Insert X-Bar Symbol in Excel (Average / Mean)

In statistical analysis and scientific reporting, the X-bar symbol (X̅) is frequently used to represent the mean (average) of a sample.

It’s a commonly used symbol for people working with statistical data in Excel.

If you’re one of those and you’re looking to insert the X-bar average symbol in Excel, let me show you some easy ways to do this.

Insert X-Bar Symbol in Excel (Average / Mean Symbol)

Below are some details about the Omega symbol in Excel. The detailed methods to insert the symbol in Excel are covered in the table:

Details / Methods	Description
Symbol Name	X-Bar
Symbol	X̅
Keyboard Shortcut	There is no keyboard shortcut for the Average/Mean symbol (for Windows or Mac)
Formula	=”X”&UNICHAR(773)
Symbol Dialog Box	First, type X in a cell, then insert the ‘Combining Overline’ (UNICHAR 773) symbol from the Symbol dialog box.

The X-bar is a tricky symbol to insert in Excel as it’s made up of two parts: the X alphabet and a combined overline (which is the bar over X).

Let’s see a couple of methods to get this done.

Copy and Paste the X-bar Symbol into Excel

An easy and quick way to insert the X-bar symbol in Excel is by copying it from an external source and pasting it into your spreadsheet.

Here is the X-bar symbol for you to copy:

X̅

You can copy this symbol using Control + C, then navigate to the desired cell in Excel and use Control + V to paste it.

Also read: Insert Approximate Symbol in Excel

Keyboard Shortcut to Insert the Average (X-Bar) Symbol in Excel

There is no keyboard shortcut to insert the Average/Mean symbol in Excel.

I tried looking for many sources and couldn’t find a way to insert this symbol using a keyboard shortcut only.

However, you can use the below shortcut to get the X-bar symbol in MS Word:

X + 0305 + ALT + X

To use this, you need to first enter the X letter, then a space character, followed by 0305, and then use Alt + X. Doing this would convert 0305 to the Combining Overline symbol, and you can remove the space between X and the overline.

Also read: Insert Sigma Symbol in Excel

Using a Formula to Get the X-Bar Symbol

Excel does not have a function that directly gives you the X-bar symbol as the result, but you can create a formula to get it.

Below is the formula to get the X-bar (Average/Mean) symbol:

="X"&UNICHAR(773)

In the above formula, the UNICHAR(773) part of the formula gives us an overline. This overline would be placed right above the previous character in the cell before the formula result.

So when I use =”X”&UNICHAR(773), it adds the overline above the X letter.

Cool trick… isn’t it?

This can be done with any alphabet, not just X. For example, if you want to show P with an overline, it can be done using the below formula:

="P"&UNICHAR(773)

Using the Symbol Dialog Box

While you can not get the exact X-bar symbol from the Symbol dialog box in Excel, you can use it to insert the ‘Combining Overline’ (which is the bar above the X).

So you can manually enter X in a cell and then use the Symbol dialog box to get the overline.

Here are the steps to get the X-bar (average/mean) symbol using the Symbol dialog box:

1. Select the cell where you want to insert the symbol.
2. Manually enter an X in the cell.
3. Click on the ‘Insert’ tab in the ribbon.

4. Click on ‘Symbol’ in the Symbols group.

5. In the Symbol dialog box, select ‘Arial‘ from the Font drop-down and then select ‘Combining Diacritical Marks’ from the Subset dropdown.

6. Locate and select the Combining Overline character.

7. Click the Insert button to get the Combining Overline character in the cell.

8. Close the Symbol dialog box.

The above steps would add an overline above the X letter that was already there in the cell.

Note: I selected the Arial font in step 5, as my default font was Aptos Narrow, and I wasn’t able to find the Combining Overline character in this font. In case you are not using Arial as our default font, you may find the placement of the bar above the X a little misaligned.

Also read: Insert Alpha Symbol in Excel

Using the Equation Editor

While there is no direct keyboard shortcut for the X-bar symbol, you can use Excel’s Equation Editor:

1. Select the cell where you want the X-bar symbol.
2. Click on the ‘Insert’ tab in the ribbon.
3. Click on ‘Equation’ in the Symbols group.

4. In the Equation Editor, click the ‘Accent’ icon and choose the ‘Bar’ option. This will remove the existing text in the Equation editor and put the box in its place.

5. Click below the bar (inside the box) to type ‘X’.

The above steps will give you an X-bar symbol that you can also copy and paste into a cell.

Also read: Insert Omega Symbol in Excel

Using the Character Map App on Windows

Just like the Symbol dialog box, you can also use the Character Map app in Windows.

While the steps are pretty much the same, while the Symbol dialog box is specific to Excel, the Character Map is a Windows app and can be used when working with any application in Windows (including other Microsoft Apps such as Word, PowerPoint, Outlook, etc.)

Below are the steps to get the Average (X-bar) symbol using the Character Map app:

1. Enter X in a cell where you want the X-bar symbol.
2. In the Windows search bar, search for the ‘Character Map’ app, and open the Character Map app.

3. Enable the ‘Advanced View’ option for more search features.

4. In the Search field, type ‘overline’ and press enter.

5. Locate the Combining Overline symbol, double-click it, then click ‘Copy’.

6. Paste it after the X that you enter in a cell in Step 1.

The above steps would also give you the X-bar symbol in the cell.

So, these are some of the ways you can insert the X-bar symbol (also known as the average symbol or mean symbol in Excel).

Since X-bar is a two character symbol and not quite straightforward to get, I prefer using the copy and paste method or the formula method. You can choose whatever method works best for you.

And if you know of any other method that I have missed, be awesome and let me know in the comments section.

I hope you found this article helpful.

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