Not Equal To Symbol Copy and Paste (≠)
Not equal to
Unicode U+2260 · HTML ≠ · Mac Option+=
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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ≠ | Not equal to | U+2260 | ≠ | - | Option+= | 2260 then Alt+X |
| != | Not equal in code | U+0021 U+003D | != | - | - | - |
| <> | Not equal in Excel/SQL | U+003C U+003E | <> | - | - | - |
| ≢ | Not identical to | U+2262 | ≢ | - | - | 2262 then Alt+X |
The not equal to symbol is ≠, an equals sign with a slanted line through it. It tells you that two values are different, as in 3 + 4 ≠ 8. You may also see it called the not equal symbol, the not equals to symbol or the unequal symbol.
Copy ≠ from the box above, or tap a typed form like != or <> in the grid. This page explains how to type ≠ on a laptop and phone, and how "not equal" is written in Excel, SQL and C, where the slashed sign itself is not used. It is part of our maths symbols collection.
What Is Not Equal To Symbol? Meaning and Examples
A line through a symbol often means "not". Draw it through = and you get ≠, read as "is not equal to". A few simple examples:
- 2 + 2 ≠ 5
- 1/2 ≠ 0.2 (because 1/2 = 0.5)
- 10 × 0 ≠ 10 (because 10 × 0 = 0)
- In algebra, "x ≠ 0" warns you that x cannot be zero, for example when x is at the bottom of a fraction.
≠ only says that two values differ. It does not say which one is bigger. When you need that, use the greater than symbol or the less than symbol.
How to Type the Not Equal To Symbol in Keyboard
There is no standard Windows Alt code for ≠. Use one of these methods instead:
| Where | Method |
|---|---|
| Microsoft Word | Type 2260, then press Alt+X |
| Mac | Option+= |
| Windows (any app) | Open the emoji panel with Windows+., go to the Symbols tab, and find ≠ under maths symbols; or copy it from this page |
| Google Docs | Insert > Special characters, search "not equal" |
| Excel cell label | =UNICHAR(8800) shows ≠ as text |
| LaTeX | \neq |
| Android and iPhone | Some keyboards offer ≠ when you long-press the = key; if yours does not, copy it here |
Not Equal To Symbol in Excel
Excel and Google Sheets write "not equal" as <>, a less than sign followed by a greater than sign. Think of it as "less than or greater than", which is the same as "not equal".
=IF(B2<>C2,"Mismatch","OK")checks two columns for differences.=COUNTIF(D2:D300,"<>Paid")counts invoices that are not marked Paid.=COUNTIF(E2:E300,"<>")counts cells that are not empty.
Typing != or ≠ inside an Excel formula gives an error, so always use <> there.
Not Equal To Symbol in SQL, C and Other Code
| Language or tool | Not equal operator | Example |
|---|---|---|
| SQL (standard) | <> | SELECT * FROM orders WHERE status <> 'Cancelled'; |
| SQL (most databases also accept) | != | WHERE city != 'Pune' |
| C and C++ | != | if (marks != 100) { ... } |
| JavaScript | !== (strict) or != | if (otp !== input) |
| Excel, Google Sheets | <> | =A1<>0 |
The exclamation mark means "not" in many programming languages, so != reads as "not equals". That is why the not equal to symbol in C, C++ and Java-style languages is always !=. The single ≠ character is not understood by C or SQL, because their keywords use only keyboard characters.
≠ vs ≢ and Other Look-Alikes
- ≢ (not identical to) has three lines with a slash. In number theory it shows that two numbers leave different remainders: 7 ≢ 2 (mod 3), since 7 leaves 1 and 2 leaves 2 when divided by 3.
- ≈ (approximately equal) is the opposite idea: values that are nearly the same. See the approximately symbol page.
- =/ typed with two keys is sometimes used in plain text when ≠ is not available, but it is better to copy the real symbol.
Frequently asked questions
What is the symbol of not equal to?
The symbol of not equal to is ≠. It is an equals sign crossed by a slanted line, and it means the two sides have different values.
What is the not equal to symbol in Excel?
Use <> in formulas. For example, =IF(A2<>"","Filled","Empty") checks whether a cell has something in it.
Is there an Alt code for ≠?
No, there is no standard Alt code for ≠. In Word, type 2260 and press Alt+X; on Mac, press Option and = together; anywhere else, copy it from this page.
Which is correct in SQL, != or <>?
<> is the standard form and works everywhere. Most popular databases also accept !=, so either is usually fine.
What does != mean?
!= is how programmers type "not equal to" in languages like C, C++ and JavaScript. It is the keyboard version of ≠.