Office Settings & Configuration

How to Find Wingdings and Insert a Check Mark in Word

Chanuka Geekiyanage Oct 15, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user is unable to find the Wingdings font in the Word Symbol dialog to insert a check mark.

How to Find Wingdings and Insert a Check Mark in Word

Product: Microsoft Word
Device & OS: Windows 11
Scenario: Inserting a check mark or special symbol into a Word document.
Observed behavior: The Wingdings font appears missing from the Symbol dialog because the font drop-down defaults to Normal Text, preventing the user from finding the check mark.

Before you start

Verify that your cursor is placed exactly where you want the check mark to appear in your document before opening the Symbol dialog.

Solution 1Recommended

Change the Font Drop-down in the Symbol Dialog

Use this method to manually locate the Wingdings font when the Symbol dialog defaults to Normal Text.

Wingdings is included natively with Windows 11, so it does not need to be downloaded separately. Often, it appears missing simply because the Word Symbol menu is displaying the default document font instead of symbol-specific fonts.

Open the Symbol dialog

In your Word document, navigate to the 'Insert' tab on the top ribbon, click on 'Symbol' on the far right, and select 'More Symbols'.

Select the Wingdings font

In the Symbol dialog box, click on the 'Font' drop-down menu and scroll down to select 'Wingdings', 'Wingdings 2', or 'Wingdings 3'.

Insert the check mark

Scroll through the displayed symbols to find the check mark. Click on the check mark to highlight it, then click the 'Insert' button.

Change the Font Drop-down in the Symbol Dialog

Tip: Once you insert a check mark, it will appear in your 'Recently used symbols' list for quicker access next time.

Solution 2

Repair Your Microsoft Office Installation

If Wingdings is genuinely missing from your font list despite being included in Windows 11, repairing Microsoft Office can restore corrupted or missing application files.

Insert Special Characters Easily with WPS Writer

WPS Writer offers an intuitive interface for inserting check marks, symbols, and special characters. It fully supports standard Windows fonts like Wingdings while ensuring layout consistency.

1. Download WPS Office: Download and install the free WPS Office suite from the official website.
2. Open your document: Launch WPS Writer and open your existing document or create a new one.
3. Access the Symbol menu: Go to the 'Insert' tab on the top ribbon and click on 'Symbol'.
4. Insert your check mark: Select the 'Wingdings' font from the drop-down menu, locate the check mark, and double-click to insert it into your text.

Completely free and lightweight Office suiteSeamless format compatibility with Microsoft Word (.docx)Intuitive Symbol dialog for quick character insertionFamiliar user interface requiring no learning curve

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the keyboard shortcut for a check mark in Word?

You can quickly insert a check mark by typing the character code '2713' and immediately pressing 'Alt + X' on your keyboard. Alternatively, using the Wingdings font, you can press 'Alt + 0252' on the numeric keypad.

Can I download Wingdings for Windows 11 if it's completely missing?

Wingdings is a built-in font for Windows 11. If it is completely missing from your system fonts (Control Panel > Fonts), it is recommended to run the System File Checker (sfc /scannow) in Command Prompt to restore missing system files rather than downloading it from third-party sites.

Why is the font drop-down in my Symbol dialog greyed out?

The font drop-down may be disabled if you are currently using a specific symbol font subset or if your cursor is placed inside a restricted field or equation editor. Click outside the restricted area into normal text and try opening the Symbol dialog again.

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