How to Type an Arrow in Microsoft Word on PC or Mac

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A simple guide to inserting an arrow into a Word document
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Do you need to use an arrow to point to something? An arrow is mostly used in mathematical equations to show the flow of logic, but you can also use arrows to point out specific details. This wikiHow article teaches you how to insert an arrow icon into your Word document using a Windows or Mac computer.

Quick Steps

  1. Click the Insert tab in the top toolbar.
  2. Click the down-arrow next to Symbol and select More Symbols.
  3. Find and select the arrow you want to insert.
  4. Click Insert.

Steps

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  1. Step 1 Open a Microsoft Word document on your computer.
    You can either open a document by launching Word, then going to File > Open or by double-clicking the file in your file manager.
  2. Step 2 Click the INSERT tab.
    You can find this button next to HOME in the upper-left corner of the document. It will open your INSERT tools on the toolbar ribbon.[1]
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  3. Step 3 Click the icon icon next to Symbol.
    The Symbol option is listed next to a blue "Ω" icon on the INSERT toolbar. You can see a list of all the available symbols here.
    • On some versions, this button may be labeled Advanced Symbol. In this case, click on it to see the full list of symbols you can insert.
  4. Step 4 Click More Symbols at the bottom.
    This will open the full list of symbols you can use in a new pop-up window.[2]
  5. Step 5 Double-click the arrow icon you want to insert.
    Find the arrow you want to type in the Symbol window and click on the icon to select it.[3]
    • If you cannot find the arrow you want, select Wingdings from the font selection menu and you'll see more symbols.
    • While double-clicking the symbol will insert it into your document, you can single-click it to see more information, like its Alt Code. To use Alt Code in your writing, your keyboard must have a separate section for the number pad (0-9 that's not the same as the numbered keys at the top of your keyboard). Press and hold Alt as you enter the code on your number pad (you may need to have Num Lock enabled or press the Fn key as well). Common alt code for arrows includes:[4]
      • Alt+2+4 (↑),
      • Alt+2+5 (↓),
      • Alt+2+6 (→), and
      • Alt+2+7 (←).
  6. Step 6 Click the Close button.
    You can find this button in the bottom-right corner. It will close the Symbol window.[5]
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References

  1. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-symbol-in-word-2a061ae9-5a6c-4407-b618-8dc3c9fd4f44
  2. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-symbol-in-word-2a061ae9-5a6c-4407-b618-8dc3c9fd4f44
  3. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-symbol-in-word-2a061ae9-5a6c-4407-b618-8dc3c9fd4f44
  4. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-ascii-or-unicode-latin-based-symbols-and-characters-d13f58d3-7bcb-44a7-a4d5-972ee12e50e0
  5. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/insert-a-symbol-be6f1bbf-5bdd-42dc-a5e3-ab5e7d84a4f8
  6. ↑ https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/write-an-equation-or-formula-4f799df7-4ca4-4670-afd3-6135768b01d0

About This Article

Mitch Harris
Co-authored by:
Mitch Harris
Consumer Technology Expert
This article was co-authored by Mitch Harris and by wikiHow staff writer, Darlene Antonelli, MA. Mitch Harris is a Consumer Technology Expert based in the San Francisco Bay Area. Mitch runs his own IT Consulting company called Mitch the Geek, helping individuals and businesses with home office technology, data security, remote support, and cybersecurity compliance. Mitch earned a BS in Psychology, English, and Physics and graduated Cum Laude from Northern Arizona University. This article has been viewed 121,741 times.
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Co-authors: 5
Updated: June 22, 2024
Views: 121,741
Categories: Microsoft Word
Article SummaryX

1. Open a Word document.
2. Click the Insert tab.
3. Click Symbol or Advanced Symbol.
4. Click More Symbols.
5. Select the arrow icon you want to use.
6. Click Insert.
7. Click Close.

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