Greek letters in LaTeX
Greek letters are used throughout mathematics for variables and constants; in LaTeX each has a command, such as \alpha for lowercase and \Gamma for uppercase.
LaTeX command
\alpha, \beta, \gammaNot the symbol you meant? Draw it to find the command →
Lowercase letters are the command name in lowercase: \alpha, \beta, \gamma, \delta and so on. Uppercase letters capitalise the first letter of the command: \Gamma, \Delta, \Omega. These commands work only in math mode, so put them between $ signs or inside a displayed equation.
Several lowercase letters have a second, curlier shape reached with a var- prefix: \varepsilon versus \epsilon, \varphi versus \phi, \vartheta versus \theta, plus \varrho, \varsigma and \varpi. The two forms are interchangeable in meaning; choose whichever your field favours and use it consistently.
Not every uppercase Greek letter has its own command. Uppercase alpha, beta, epsilon and others are visually identical to Latin A, B, E, so LaTeX has no \Alpha; just type the Latin capital. All the standard letter commands are core LaTeX and render in KaTeX without any package.
Other forms
\Gamma, \Delta, \Omegauppercase forms\varepsilon, \varphicurly variantsExamples
$\alpha + \beta = \gamma$three lowercase letters
$\sum \Delta x$an uppercase Delta beside a sum
$\varepsilon > 0$the curly variant epsilon, common in analysis
$A = \pi r^2$lowercase pi with an ordinary Latin A
$\theta \neq \vartheta$the two shapes of theta
Tips and common mistakes
- Lowercase is the plain name (
\alpha); uppercase capitalises the first letter (\Gamma,\Delta,\Omega). - Uppercase letters that look like Latin ones (Alpha, Beta, Epsilon) have no command; type the Latin capital A, B, E directly.
- Variant shapes exist for several letters:
\varepsilon,\varphi,\vartheta,\varrho,\varsigma,\varpi,\varkappa. - These commands are math-mode only; in ordinary text use a Unicode character or the textgreek package.
- To make a Greek letter bold, use
\boldsymbol{\alpha}, since\mathbfdoes not bold lowercase Greek.
Working from handwritten notes?
LatexNotes turns a photo or PDF of handwritten mathematics into clean, compilable LaTeX - graphs and all. Free to try, no sign-up.
Convert your maths to LaTeX →FAQ
How do I type a Greek letter in LaTeX?
In math mode, use a backslash and the letter's name: , , . For uppercase, capitalise the first letter: , .
Why is there no \Alpha command?
Uppercase alpha is identical to a Latin capital A, so LaTeX provides no separate command. The same applies to Beta, Epsilon and other look-alikes; just type the Latin capital.
What is the difference between \epsilon and \varepsilon?
They are two shapes of the same letter. \epsilon is the lunate form and \varepsilon the curly form favoured in analysis. Pick one and stay consistent.
How do I make a Greek letter bold?
Use \boldsymbol{\theta}. Plain \mathbf bolds Latin letters and uppercase Greek but leaves lowercase Greek unchanged, so \boldsymbol is the right tool for bold Greek.