Free printable math symbols chart
Grades K–8Every symbol a child meets between Kindergarten and Grade 8, with its name, what it actually means, and an example of it doing its job. Print it for the wall, or search the list below when something turns up that nobody explained.
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Search any symbol
Type the symbol, its name, or roughly what it does. Searching root finds the square root sign, searching angle finds the angle symbol, and searching hundred finds percent.
The examples matter more than the definitions. A child who reads that ≈ means approximately equal to has learned a phrase; a child who sees π ≈ 3.14 has seen the symbol working, which is what makes it recognizable next time.
Filter by category when a whole group is new. The comparing symbols usually arrive together, and so do the geometry ones, so it helps to look at them as a set rather than hunting through the whole list.
| Symbol | Name | What it means | Example |
|---|---|---|---|
| + | Plus | Add these together | 3 + 4 = 7 |
| − | Minus | Take this away | 9 − 2 = 7 |
| × | Times | Multiply these | 6 × 3 = 18 |
| · | Dot | Multiply these — used once letters appear | 6 · 3 = 18 |
| ÷ | Divided by | Share into equal groups | 12 ÷ 4 = 3 |
| / | Slash | Divided by, or a fraction bar | 12/4 = 3 |
| ± | Plus or minus | Both the positive and negative answer | x = ±5 |
| √ | Square root | What number times itself gives this | √25 = 5 |
| ² | Squared | Multiply a number by itself | 5² = 25 |
| ³ | Cubed | Multiply a number by itself three times | 2³ = 8 |
| % | Percent | Out of one hundred | 25% = 25 out of 100 |
| = | Equals | Both sides are worth the same | 4 + 3 = 7 |
| ≠ | Not equal to | The two sides are different | 5 ≠ 6 |
| < | Less than | Smaller than | 3 < 8 |
| > | Greater than | Bigger than | 9 > 2 |
| ≤ | Less than or equal to | Smaller than, or the same | x ≤ 10 |
| ≥ | Greater than or equal to | Bigger than, or the same | x ≥ 0 |
| ≈ | Approximately equal to | Close, but rounded | π ≈ 3.14 |
| ( ) | Parentheses | Do this part first | 2 × (3 + 4) = 14 |
| [ ] | Brackets | Grouping outside parentheses | [2 × (3 + 4)] − 5 |
| { } | Braces | A set, or an outer grouping | {2, 4, 6, 8} |
| | | | Absolute value | How far from zero, ignoring the sign | |−7| = 7 |
| ° | Degrees | A measure of turn, or of temperature | 90° is a right angle |
| ∠ | Angle | The angle at a point | ∠ABC = 45° |
| ⊥ | Perpendicular to | Meeting at a right angle | AB ⊥ CD |
| ∥ | Parallel to | Running alongside, never meeting | AB ∥ CD |
| △ | Triangle | The triangle with these corners | △ABC |
| ≅ | Congruent to | Same shape and same size | △ABC ≅ △DEF |
| ~ | Similar to | Same shape, different size | △ABC ~ △XYZ |
| π | Pi | The circumference of a circle divided by its diameter | π ≈ 3.14159 |
| : | Ratio | Compares two amounts | 3 : 4 |
| ∞ | Infinity | Without end | 1, 2, 3, … ∞ |
| ∴ | Therefore | So, it follows that | x = 5 ∴ 2x = 10 |
| … | Ellipsis | The pattern carries on | 2, 4, 6, 8, … |
| ! | Factorial | Multiply down to 1 | 4! = 4×3×2×1 = 24 |
35 symbols shown. Search by the symbol itself, its name, or what it does.
How to use this math symbols chart at home
Treat it as a dictionary rather than something to learn. Nobody memorizes a symbol chart, and nobody should. Its value is being on the wall at the moment a child meets ≥ for the first time and has no idea what it is asking.
Say symbols out loud as words. Read 7 > 4 as seven is greater than four, not seven arrow four. Symbols are compressed sentences, and children who read them as sentences make far fewer mistakes than children who see them as decoration between numbers.
