Greater Than and Less Than Symbol Copy and Paste
Greater than
Unicode U+003E · HTML > · Alt code Alt+62
Tap any symbol to copy it. Each tap also adds it to the box above, so you can copy several together.
Codes for every symbol on this page (Unicode, HTML, Alt, Mac, Word)
| Symbol | Name | Unicode | HTML | Windows Alt code | Mac | MS Word |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| > | Greater than | U+003E | > | Alt+62 | - | 003E then Alt+X |
| < | Less than | U+003C | < | Alt+60 | - | 003C then Alt+X |
| ≥ | Greater or equal | U+2265 | ≥ | Alt+242 | Option+Period | 2265 then Alt+X |
| ≤ | Less or equal | U+2264 | ≤ | Alt+243 | Option+Comma | 2264 then Alt+X |
| ≫ | Much greater than | U+226B | ≫ | - | - | 226B then Alt+X |
| ≪ | Much less than | U+226A | ≪ | - | - | 226A then Alt+X |
The greater than and less than symbol pair, > and <, are used to compare two values: > means "is greater than" and < means "is less than". They look like mirror images, so almost every student mixes them up at some point.
This page focuses on telling them apart. You will find three easy memory tricks, a step-by-step method for comparing whole numbers, decimals, negatives and fractions, a short worksheet with answers, and how the signs are written in Excel and HTML. Copy any sign from the grid above. For more detail on each sign alone, see our separate less than symbol and greater than symbol pages; the less than symbol and greater than symbol each get a full guide there.
More Than and Less Than Symbol: Quick Comparison
| Greater than | Less than | |
|---|---|---|
| Sign | > | < |
| Read as | is greater than / is more than | is less than / is smaller than |
| Open side faces | left (bigger number on the left) | right (bigger number on the right) |
| Example | 12 > 8 | 8 < 12 |
| Hindi | se bada (से बड़ा) | se chhota (से छोटा) |
| Keyboard | Shift + full stop, or Alt+62 | Shift + comma, or Alt+60 |
| HTML code | > | < |
Notice that 12 > 8 and 8 < 12 say exactly the same thing. You can always flip a comparison: swap the two numbers and turn the sign around. This is the most useful fact about the greater than less than symbol pair. On the keyboard, the less than more than symbol keys also sit side by side: < on the comma key and > on the full stop key.
3 Tricks to Remember the Less Than Greater Than Symbol
Some books call this pair the greater and lesser symbol, and the tricks below work whatever name you use.
1. The hungry crocodile
Imagine the sign is a crocodile's open mouth. A hungry crocodile always wants to eat the bigger number. So the open mouth faces the larger value: 15 > 9 (mouth towards 15), 9 < 15 (mouth still towards 15).
2. The letter L
Write the less than sign < and tilt it a little. It looks like a slanted capital L, and L is for Less. The other one, >, is then greater.
3. Two dots and one dot
Put two dots next to the bigger number and one dot next to the smaller number. Join the top dot and bottom dot on the big side to the single dot. The lines you draw form the correct sign every time.
Whichever trick you use, the rule underneath is the same: the small pointed end touches the smaller number.
Greater Than and Less Than Symbol Examples, Step by Step
Whole numbers
Compare 3,406 and 3,460. Both have the same thousands and hundreds (3 and 4). In the tens place, 0 < 6. So 3,406 < 3,460.
Decimals
Compare 3.45 and 3.405. Give both the same number of decimal places: 3.450 and 3.405. Now compare 450 with 405 thousandths. So 3.45 > 3.405. Do not be fooled by the longer number.
Negative numbers
Compare −3.5 and −3.05. On the number line, −3.5 is further left than −3.05. So −3.5 < −3.05. For negatives, the one that looks "bigger" without the minus sign is actually smaller.
Fractions
Compare 5/8 and 3/5. Cross-multiply: 5 × 5 = 25 and 8 × 3 = 24. Since 25 > 24, 5/8 > 3/5. You can check with decimals: 0.625 > 0.6.
Expressions
Compare 7 × 6 and 50 − 9. Work out each side first: 42 and 41. So 7 × 6 > 50 − 9.
