Greater Than or Equal To (≥) and Less Than or Equal To (≤) Symbols: How to Type Them

The greater than or equal to symbol ≥ means the value on the left is larger than or exactly equal to the value on the right, and the less than or equal to symbol ≤ means the left side is smaller than or equal to the right. They are the inclusive versions of > and <, so 5 ≥ 5 is true while 5 > 5 is false. Copy them from the list below, type them with Alt + 242 and Alt + 243 on Windows or Option + . and Option + , on a Mac, and in LaTeX write $x \geq 0$ or $x \leq 1$ in math mode (\ge and \le are shorter aliases of the same commands).

This guide lists every variant of the two signs with its Unicode code point, explains how to read them in inequalities and inequality chains, shows the keyboard shortcuts for Windows, Mac, phones, Word, Google Docs, Excel, and HTML, and then covers the LaTeX commands, including the slanted and negated forms from amssymb.

Copy and Paste the ≥ and ≤ Symbols

• ≥ — greater-than or equal to (U+2265)
• ≤ — less-than or equal to (U+2264)
• ⩾ — greater-than or slanted equal to (U+2A7E)
• ⩽ — less-than or slanted equal to (U+2A7D)
• ≧ — greater-than over equal to, the double-bar form (U+2267)
• ≦ — less-than over equal to (U+2266)
• ≳ — greater-than or equivalent to (U+2273)
• ≲ — less-than or equivalent to (U+2272)
• ≱ — neither greater-than nor equal to (U+2271)
• ≰ — neither less-than nor equal to (U+2270)
• ≫ — much greater-than (U+226B)
• ≪ — much less-than (U+226A)
• > — greater-than sign (U+003E)
• < — less-than sign (U+003C)

The first two are the ones you want in almost every document. The slanted and double-bar forms mean exactly the same thing; they are typographic conventions rather than different relations.

What ≥ and ≤ Mean

An inequality compares two quantities. The strict signs > and < exclude equality; the inclusive signs ≥ and ≤ allow it:

• x ≥ 3 reads "x is greater than or equal to 3" and is true for 3, 3.5, 100, and every larger number. In everyday language this is "at least 3" or "a minimum of 3."
• x ≤ 3 reads "x is less than or equal to 3" and covers 3, 2, −7, and everything smaller: "at most 3," "no more than 3," "up to 3."
• x > 3 is "strictly greater than 3" and is false for x = 3 itself; x < 3 is "strictly less than 3."

In interval notation x ≥ 3 is [3, ∞) and x > 3 is (3, ∞); on a number line the inclusive sign gets a filled dot at the endpoint and the strict sign an empty one.

Comparison of the Greater-Than Family

The less-than family mirrors it exactly: ≤ \leq, ⩽ \leqslant, ≦ \leqq, ≲ \lesssim, ≪ \ll, and ≰ \nleq. The sign ≳ is common in physics and asymptotic estimates ("N ≳ 100 for the approximation to hold"), and ≫ means "much greater than" without saying by how much, as in N ≫ 1. The strict signs have their own guide at https://www.useoctree.com/blog/greater-than-less-than-symbols-guide, and ≠ is covered at https://www.useoctree.com/blog/not-equal-sign-meaning-how-to-type.

Inequality Chains

Inclusive signs are often chained to describe a range in one expression:

• 0 ≤ p ≤ 1 — a probability lies between 0 and 1, both ends included
• a ≤ b < c — b is at least a but strictly less than c, the usual way to write a half-open bin in a histogram
• −1 ≤ sin x ≤ 1 — a bound that holds for every x
• |x − 3| ≤ 2 ⇔ 1 ≤ x ≤ 5 — an absolute-value inequality unpacked into a chain
• (a + b)/2 ≥ √(ab) for a, b ≥ 0 — the arithmetic–geometric mean inequality, with equality only when a = b
• x₁ ≤ x₂ ≤ … ≤ xₙ — a sorted list, where repeats are allowed because the sign is inclusive

A chain is read left to right and every adjacent pair must hold; mixing directions (a ≤ b ≥ c) is legal but confusing, so split it into two statements.

How to Type ≥ and ≤

Windows: Hold Alt and type 242 on the numeric keypad for ≥, or 243 for ≤, then release Alt. These are the legacy code-page numbers, so they do not take a leading zero. Laptops without a keypad can use Word's Alt + X method (type 2265 or 2264, then press Alt + X), or open Insert → Symbol and search the Mathematical Operators block. The Windows emoji panel (Windows key + .) also has a Symbols tab with both signs.

Mac: Press Option + . (the period key) for ≥ and Option + , (the comma key) for ≤ on the US layout. The shortcut works everywhere, including the browser address bar. If your layout maps those keys differently, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search "greater" or "less."

iPhone and Android: Switch to the 123 keyboard, then to #+=, and long-press > or <; the pop-up offers ≥ and ≤ on most iOS and Gboard layouts. For frequent use, add a Text Replacement (iOS: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement) that turns >= into ≥.

Word and Google Docs: Both accept the OS shortcuts above. Word's AutoCorrect can replace >= with ≥ (File → Options → Proofing), and its equation editor converts \geq and \leq automatically. Google Docs has Insert → Special characters, where searching "greater" finds the sign.

