Epsilon Symbol
About Epsilon Symbol
ε is the Epsilon Symbol, the lowercase form of the 5th letter of the Greek alphabet (Ε / ε). The Epsilon Symbol ε is among the most common Greek letters in scientific and technical literature, frequently used for In limits and proofs it stands for an arbitrarily small positive quantity, and it also denotes the permittivity constant and the empty string.
【Pronunciation】 In English, ε is most often pronounced EP-suh-lon (IPA: /ˈɛpsɪlən/). This is simply the anglicized name of the Greek letter.
The lowercase Epsilon Symbol ε is written as a distinct Greek glyph and is assigned codepoint U+03B5 in the Greek and Coptic Unicode block. In plain or sans-serif fonts it can be mistaken for the Latin letter e, so verify the typeface or context.
【Historical Origin】 Epsilon means 'bare e' and was used in medieval manuscripts to distinguish this e-shaped letter.
【Common Uses】 ε is highly active across disciplines: In limits and proofs it stands for an arbitrarily small positive quantity, and it also denotes the permittivity constant and the empty string. It often appears alongside the uppercase Sigma Σ and lowercase Sigma σ in formulas, papers, and engineering drawings.
How to Type Epsilon Symbol
Windows Input
Method 1: Hold Alt and type 949 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt to get ε.
Mac Input
Method 2: Press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer, search for 'greek' or 'Epsilon Symbol', then select ε.
HTML/CSS Input
Method 3: HTML: ε or ε or ε; CSS: content: "\03B5";
LaTeX Input
Method 4: Use the \epsilon command in LaTeX math mode to produce ε.
Epsilon Symbol FAQ
How is ε pronounced?
The English pronunciation of ε is EP-suh-lon (IPA: /ˈɛpsɪlən/). It is the anglicized name of the Greek letter, used directly rather than described as 'lowercase ε'.
What is the difference between ε and the Latin letter e?
ε (U+03B5) is a Greek lowercase letter, whereas e is a Latin letter; their codepoints and glyphs differ. In a proper typeface ε and e are clearly distinct, but in plain text or sans-serif fonts they can be confused, so rely on context.
How do I type ε in Word, web pages, and LaTeX?
On Windows use Alt+949 on the numeric keypad; on Mac open the Character Viewer and search 'greek' or 'Epsilon Symbol'; on the web use the HTML entity ε; in LaTeX use \epsilon. For bulk use, copy ε directly from this page.