How to Type a Check Mark (Tick) in Word

For a check mark (also called a tick) in desktop Word, place the cursor where it belongs and choose Insert > Symbol > More Symbols. Select Segoe UI Symbol and choose a check mark such as Unicode 2713, or select Wingdings and use character code 252. Insert it, then format its size and color like other text. A check mark is a static character; use a checkbox control if readers need to click it.

Insert a check mark with the Symbol dialog

1. Click in the document at the exact position where the mark should appear. If you are marking a list item, place the cursor before the item and add spacing deliberately rather than inserting repeated spaces.
2. In desktop Word for Windows, open Insert > Symbol > More Symbols. Choose Segoe UI Symbol or Wingdings in the Font box.
3. For a common Unicode check, select Segoe UI Symbol and enter 2713 in Character code with Unicode (hex) selected in the From menu. For a Wingdings-style check, use character code 252 with that font and the matching symbol-code setting. Choose the previewed mark, select Insert, then Close.
4. Select the inserted character if you want to change its font size or color. Save the document and confirm the mark remains visible in Print Preview or an exported PDF.

Microsoft’s check-mark reference lists Wingdings codes 252 and 254 and Segoe UI Symbol codes 2705, 2713, and 2714. The number alone is not enough: the selected font and code type determine what Word inserts.

Use a keyboard code on Windows

For Unicode, type 2713 where you want the mark and press Alt+X in desktop Word. If the code touches another letter or digit, select just the four code characters before pressing Alt+X so Word converts the intended text. Choose a font that contains the check mark if it displays as an empty box or a different glyph.

For a Wingdings code, set the character font to Wingdings, then use the Alt key and the numeric keypad for its decimal code. This is font-dependent and requires a numeric keypad and Num Lock; typing Alt+0252 in ordinary body text without changing to Wingdings is not a universal check-mark shortcut. Microsoft’s character-code instructions explain the different Unicode and symbol-code methods. The Symbol dialog is easier to verify if you rarely insert the character.

The same Alt+X trick works for other characters too; see how to type the degree symbol in Word with code 00B0.

On a Mac, or when sharing a file

In Word for Mac, Microsoft directs you to Insert > Advanced Symbol > Symbols. Choose the check mark and insert it. If the exact Windows font is unavailable, look for a similar glyph in an installed font and inspect the printed or PDF result. Copying a check mark from a trusted document can be convenient, but check that the pasted character and font survive when the file is opened elsewhere.

A symbol does not change state when someone clicks it. If the reader must check and uncheck an item, use an interactive checklist or checkbox content control instead. Our guide to check boxes in Word covers that separate task. For a print-only checklist, a static box or check-mark bullet may be sufficient.

For a recurring document, insert one verified symbol, copy it within the file, and keep a consistent font and size. If it appears inside a table, check row height and cell alignment after changing the font size. In a list, a symbol bullet can keep all the marks aligned more reliably than manually inserting a character at the start of every line.

Create your own check mark shortcut

If you type check marks often, an AutoCorrect entry lets you type a short code instead of opening the Symbol dialog each time. These steps are for desktop Word for Windows:

1. Choose Insert > Symbol > More Symbols and select the check mark you want, such as Segoe UI Symbol 2713.
2. Select AutoCorrect at the bottom of the dialog.
3. In the Replace box, type a code you would not use in normal writing, such as (chk).
4. Select Add, then OK, then Close.

Now type (chk) followed by a space or punctuation, and Word replaces it with the check mark. To delete the shortcut later, open File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options, select the entry, and choose Delete.

Type a tick with the Wingdings 2 font

Wingdings 2 maps a tick to an ordinary letter, which is quick when you only need a few marks in desktop Word.

1. Place the cursor where the tick belongs.
2. Change the font to Wingdings 2 in the Home tab’s Font box.
3. Type an uppercase P (Shift+P) for a tick. An uppercase O gives a cross.
4. Switch the font back before you continue typing.

The mark depends on the font. If the file is opened on a device without Wingdings 2, it may appear as a plain letter P.

Insert a clickable tick box instead

If someone needs to tick and untick a box on screen, use a check box content control in desktop Word for Windows:

1. Select File > Options > Customize Ribbon, check Developer in the right-hand list, and select OK.
2. Click where the box should appear.
3. On the Developer tab, select Check Box Content Control.
4. Click the box to add or remove the tick.

To show a tick instead of an X when the box is selected, select the control, choose Developer > Properties, and use Change next to Checked symbol to pick a check mark.

Fix the wrong symbol

If you see a small letter, square, or unrelated icon, undo and repeat the insertion after setting the font and From field. If a colleague sees a different mark, prefer a broadly supported Unicode symbol, or send a PDF for a fixed presentation. Do not replace a missing check with a picture unless you need artwork; a text character is easier to size, align, and edit.

If Word keeps giving you a character you didn’t expect, it helps to tell arrows, check marks, and similar symbols apart before you insert one.

Matt Wilmont

Matt has been writing about Microsoft Windows and other Microsoft products since the days of Windows XP. He spends much of his time writing for sites like WindowBrain.com