Inserting a Special Symbol

Summary: Symbols, in Word, are the individual characters that make up a font. Using the Symbol dialog box you can quickly insert any character you want in a document. (This tip works with Microsoft Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, and Word 2003.)

In typography there are many special symbols defined in fonts. An example of special symbols would be the bullets used at the front of bulleted lists. Word allows you to quickly and easily insert a special symbol into your document. To do so, follow these instructions:

Position the insertion point where you want the special symbol inserted.
Choose Symbol from the Insert menu. Word displays the Symbol dialog box.
Make sure the Symbols tab is selected. (Click here to see a related figure.) It should be selected by default when you first call up the dialog box.
Since the symbols shown are nothing more than alternate typefaces, you can pick a different symbol typeface by changing the Font box.
Select a symbol from among those displayed.
Click on Insert.
Repeat steps 4 through 6 to insert other symbols, if desired.
Click on OK to close the dialog box.

Tip #1120 applies to Microsoft Word versions: 97 | 2000 | 2002 | 2003

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