Tau Symbol Τ τ — Copy, Paste and Type It

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

On Windows, press Win + . → Symbols → Greek, or in Microsoft Word type 03C4 and press Alt + X; the classic Alt code Alt + 231 types τ. On a Mac, switch to the Greek keyboard and press T (Shift + T for the capital). Or simply copy it from the top of this page.

Q: What is the LaTeX command for tau?

Use \tau for lowercase τ, inside math mode. There is no \Tau command for the capital: it looks identical to the Latin T, so you type T.

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

Lowercase τ is U+03C4, written in HTML as τ or τ. Capital Τ is U+03A4, written Τ or Τ.

The tau symbol is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, written τ in lowercase and Τ in uppercase. It is pronounced /taʊ/ (“TOW (rhymes with “cow”)”). Click a symbol to copy it.

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Copy the tau symbol

Greek small letter tau U+03C4 · The lowercase letter

Greek capital letter Tau U+03A4 · The uppercase letter

Tau codes — Unicode, HTML, LaTeX and Alt codes

Char	Unicode	HTML entity	HTML decimal	HTML hex	CSS	JavaScript	LaTeX	Windows	Mac
τ	`U+03C4`	`τ`	`τ`	`τ`	`\03C4`	`\u03C4`	`\tau`	`Alt + 231`	Greek keyboard `T`
Τ	`U+03A4`	`Τ`	`Τ`	`Τ`	`\03A4`	`\u03A4`	`T (no \Tau command)`	`03A4` then `Alt + X` (Word)	Greek keyboard `Shift + T`

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

How to type the tau symbol

Windows

Fastest: press Win + . to open the emoji panel, choose the Symbols tab (Ω), then Greek.
Alt code: hold Alt and type 231 for τ on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on.
Microsoft Word: type 03C4 and press Alt + X for τ; 03A4 then Alt + X for Τ. Word converts it in place.

Mac

Add the Greek keyboard in System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources, then T types τ and Shift + T types Τ.
Or open the Character Viewer with Ctrl + Cmd + Space and search “tau”.

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

\tau — lowercase τ in math mode
T or \mathrm{T} — capital Τ (there is no \Tau)

HTML, CSS and code

HTML: τ or τ or τ
CSS: content: "\03C4";
JavaScript / JSON: "\u03C4" — Python: "\u03c4"
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 tau mean?

Physics & engineering

τ — torque
τ — the time constant of an RC circuit or a decay
τ — shear stress; τ — proper time in relativity
the τ lepton (tauon)

Mathematics

τ = 2π ≈ 6.28318 — the “full-turn” circle constant proposed in the Tau Manifesto
τ — torsion of a curve

Statistics & biology

Kendall’s τ — a rank correlation coefficient
tau protein — linked to Alzheimer’s disease

Tau at a glance

Position: 19th of 24
Uppercase / lowercase: Τ τ
Greek name: ταυ
Pronunciation: /taʊ/
Numeric value: 300
Became: Latin T and Cyrillic Т

Frequently asked questions

What is the tau symbol?

Tau (Τ τ) is the 19th letter of the Greek alphabet, pronounced /taʊ/ (“TOW (rhymes with “cow”)”). It is most often used for torque, time constants, τ = 2π.

How do I type the tau symbol on a keyboard?

On Windows, press Win + . → Symbols → Greek, or in Microsoft Word type 03C4 and press Alt + X; the classic Alt code Alt + 231 types τ. On a Mac, switch to the Greek keyboard and press T (Shift + T for the capital). Or simply copy it from the top of this page.

What is the LaTeX command for tau?

Use \tau for lowercase τ, inside math mode. There is no \Tau command for the capital: it looks identical to the Latin T, so you type T.

What is the Unicode and HTML code for tau?

Lowercase τ is U+03C4, written in HTML as τ or τ. Capital Τ is U+03A4, written Τ or Τ.

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