How do I type the ≤ less-than or equal to symbol?

On Windows, type 2264 and press Alt+X. On Linux press Ctrl+Shift+U then 2264. On any system the quickest route is the copy button on this page.

What is the code for ≤?

Less-Than Or Equal To is U+2264, written in HTML as ≤ and in LaTeX as \leq. In UTF-8 it takes 3 bytes. The table above lists every escape format.

U+2264 · Math symbol

HTML entity

≤

LaTeX

\leq

Less-Than Or Equal To Symbol ≤

Q: What kind of character is ≤?

Less-Than Or Equal To is filed under Math symbol in the Mathematical Operators block, and was introduced in Unicode 1.1. Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.

≤ is less-than or equal to. Write it in HTML as ≤ or paste the character directly. It was added in Unicode 1.1, and Unicode files it under Math symbol.

Also known as

Unicode 1.0 called this character less than or equal to. The standard renamed it later, but documents, fonts and font-editing tools from that era still use the old name.

Codes & technical data

Unicode	`U+2264`
HTML hex	`≤`
HTML decimal	`≤`
CSS	`\2264`
JavaScript	`\u{2264}`
Python	`\U00002264`
Java / C#	`\u2264`
Rust	`\u{2264}`
Swift	`\u{2264}`
PHP	`\u{2264}`
URL encoded	`%E2%89%A4`
UTF-8 bytes	`E2 89 A4`
UTF-16 bytes	`2264`
Base64	`4omk`
Decimal	`8804`
HTML entity	`≤`
LaTeX	`\leq`
Category	Math symbol (Sm)
Introduced	Unicode 1.1

Will ≤ survive being pasted?

Normalisation. Yes. ≤ is unchanged by NFKC, so it survives normalising systems intact.
Legacy encodings. ≤ is Unicode-only — it has no Latin-1 equivalent, so a system stuck on an 8-bit encoding cannot represent it.
Size. 3 bytes in UTF-8. Character-limited fields — SMS, bios, some form validators — usually count bytes, not characters.

Unicode cross-references

The standard points readers of ≤ at these characters — usually because they look alike, or because one is the correct choice where the other is often used by mistake.

<U+003Cless-than sign

Other equal characters

Unicode names 24 characters ending in “equal”. They differ by direction, weight or decoration rather than by meaning.

Nearby in Mathematical Operators

The operators mathematics and programming share — set theory, logic, calculus, comparison. Almost every character here has a LaTeX command, which is usually the fastest way to name the one you mean.

All 256 characters in Mathematical Operators →

How to type ≤

Windows	Type `2264` then press `Alt`+`X`
macOS	Press `Ctrl`+`Cmd`+`Space`, then search for “less-than or equal to”
Linux	Press `Ctrl`+`Shift`+`U`, type `2264`, press `Enter`
HTML	`≤`

About Unicode’s Math symbol category

Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.

Frequently asked questions

How do I type the ≤ less-than or equal to symbol?: On Windows, type 2264 and press Alt+X. On Linux press Ctrl+Shift+U then 2264. On any system the quickest route is the copy button on this page.
What is the code for ≤?: Less-Than Or Equal To is U+2264, written in HTML as ≤ and in LaTeX as \leq. In UTF-8 it takes 3 bytes. The table above lists every escape format.
What kind of character is ≤?: Less-Than Or Equal To is filed under Math symbol in the Mathematical Operators block, and was introduced in Unicode 1.1. Unicode classifies this as a mathematical symbol, which means software that lays out formulas treats it as an operator or relation and gives it spacing accordingly, rather than setting it tight against its neighbours like a letter.