Putting numbers in order
Arrange 0.3, 1/4 and 0.35 from smallest to largest. Change 1/4 to 0.25. Now it is clear: 1/4 < 0.3 < 0.35. Writing it from largest to smallest just flips every sign: 0.35 > 0.3 > 1/4.
Practice Worksheet: Fill in > , < or =
For each blank, choose the greater than or less than symbol, or = if the values match. Try these on paper first, then check the answers in the next column.
| # | Question | Answer |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | 48 __ 84 | 48 < 84 |
| 2 | 0.7 __ 0.69 | 0.7 > 0.69 (0.70 vs 0.69) |
| 3 | −4 __ −9 | −4 > −9 |
| 4 | 2/3 __ 3/5 | 2/3 > 3/5 (10/15 vs 9/15) |
| 5 | 1/8 __ 1/6 | 1/8 < 1/6 |
| 6 | 7 × 8 __ 60 | 56 < 60 |
| 7 | 0.25 __ 1/4 | 0.25 = 1/4 (neither sign) |
| 8 | −0.1 __ 0 | −0.1 < 0 |
Question 7 is a reminder that some pairs are equal. If two values are different but you only need to say so, use the not equal to symbol ≠.
Or Equal To, and Much Greater or Much Less
The basic pair has four close relatives, all in the copy grid above.
- ≥ greater than or equal to: x ≥ 18 allows 18 and above. Alt+242 on Windows, Option+. on Mac. See the greater than or equal to symbol page.
- ≤ less than or equal to: x ≤ 100 allows 100 and below. Alt+243 on Windows, Option+, on Mac. See the less than or equal to symbol page.
- ≫ much greater than, and ≪ much less than: used in science when one value is so large that the other hardly matters, like the Sun's mass ≫ Earth's mass.
A line under the sign means "or equal". A doubled sign means "much". The direction rule stays the same for all of them.
Two signs can also join into a range. 2 < x < 7 means x is between 2 and 7, and is read "x is greater than 2 and less than 7". This is the one place you see the less than or greater than symbol twice in one line.
Using > and < in Excel, Google Sheets and HTML
Spreadsheets understand the plain keyboard signs only, not ≥ or ≤. Use these combinations in formulas:
| Meaning | Formula sign | Example |
|---|---|---|
| greater than | > | =IF(C2>D2,"Profit","Loss") |
| less than | < | =COUNTIF(B2:B50,"<35") counts marks below 35 |
| greater than or equal | >= | =COUNTIFS(B2:B50,">=60",B2:B50,"<75") counts marks from 60 up to 74.99 |
| less than or equal | <= | =IF(E2<=5000,"Small","Large") |
| not equal | <> | =IF(F2<>"","Filled","Blank") |
In HTML, the signs mark the start and end of tags, so to show them as text you write > for > and < for <. For ≥ and ≤, use ≥ and ≤. All of these, and many more, are listed on the maths symbols hub.
Frequently asked questions
What is the symbol of greater than and less than?
Greater than is > and less than is <, so the symbol of less than and greater than are simply mirror images. In both signs the open side faces the bigger number, so 20 > 3 and 3 < 20 are both correct.
How do I remember the less than and greater than symbol?
Think of a crocodile that always opens its mouth towards the bigger number. Or remember that < looks like a tilted L, for Less.
What are the greater than and less than symbol in Hindi?
> is read as "se bada hai" (से बड़ा है) and < as "se chhota hai" (से छोटा है). For example, 9 > 2 is "9, 2 se bada hai".
Is it 5 > 3 or 3 < 5?
Both are correct and mean the same thing. When you swap the order of the numbers, you also flip the sign.
What does 2 < x < 7 mean?
It means x lies between 2 and 7, without being equal to either. Numbers like 2.1, 4 and 6.9 fit, but 2 and 7 do not.
Can I type ≥ and ≤ in Excel formulas?
No. Excel formulas need two keys typed together: >= for greater than or equal and <= for less than or equal. The single characters ≥ and ≤ only work as plain text in a cell.