Not Equal To ≠
≠ (U+2260) is a standard Unicode character that you can copy and paste anywhere text is accepted. This page provides a concise reference with safe tips, internal links, and practical guidance so you can use it reliably across apps and platforms.
What it is and where it’s used: Not Equal To is part of the Symbols family (block: Mathematical Operators). If you need styled or decorative alternatives, try our Fancy Text tool to generate compatible text that works in most modern interfaces.
History & usage: The NOT EQUAL TO symbol, shown as ≠ or a slash through an equals sign, has a long history in math. It marks that two values do not stand as the same. Early mathematicians used it to separate equal cases from unequal ones. Over time, this symbol moved into more places. In formulas, it signals inequality between numbers, expressions, or quantities. In tables and notebooks, it helps people read results quickly and clearly. In programming and software, the symbol appears in variants like != in code and ≠ in math text. In user interfaces, it helps show a mismatch, a failed check, or a difference between expected and actual values. Readers learn that a value is not the same as another and may need adjustment. The symbol stays common across many fonts and keyboards, so it is easy to type or see. People use it to compare options, to test conditions, and to express rules. Even with new tools, the idea remains simple: one side is not equal to the other.
Copy and input: the quickest method is to copy the character here. You can also insert it by its codepoint U+2260 in many development tools or editors. Some operating systems provide a character viewer or input palette that lets you search by name or code and insert the glyph into documents.
Display and fallback: if you see an empty box (tofu) or a placeholder rectangle, the active font might not include this codepoint. Switching to a font with broader Unicode coverage or using a fallback font usually fixes the issue. On the web, ensure the page’s font stack includes a general‑purpose fallback.
Related references: browse the Categories for similar characters. When choosing a symbol, prefer the official codepoint for semantic clarity and better compatibility with search, copy, and accessibility tooling.
See our category page for related symbols.
Technical details
- Codepoint:
U+2260 - General Category:
Sm - Age:
1.1 - Bidi Class:
ON - Decomposition:
003D 0338 - Block:
Mathematical Operators - Script:
Common - UTF-8:
E2 89 A0 - UTF-16:
2260 - UTF-32:
00002260 - HTML dec:
≠ - HTML hex:
≠ - JS escape:
\u2260 - Python \N{}:
\N{NOT EQUAL TO} - Python \u:
\u2260 - Python \U:
\U00002260 - URL-encoded:
%E2%89%A0 - CSS escape:
\2260
How to type / insert
Fast copy: click the Copy button near the top of this page.
By codepoint: in many editors and IDEs, you can insert via the Unicode code U+2260 or a built‑in character picker.
HTML: use the numeric entity ≠ (hex) or ≠ (decimal) when an HTML entity is needed.
Compatibility & troubleshooting
Font support: if the symbol does not render, the current font likely lacks this codepoint. Choose a font with broad Unicode coverage or allow a fallback font.
Web pages: ensure your CSS font stack includes a general fallback; avoid relying on images for common symbols to preserve accessibility and copyability.