How to Use the X Bar Symbol in Excel

Sometimes, you may need to find the average of a dataset when working with statistical data. A common notation for this mean value is the X-bar symbol. Excel does not have any built-in method to add this symbol but there are multiple ways that can be used to add the x-bar symbol in Excel. Let us go through the article to explore those methods.

Key Takeaways:

• X bar represents the average of a dataset.
• Excel does not have a direct X-bar symbol shortcut.
• You can insert x bar symbol by using the copy past method.
• Type X and then press Alt + 0773 to insert a bar above X.
• X-bar helps summarize data and make the analysis clearer.

 

How to Use X Bar Symbol

In Excel, there are several ways to add the x-bar symbol (̄), a commonly used statistical notation for the mean. Let me show you step by step how you can do it using different methods.

Using Copy-Paste

This is probably the quickest and simplest method.

STEP 1: Copy the x-bar symbol from here: ̄

STEP 2: Go to your Excel worksheet and click the cell where you want to add the symbol.

STEP 3: Paste it by pressing Ctrl + V (Windows) or Command + V (Mac).

That’s it! You’ve added the x-bar symbol without much effort.

Using a Keyboard Shortcut

Excel does not have a direct shortcut to insert a x bar symbol. But you can use the following combination to create it manually:

• On Windows, press Alt + 0773 after the letter x.
• On Mac, press Option + Shift + M.

This will insert a macron (¯) above the x.

CHAR Function

If you need the x-bar symbol in multiple places, a formula can save you time. Here is how you can use the UNICHAR function:

STEP 1: In a cell, type the following formula:

STEP 2: Press Enter. The result will be displayed as x̄.

Using the Symbol Dialog Box

Excel’s Symbol dialog box provides access to a wide range of characters, including the combining macron:

STEP 1: Go to Insert> Symbol.

STEP 2: Select Arial.

STEP 3: Select the macron symbol in the list. If you can’t find it, type 0304 in the character code box.

Using the Equation Editor

STEP 1: Go to the Insert > Equation.

STEP 2: In the equation toolbar, select accent. Choose the overbar option.

STEP 3: Click on the small box and type X.

Using the Character Map

STEP 1: Type Character Map in the search bar.

STEP 2: Select Arial as the font. Select a macron from the list of characters.

STEP 3: Select the macron and click Copy.

STEP 4: Paste it into your Excel worksheet, then type x before it.

 

FAQs

What is this symbol x̅?

X bar is statistcial symbol that represents the average of a dataset. It is calculated by adding all the values in the data and then dividing it by the number of observations.

How to insert x bar symbol?

You can insert x bar symbol in Excel by using any of these methods:

• Copy x bar from another source and paste it.
• Type X and then the keyboard shortcut, i.e., Alt followed by the numbers 0773
• Go to Insert > Equation > Accent > Overbar. Type X.

How to make an X bar symbol in Excel without the equations function?

If you do not want to use the equation editor, you can use a keyboard shortcut too. To insert a x bar, you can type X and then use the combination of Alt with 0733.

Can Excel calculate X bar automatically?

Yes, you can use the average function in Excel to get the value of x bar.

=AVERAGE(A1, A2, A3, ….)

X bar symbol can then be added manually.

Why X bar symbol not getting displayed correctly?

If X bar is not getting displayed correctly, it may be because the font used is incorrect. The font does not align with the overline and make its distorted, shifted or missing.