Copy the nth root symbol. Any index.
√ and ∛ are single Unicode characters. Beyond the 4th root, there's no dedicated symbol at all — so we generate the exact one you need, like ⁵√ or ⁷√, instead of pretending one exists.
Generic placeholder — tap to copy, or pick your index below
No dedicated key — for any index
√ has Alt + 251 on Windows and Option + V on Mac. Nothing on any platform produces a combined "index + radical" symbol, because it isn't one character — here's what actually works.
Windows
Your OSThe 221A + Alt+X trick only produces the bare radical √, and 221C + Alt+X only produces the 4th root ∜ — neither carries an arbitrary index. For anything else, generate it below and copy it.
Mac (Character Viewer)
Your OSSearch “square root” or “quartic root” and you'll find √ and ∜ — but no entry exists for a 5th root or higher, since it isn't a single character.
iPhone & Android
Your OSNo native shortcut for any index. Copy the symbol you need from this page, or generate it below.
See the full typing guide, including Word, Excel, and Google Docs →
Pick your index, get your symbol
Set n to whatever root you need — 4th, 5th, 12th — type what belongs underneath it, and get a real ⁿ√(…) expression built from the correct superscript digits, not a guess.
Every format, one click each
HTML, LaTeX, and the one dedicated Unicode index (4th root) — copy exactly what you need.
Generic symbol
ⁿ√
5th root, ready-made
⁵√
4th root (has its own Unicode char)
∜
LaTeX
\sqrt[n]{x}
Built to be better than a reference table
A real equation writer, with a real index
Set n to the root you actually need and get ⁿ√(…) with your expression inside — not a single bare symbol standing in for every possible root.
Honest about what doesn't exist
We won't invent a fake Unicode character or Alt-code for a 6th or 9th root. Where none exists, we say so — and generate the correct composed symbol instead.
The one real exception, covered
The 4th root (∜) does have its own Unicode character — U+221C — and it's here alongside every other format, not buried.
Odd vs. even index, covered in code
Negative numbers behave completely differently under an odd index versus an even one — we cover exactly where that trips people up in JavaScript, Python, and Excel.
What is the nth root symbol?
The nth root symbol is the ordinary radical sign, √, with a small index number tucked into its notch to show exactly which root is meant — written ⁿ√x when the index is a variable standing in for some specific number, or ⁵√x, ⁷√x, and so on once you know which one. It's the same notation family as √ (implicitly the 2nd root) and ∛ (the 3rd root), just written out explicitly for indexes those two dedicated symbols don't cover. Writing ⁵√32 is shorthand for "the 5th root of 32," which equals 2, since 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 × 2 = 32.
Why isn't there just one nth root character, like √ and ∛?
Unicode assigns individual characters to square root (U+221A) and cube root (U+221B) because those two indexes are common enough to justify their own code point — and, as it turns out, the 4th root got one too: ∜, U+221C, officially "QUARTIC ROOT." But n can be any number, and Unicode can't practically assign a dedicated character to every possible index. Past 4, an nth root symbol has to be composed from two separate characters — a superscript digit (or digits) immediately followed by the plain radical — rather than pasted as one. That's exactly what the equation writer above builds automatically, correct superscript digits included.
Nth root symbol copy and paste
For the 4th root specifically, tap ∜ from the formats list above and it's on your clipboard as a single real character, just like √ or ∛. For any other index, the fastest route is the equation writer: set n, and copy the composed symbol it generates — it's still plain text underneath, so it keeps its size and color and pastes correctly into email, spreadsheets, and chat apps, the same as a native character would. Every format — HTML, LaTeX, and the Unicode composition method — is on the copy formats page.