Excel and Google Sheets: Formulas do not use the Unicode signs. Write >= and <=, in that order, as in =IF(A1>=90,"A","B") or =COUNTIF(B:B,">=50"); => is not a valid operator. The typed ≥ is fine inside text labels and chart titles, just not in formulas. The same ASCII spellings are the comparison operators in every mainstream programming language, and Python lets you chain them the way mathematicians do: 0 <= x <= 1.

HTML: Use ≥ and ≤, or the numeric ≥ and ≤. HTML5 also defines ≥, ≤, ⩾ (⩾), ⩽ (⩽), ≧ (≧), ≦ (≦), ≳ (≳), ≲ (≲), ≱ (≱), and ≰ (≰). Because the strict signs < and > open and close tags, write them as < and > in page text.

≥ and ≤ in LaTeX

In LaTeX the two signs are math-mode relations: \geq (or \ge) gives ≥ and \leq (or \le) gives ≤. They must appear inside $...$, \[...\], or a math environment; typed in running text they raise the "Missing $ inserted" error. The \ge and \le aliases are not abbreviations of something different; they are identical commands that save keystrokes. The kernel also provides \gg (≫) and \ll (≪). Everything else comes from amssymb: \geqslant and \leqslant for the slanted forms, \geqq and \leqq for the double-bar forms, \gtrsim and \lesssim for ≳ and ≲, \ngeq and \nleq for the negations, \ngtr and \nless for the negated strict signs, and \ggg and \lll for ⋙ and ⋘.

One subtlety for text mode: in the default OT1 font encoding, a bare < or > outside math prints as ¡ or ¿, because those slots hold different glyphs. Put comparisons in math mode or load \usepackage[T1]{fontenc}. Other characters that behave unexpectedly in text are listed at https://www.useoctree.com/learn/special-characters.

The snippet below compiles with any current TeX distribution and shows the common forms together:

1\documentclass{article}
2\usepackage{amsmath}
3\usepackage{amssymb}
4\begin{document}
5Basic forms: $x \geq 0$, $x \ge 0$, $y \leq 1$, $y \le 1$.
6
7Slanted forms from amssymb: $x \geqslant 0$ and $y \leqslant 1$.
8
9Negated forms: $a \ngeq b$, $a \nleq b$, $a \ngtr b$, $a \nless b$.
10
11Much greater and much less: $N \gg 1$, $\epsilon \ll 1$, $\gggtr$, $\llless$.
12
13Double-line forms: $x \geqq y$, $x \leqq y$, and the mixed $\gtrsim$, $\lesssim$.
14
15An inequality chain: $0 \leq a < b \leq 1$.
16
17Aligned constraints:
18\begin{align}
19  x + y &\leq 10 \\
20  x &\geq 0 \\
21  y &\geq 0
22\end{align}
23
24Bounds with subscripts: $x_{\min} \le x \le x_{\max}$.
25
26Text mode needs math: the condition $n \geq 2$ holds, and at least 5 means $\geq 5$.
27\end{document}
Copy

Relation symbols get the same spacing as = on both sides, so $x\geq0$ and $x \geq 0$ produce identical output. In an align environment, an & directly before the relation lines the signs up in a column. A searchable table of every relation symbol with its LaTeX command is at https://tools.useoctree.com/symbols/relations.

Related Symbols

The subset sign ⊆ is the set-theory cousin of ≤: the bar underneath means "or equal," exactly as it does in ≤. For currency and text symbols that LaTeX treats specially, see https://www.useoctree.com/blog/dollar-sign-symbol-latex-currency-how-to-type and https://www.useoctree.com/blog/ampersand-and-symbol-meaning-how-to-type.

FAQ

What does ≥ mean?

Greater than or equal to. The statement x ≥ 5 is true when x is 5 or any larger number. In words it is "at least 5" or "a minimum of 5." The mirrored sign ≤ means less than or equal to: "at most," "no more than," "up to."

How do I type the greater than or equal to symbol?

Windows: hold Alt and type 242 on the numeric keypad (243 for ≤). Mac: Option + . for ≥ and Option + , for ≤. Phones: long-press > or < on the symbols keyboard. In HTML use ≥ and ≤, and in LaTeX use \geq and \leq in math mode.

What is the difference between ≥ and ⩾?

Nothing mathematically. ⩾ (U+2A7E) is the slanted-equal version used in French, Russian, and some British typesetting, produced in LaTeX by \geqslant from amssymb. ≥ (U+2265) is the standard form in American and most international publishing. Use one consistently within a document.

How do I write greater than or equal to in Excel?

Type >= inside the formula, for example =IF(A2>=70,"Pass","Fail") or =SUMIF(C:C,"<=100"). Excel does not accept the ≥ character as an operator, and => is a syntax error. The same >= and <= operators work in Google Sheets and in every programming language.

Why does \geq give an error in LaTeX?

Because it is a math-mode command. Writing x \geq 0 in a sentence produces "Missing $ inserted." Wrap it as $x \geq 0$. If instead the error is "Undefined control sequence" for \geqslant, \ngeq, or \geqq, add \usepackage{amssymb} to the preamble.

Writing Inequalities Cleanly

Use ≥ and ≤ for inclusive bounds, keep chains reading in one direction, and let LaTeX's align environment line the signs up when you have several constraints. Octree, the AI LaTeX editor at https://www.useoctree.com, autocompletes \geq, \leqslant, and the rest of the amssymb set and compiles your document as you type, so you can see the inequality rendered the moment you write it.