sign it negates was invented by Robert Recorde in 1557, who chose two parallel lines because “no two things can be more equal”.

Mathematics, and code documentation where != would be read as a language operator rather than as a statement about values. In pseudocode it is the clearer of the two.

Worth knowing
Some fonts compose it from an equals sign and a combining slash rather than shipping the character itself, which is why it occasionally lands slightly off-centre.
02 — Codes

Not equal symbol codes

Tap any value to copy it. All of them produce the same character — they just belong to different places.

03 — How to type

How to type ≠ on any keyboard

Four ways, depending on what you are working in.

Windows
Hold Alt and type 8800 on the numeric keypad, then release. Without a keypad, use the Character Map app (search “charmap”).
Mac
Press Control + Command + Space to open the character viewer, then search “not equal”. Double-click to insert.
Phone
There is no shortcut on a phone keyboard. Tap the symbol at the top of this page, then long-press in any text field and choose Paste.
Web and code
In HTML write ≠ or ≠. In CSS content: "\2260". Make sure the page is served as UTF-8 and the raw character works too.
04 — Font support

Will ≠ actually show up?

We checked 147 fonts installed on a normal machine and counted how many of them contain this character. A symbol missing from a font is drawn as an empty box — the text is still correct, it just cannot be drawn.

89% 131 of 147 fonts

Safe in most places. Common fonts have it. Older or decorative fonts sometimes do not, so a fallback font will kick in.

05 — Similar

Symbols people confuse with ≠

Close enough to be mistaken for it, and still a different code point every time.

≤ Less-Than Or Equal ToU+2264 · has its own page
06 — Related

Other mathematical symbols

The rest of the family, one page each — origin, typing routes and font support, across all 6.

≈ Approximately equal symbolIn 89% of system fonts ≤ Less than or equal symbolIn 87% of system fonts ± Plus-minus symbolIn 97% of system fonts ÷ Division symbolIn 97% of system fonts × Multiplication symbolIn 97% of system fonts µ Micro symbolIn 95% of system fonts
07 — Same block

Math symbols

Operators, set theory, logic, calculus — everything past the number row.

All math symbols →
08 — FAQ

Not equal symbol — questions

How do I type the Not equal symbol?
On Windows hold Alt and type 8800 on the numeric keypad. On Mac open the character viewer with Control + Command + Space and search “Not equal”. Or just tap the symbol on this page — it goes straight to your clipboard.
What is the HTML code for ≠?
Write it as ≠ or ≠ in HTML, \2260 in CSS content, and \u2260 in JavaScript. All four produce the same character.
Is ≠ an emoji?
No. ≠ is a text character — it takes the colour of the text around it and works in usernames, filenames and documents. An emoji is replaced by a colour picture and is sometimes stripped by forms and systems.
Why does ≠ show as a box on some devices?
Because that font has no drawing for this character. We checked 147 fonts on a normal machine and 131 of them include it. The character itself is always correct; only the drawing is missing.