Degree Symbol °
Everything About °C °F and How to Type It
The degree symbol ° is one of the most searched symbols on the internet — used for temperature (25°C), angles (90°), and geographic coordinates (51°N). This is everything about it: what it means, how to type it on every device, and the most common mistakes people make.
What the Degree Symbol Means
The degree symbol ° (U+00B0) is a small superscript circle used to represent a unit called a “degree” in three distinct contexts: temperature scales, angles in geometry, and geographic coordinates. Despite looking similar to the ordinal indicator º and the ring above ˚, it is a distinct character with its own Unicode code point.
Temperature — °C, °F, and K
For temperature, the degree symbol precedes the scale letter with no space: 25°C (25 degrees Celsius), 77°F (77 degrees Fahrenheit). The symbol and the letter are written together without a space between them, but there is typically a space between the number and the degree-symbol-letter combination: 25 °C according to the SI standard, though 25°C is widely used informally.
Kelvin is the exception — the SI unit of thermodynamic temperature does not use the degree symbol. The unit is simply “kelvin” (lowercase) and is written as 298 K (with a space), not 298°K. The degree symbol with K is incorrect.
There are dedicated Unicode characters for complete temperature symbols: ℃ (U+2103) and ℉ (U+2109). These single characters display as the full °C and °F symbol. In practice, typing ° followed by C or F is more common and universally supported.
Angles — geometry and bearings
In geometry, a full rotation is 360°. Common angles: a right angle is 90°, a straight line is 180°, an equilateral triangle has three 60° angles. The degree symbol follows the number directly with no space: 45°, 90°, 360°.
In navigation and bearings, directions are expressed in degrees from north: due north is 0° (or 360°), due east is 90°, due south is 180°, due west is 270°.
Geographic coordinates — latitude and longitude
Latitude and longitude are expressed in degrees, minutes, and seconds (DMS format) or decimal degrees. The degree symbol is used in both: London is at 51°30′N, 0°7′W in DMS format, or 51.5°N, 0.12°W in decimal degrees.
In coordinate notation, ′ (prime, U+2032) represents arcminutes and ″ (double prime, U+2033) represents arcseconds. These are different characters from the apostrophe (‘) and quotation mark (“) commonly typed as substitutes.
How to Type ° on Every Device
HTML, CSS, and code
In HTML documents use ° or ° for the degree sign. For temperature contexts, consider the dedicated entities: there is no named HTML entity for ℃ or ℉, but you can use ℃ for ℃ and ℉ for ℉. In most practical cases, typing °C or °F (degree sign followed by letter) is perfectly correct.
Usage Examples — Click Any to Copy
Common Mistakes with the Degree Symbol
No degree symbol for Kelvin. Writing 25°K is incorrect — Kelvin temperatures are written as 298 K (with a space, no degree symbol). The SI Brochure is explicit on this.
Spacing varies by context. The ISO 80000-1 standard recommends a space between the number and °C (25 °C), but informal usage without the space (25°C) is extremely common and widely understood. For angles, no space is used: a 45° angle.
Using ° for latitude without the N/S/E/W indicator is ambiguous in geographic contexts. Always include the hemisphere indicator: 51°N, not just 51°.
FAQ
What is the degree symbol called? It’s called the “degree sign” or “degree symbol.” Its official Unicode name is DEGREE SIGN (U+00B0). The dedicated Celsius and Fahrenheit characters are DEGREE CELSIUS (U+2103) and DEGREE FAHRENHEIT (U+2109).
Why doesn’t Kelvin use the degree symbol? The kelvin is an absolute temperature scale starting at absolute zero. Because it doesn’t express temperature in “degrees” relative to a reference point the way Celsius and Fahrenheit do, SI convention dropped the “degrees” designation and the symbol in 1967. You write 298 K, not 298°K.
Is there a difference between °C and ℃? They mean the same thing, but they are different Unicode characters. °C is two characters (degree sign + letter C). ℃ is a single precomposed character (U+2103). Both are widely supported, but °C is more universally compatible in older systems.
How do I type the degree symbol on a laptop without a numpad? Use Win+. on Windows to open the emoji/symbol panel and search “degree.” On Mac, use ⌥ Option + Shift + 8. Or use the fastest method: copy ° from the top of this page.
What are arcminutes and arcseconds? These subdivide degrees for precise angular measurements. 1 degree = 60 arcminutes (′). 1 arcminute = 60 arcseconds (″). Used in astronomy, navigation, and geographic coordinates. London’s latitude in full DMS: 51° 30′ 26″ N.