Nth root symbol on keyboard: Windows, Mac, and phone
There's no built-in shortcut for a combined index-plus-radical symbol on any platform, since it isn't a single character for any index above 4. On Windows, typing 221A then Alt + X gives you the bare radical, and 221C then Alt + X gives you the 4th root — useful building blocks, but not a finished ⁵√ or ⁷√. On a Mac, the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) has entries for "square root" and "quartic root" but nothing for higher indexes. On a phone, there's no shortcut either way. In every case, generating the exact symbol with the equation writer and copying it is more reliable than hunting for a key combination that was never assigned. See thehow-to-type page for the full walkthrough.
Nth root in Word, Excel, and on a Mac
Word's Equation editor can build a proper nth-root radical with the index in its own box — type \sqrt(x,n) inside an equation field and press space, or use Insert → Equation → Radical and fill in the index manually. Outside the equation editor, paste the plain-text symbol from the equation writer instead. Neither Excel nor Google Sheets has a built-in NTHROOT function; the reliable formula is =A1^(1/B1), where A1 is the number and B1 is the index — for odd indexes with a negative A1, use =SIGN(A1)*ABS(A1)^(1/B1) so it doesn't return an error.
Nth root symbol text vs. a full equation
A bare ⁿ√ only tells you it's some root — it doesn't say which one, or what's underneath it. Our equation writersolves both problems at once: set the actual index and type the expression, and it generates a copyable result like ⁵√(32), plain text that pastes correctly into Google Docs, Word, iMessage, and every other app. For a quick reference to the general notation, the plain ⁿ√ above is fine — for an equation you're showing to someone else, the specific version is worth the extra step.
Frequently asked questions
What is the nth root symbol?
The nth root symbol is the radical sign (√) with a small index number written into its notch, showing which root is meant — ⁵√32 asks "what number, multiplied by itself 5 times, gives 32?" (answer: 2). "nth" just means the index is a variable, n, standing in for whatever specific number — 4, 5, 12 — the root actually uses.
Is there a single Unicode symbol for nth root?
No — and that's the key difference from √ (U+221A) and ∛ (U+221B), which are each one dedicated character. Since n can be any number, there's no way to give every possible root its own code point. The one exception is the 4th root, ∜, which does have its own character: U+221C. Every other index — 5th, 6th, 12th, and so on — has to be composed from a superscript digit plus the plain radical, which is exactly what our equation writer does automatically.
What is the 4th root symbol?
∜ — Unicode character U+221C, officially named "QUARTIC ROOT." It sits right after cube root (U+221B) in the Mathematical Operators block. Like √ and ∛, it's a single character you can copy, paste, and resize as plain text.
How do I write an nth root symbol for a specific number, like a 7th root?
Type the index into the equation writer above (7, in this case) along with what's under the root, and it generates ⁷√(…) as plain, pasteable text — a superscript 7 immediately followed by the radical. There's no dedicated key for this on any keyboard, so composing it (rather than hunting for a character that doesn't exist) is the only reliable method.
How do I type the nth root symbol on Windows or Mac?
There's no single keystroke for it on either platform, because it isn't a single character for any index above 4. On Windows, the closest built-in trick is typing a hex code and pressing Alt + X, but that only produces the bare radical (221A) or the 4th-root character (221C) — not a combined symbol with an arbitrary index. On Mac, the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) has entries for √ and ∜ but nothing for a 5th root or higher. In every case, the fastest path is generating the exact symbol you need with the equation writer and copying it.
How do you calculate an nth root?
Raise the number to the power of 1/n — the nth root of x is x^(1/n). For example, the 5th root of 32 is 32^(1/5) = 2, since 2 multiplied by itself 5 times is 32. Most calculators, spreadsheets, and programming languages compute it this way rather than offering a dedicated "nth root" button; see the in-code page for the exact syntax in JavaScript, Python, Excel, and more.
Does a negative number have a real nth root?
It depends on whether n is odd or even. For an odd index, yes — the 5th root of -32 is -2, a real number, the same way cube roots of negative numbers work. For an even index, no — there's no real number that, multiplied by itself an even number of times, gives a negative result, so even-index roots of negative numbers are only defined as complex numbers.