Epsilon Symbol Ε ε — Copy, Paste and Type It

Q: How do I type the epsilon symbol on a keyboard?

On Windows, press Win + . → Symbols → Greek, or in Microsoft Word type 03B5 and press Alt + X; the classic Alt code Alt + 238 types ε. On a Mac, switch to the Greek keyboard and press E (Shift + E for the capital). Or simply copy it from the top of this page.

Q: What is the LaTeX command for epsilon?

Use \varepsilon for lowercase ε, inside math mode. There is no \Epsilon command for the capital: it looks identical to the Latin E, so you type E.

Q: What is the Unicode and HTML code for epsilon?

Lowercase ε is U+03B5, written in HTML as ε or ε. Capital Ε is U+0395, written Ε or Ε.

The epsilon symbol is the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet, written ε in lowercase and Ε in uppercase. It is pronounced /ˈɛpsɪlɒn/ (“EP-sih-lon”). Click a symbol to copy it.

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Copy the epsilon symbol

Greek small letter epsilon U+03B5 · The lowercase letter

Greek capital letter Epsilon U+0395 · The uppercase letter

Greek lunate epsilon symbol U+03F5 · The ϵ shape. This is what LaTeX’s \epsilon produces.

Element of U+2208 · Set membership, x ∈ A. Derived from epsilon, but a separate math symbol.

Euro sign U+20AC · The currency symbol, whose design was inspired by epsilon.

Dashed boxes are look-alikes that are not the Greek letter — listed so you can tell them apart.

ε vs ϵ — and why LaTeX swaps them

Epsilon has two lowercase shapes, and they are two separate characters:

ε (U+03B5) — the curly epsilon. This is the normal Greek letter, and the one you get from Alt + 238 on Windows.
ϵ (U+03F5) — the lunate (moon-shaped) epsilon symbol, used in some mathematics.

The LaTeX surprise: \epsilon produces the lunate ϵ, and \varepsilon produces the curly ε — the opposite of what most people expect. If your formula shows the “wrong” epsilon, swap the command.

Neither is the same as ∈ (U+2208, element of), which means set membership. ∈ is wider and is spaced as a relation: write x \in A, never x \epsilon A.

Not sure which Greek letter you need? See all 24 Greek symbols with codes.

Epsilon codes — Unicode, HTML, LaTeX and Alt codes

Char	Unicode	HTML entity	HTML decimal	HTML hex	CSS	JavaScript	LaTeX	Windows	Mac
ε	`U+03B5`	`ε`	`ε`	`ε`	`\03B5`	`\u03B5`	`\varepsilon`	`Alt + 238`	Greek keyboard `E`
Ε	`U+0395`	`Ε`	`Ε`	`Ε`	`\0395`	`\u0395`	`E (no \Epsilon command)`	`0395` then `Alt + X` (Word)	Greek keyboard `Shift + E`
ϵ	`U+03F5`	`ϵ`	`ϵ`	`ϵ`	`\03F5`	`\u03F5`	`\epsilon`	`03F5` then `Alt + X` (Word)	Character Viewer
∈	`U+2208`	`∈`	`∈`	`∈`	`\2208`	`\u2208`	`\in`	`2208` then `Alt + X` (Word)	Character Viewer
€	`U+20AC`	`—`	`€`	`€`	`\20AC`	`\u20AC`	`—`	`20AC` then `Alt + X` (Word)	Character Viewer

Need the characters without any explanation? Open the Greek letters copy-paste sheet.

How to type the epsilon symbol

Windows

Fastest: press Win + . to open the emoji panel, choose the Symbols tab (Ω), then Greek.
Alt code: hold Alt and type 238 for ε on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on.
Microsoft Word: type 03B5 and press Alt + X for ε; 0395 then Alt + X for Ε. Word converts it in place.

Mac

Add the Greek keyboard in System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources, then E types ε and Shift + E types Ε.
Or open the Character Viewer with Ctrl + Cmd + Space and search “epsilon”.

iPhone and Android

iOS: Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → Greek. Tap the globe key to switch.
Android (Gboard): Settings → Languages → Add keyboard → Greek.
Or copy the character from the top of this page.

LaTeX

\varepsilon — lowercase ε in math mode
E or \mathrm{E} — capital Ε (there is no \Epsilon)
\epsilon — ϵ (greek lunate epsilon symbol)
\in — ∈ (element of)

HTML, CSS and code

HTML: ε or ε or ε
CSS: content: "\03B5";
JavaScript / JSON: "\u03B5" — Python: "\u03b5"
In source code, prefer the escape over the pasted glyph — it survives every file encoding.

Full typing guide for every platform, including Linux and Google Docs → how to type Greek letters.

What does epsilon mean?

Mathematics

ε — an arbitrarily small positive number, as in the ε–δ definition of a limit
∈ — “is an element of”, a symbol that grew out of epsilon

Physics

ε₀ — the permittivity of free space; ε — permittivity
ε — strain, and emissivity

Statistics

ε — the error term in a regression model

Computer science

ε — the empty string in automata theory
machine epsilon — the gap between 1 and the next floating-point number

Chemistry

ε — molar absorptivity in the Beer–Lambert law

Epsilon at a glance

Position: 5th of 24
Uppercase / lowercase: Ε ε
Greek name: έψιλον
Pronunciation: /ˈɛpsɪlɒn/
Numeric value: 5
Became: Latin E and Cyrillic Е and Є

Frequently asked questions

What is the epsilon symbol?

Epsilon (Ε ε) is the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet, pronounced /ˈɛpsɪlɒn/ (“EP-sih-lon”). It is most often used for a tiny quantity, permittivity, the error term.

How do I type the epsilon symbol on a keyboard?

On Windows, press Win + . → Symbols → Greek, or in Microsoft Word type 03B5 and press Alt + X; the classic Alt code Alt + 238 types ε. On a Mac, switch to the Greek keyboard and press E (Shift + E for the capital). Or simply copy it from the top of this page.

What is the LaTeX command for epsilon?

Use \varepsilon for lowercase ε, inside math mode. There is no \Epsilon command for the capital: it looks identical to the Latin E, so you type E.

What is the Unicode and HTML code for epsilon?

Lowercase ε is U+03B5, written in HTML as ε or ε. Capital Ε is U+0395, written Ε or Ε.

← See all 24 Greek symbols