Notice the look-alike pairs together. ≤ and ≥, ⊥ and ∥, ≅ and ~. Each pair is easier to keep straight when learned as a contrast than when met months apart.
Symbols are sentences, not decoration
An equals sign is a claim: the left side and the right side are worth the same. It is not an instruction meaning write the answer next, which is how most children first read it, and that misreading causes real trouble later.
You can see it in the classic error where a child writes 3 + 4 = 7 + 2 = 9. Each step is right in their head, but as written it claims 7 equals 9. The equals sign was being used as a full stop rather than a balance.
Fixing it early is cheap and pays off in algebra, where the whole method depends on the two sides genuinely staying equal. Reading every equation aloud as is the same as does most of the work.
The pairs children mix up
≤ and ≥. The extra line means or equal to, and which way the main sign points is the same rule as < and >: the wide end faces the bigger number.
⊥ and ∥. Perpendicular meets at a right angle; parallel never meets at all. The symbols help — the parallel sign is literally two parallel lines, and the perpendicular one is a corner.
≅ and ~. Congruent means same shape and same size; similar means same shape, different size. Congruent has the equals sign built into it, which is a useful hook.
And the minus sign doing two jobs. In 7 − 3 it is an instruction to subtract; in −3 it is part of the number itself. Same mark, two roles, and nothing on the page distinguishes them except position.
Where symbols usually go wrong
Using equals as a running total. Writing 3 + 4 = 7 + 2 = 9. Each equation has to be true on its own.
Pointing < and > the wrong way. The wide end faces the larger number, always.
Ignoring parentheses. Working 2 × (3 + 4) left to right and getting 10 instead of 14. Brackets exist precisely to override the usual order.
Reading a negative sign as subtraction. Seeing −5 + 3 and subtracting five from something. There is nothing to subtract from — the −5 is where the calculation starts.
After the chart goes up
A chart explains the idea but gives a child nothing to do. These do the rest.
- number sense at Mathify Kids — every topic in this area, sorted by grade.
- comparing numbers worksheets — printable practice.
- order of operations worksheets — the next step once this is solid.
- comparing integers worksheets — more practice in the same area.
Everything at this level: Kindergarten math · Grade 1 math · Grade 2 math · Grade 3 math · Grade 4 math · Grade 5 math · Grade 6 math · Grade 7 math · Grade 8 math
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Questions parents ask
What does the ≈ symbol mean?
Approximately equal to. It is used when a number has been rounded rather than written exactly, as in π ≈ 3.14. Using = there would be a small lie, because pi has no exact decimal form. It is one of the first places children meet the idea that a math answer can be deliberately imprecise.
What is the difference between < and >?
Less than and greater than. The wide end always faces the bigger number, and the point faces the smaller. Reading left to right in order helps: 3 < 8 says three is less than eight. The crocodile-mouth story works for some children, though the wide-end rule is what actually survives to algebra.
What does the ± symbol mean?
Plus or minus — both answers are correct. If x² = 25, then x = ±5, because 5 and −5 both square to 25. It also appears in measurements, where 20 cm ± 1 cm means anywhere between 19 and 21.
What do the absolute value bars mean?
How far a number is from zero, ignoring which side it is on. |−7| = 7 and |7| = 7. It is a distance, and distances are never negative. Children usually meet it alongside negative numbers in Grade 6 or 7.
Why are there two symbols for multiplication?
The × sign is standard in primary school, but once letters arrive in algebra it looks too much like the letter x. So a dot is used instead, as in 6 · 3, or the symbol is dropped entirely — 6a means 6 × a. It is a change of convention rather than of meaning.
What grade is this math symbols chart for?
Kindergarten through Grade 8. The operation and comparison signs come first, grouping symbols around Grade 4 or 5, and geometry notation, roots and absolute value between Grades 6 and 8. It is one of the few charts genuinely worth keeping up for years.
Is this math symbols chart free to print?
Yes. Open it full size and print as many copies as you need for home or a classroom, with no account and no watermark. Reselling it or re-hosting the file elsewhere is not allowed — link to this page instead.