How to Make the Section Symbol in Microsoft Word: A Step-by-Step Guide

The section symbol (§) is a typographical character that is commonly used to reference numbered sections of a document, especially in legal writing. If you need to insert this symbol into a Word document, there are a few easy ways to do it. In this comprehensive guide, we’ll walk through the various methods for making the section symbol in Word so you can choose the option that works best for your needs.

What is the Section Symbol and When is it Used?

As mentioned above the section symbol (§) is primarily used to cite sections of legal documents. For example, if you were referencing Section 51A of the Texas Property Code you would write it as “Tex. Prop. Code § 51A”. The section symbol allows you to quickly specify that you are citing a particular section number.

The section symbol is also sometimes used in writing to divide or organize sections of text, similar to how headings work. Authors may use the section symbol along with a section number or title to separate portions of a document

You’ll most often need to use this symbol if you are writing any sort of legal or official document. However, it can also come in handy in academic papers, business reports, instruction manuals or any long form documents that require divisions

How to Insert the Section Symbol in Word

Now that you know what the section symbol is used for, let’s look at the various options for actually inserting it into a Word document.

Use the Symbol Dialog Box

The Symbol dialog box allows you to browse all available symbols and insert any character you need. Here are the steps:

1. Place your cursor where you want the symbol to be inserted.
2. Go to the Insert tab and click the Symbol icon.
3. Select More Symbols from the dropdown menu.
4. In the Symbol dialog box, select the Special Characters tab.
5. Scroll and locate the Section symbol. Click to select it.
6. Click Insert to add it to your document.

This method works well if you already know what the symbol looks like or want to browse all available special characters to find the right one.

Use the Symbol Shortcut Keys

Most symbols can be typed faster using Alt codes or shortcut keys. The keyboard shortcut for the Section symbol is:

• Windows: Hold Alt and type 0167 or 21 on the numeric keypad.
• Mac: Press Option+6

To use this shortcut:

1. Place your cursor where you want the symbol inserted.
2. On Windows, hold down the Alt key and type either 0167 or 21 on your numeric keypad.
3. On Mac, hold the Option key and press 6.
4. Release the Alt or Option key and the symbol will appear.

This is the fastest option if you need to insert the symbol frequently and have memorized the keyboard shortcut.

Use AutoCorrect

You can setup AutoCorrect in Word to replace a specific text shortcut with the section symbol:

1. Go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options.
2. In the Replace field, enter the text shortcut you want to use, like “sectsym”.
3. In the With field, insert the Section symbol character.
4. Click Add then OK.

Now whenever you type your chosen shortcut text, it will be replaced automatically with the symbol. For the example above, typing “sectsym” would output the § character in your document.

Copy and Paste from Another Document

If you already have the section symbol in another document, simply copy and paste it:

1. Open the source document and highlight the section symbol character.
2. Right click and select Copy (or use the Ctrl+C keyboard shortcut).
3. Place your cursor in the target document where you want to paste the symbol.
4. Right click and select Paste (or use Ctrl+V).

The symbol will be inserted in the new location. This allows you reuse a symbol easily without retyping it.

Insert Using Alt Codes

As mentioned above under the keyboard shortcuts, every symbol has a corresponding Alt code associated with it. The Alt code for the Section symbol is 0167. You can insert symbols using just the alt code:

1. Place your cursor where you want to insert the symbol.
2. Hold down the Alt key and type 0167 on your keyboard’s numeric keypad.
3. Release the Alt key and the § symbol will appear.

This method is best if you frequently need to insert symbols using their Alt code. It takes some memorization but allows you to quickly enter symbols.

Tips for Using the Section Symbol in Word

Now that you know how to insert the section symbol in Word using a variety of methods, here are some useful tips to make working with this character easier:

• Create a keyboard shortcut – Set up a memorable keyboard shortcut to insert the symbol with just a couple keystrokes. This saves time if you use the symbol frequently.

• Adjust font formatting – The section symbol will inherit the formatting of surrounding text. Tweak fonts like size or color to help the symbol stand out.

• Use heading styles – When dividing sections of text, format section titles using Word’s heading styles for consistency.

• Add to AutoCorrect – Include the symbol in your AutoCorrect replacements to insert it on the fly by typing a text shortcut.

• Change default symbol font – Don’t like the default look of symbols? Change the font used for symbols document-wide.

• Enable Num Lock – When using Alt codes on a laptop, make sure to enable Num Lock so you can type codes on the embedded numeric keypad.

With all these options and tips, you should have no trouble adding the section symbol wherever you need it in your Word documents. Reference legal codes and organize sections of text smoothly and efficiently.