The standard abbreviation for paragraph is para., with par. as a common shorter choice and the symbol ¶ used in legal writing and editing. The plurals are paras. and pars., and a doubled symbol, ¶¶, means "paragraphs."
Your pick hinges on whether you are writing a school paper, a legal filing or a quick note. A student citing an online article in APA style writes "para. 4." A student in MLA style writes "par. 4." A lawyer pointing to part of a contract writes "¶ 12." In ordinary sentences, though, you should spell the word out.
Quick facts
Main abbreviations
para. and par.Plural
paras. and pars.Symbol
¶, called the pilcrow (¶¶ for more than one)Period
Yes, after para. and par.Capital letter
Only at the start of a sentence or in a headingUsed in
Citations, legal documents, teacher comments, outlinesNot to be confused with
§, the section sign
Which abbreviation for paragraph should you use?
| Form | Where it is common | Example |
|---|---|---|
| para. | APA style, many research papers, business reports | (Lopez, para. 3) |
| par. | MLA style, some textbooks and outlines | (Nguyen, par. 7) |
| ¶ | Legal citations, contracts, court filings, editing marks | Compl. ¶ 14 |
| P or para | Quick notes and margin comments | "See P2 for the main claim" |
If a teacher or style guide names a form, use that one. If no guide applies, para. is the clearest because readers are less likely to mistake it for another word. Par. also means "par value" in finance and "par" in golf, so context matters. For a broad view of how short forms work, see how to abbreviate.
Plural forms and periods
Each abbreviation gets an s before the period for the plural, and the period stays.
- para. becomes paras. ("paras. 2 to 5")
- par. becomes pars. ("pars. 10 to 12")
- ¶ becomes ¶¶ ("¶¶ 8 and 9")
American style keeps the period after para. and par. because they are made by cutting off the end of the word. The symbol ¶ takes no period. Put a space between the abbreviation or symbol and the number: "para. 6," "¶ 6."
The paragraph symbol ¶
The ¶ mark is called a pilcrow. Medieval scribes used a version of it to show where a new thought began, long before writers broke text into indented blocks. Today it has three main jobs:
- Legal writing. Numbered paragraphs in complaints, contracts and statutes are cited with ¶.
- Editing. A teacher or editor writes ¶ in the margin to say "start a new paragraph here."
- Word processors. A "show formatting" button displays a ¶ at the end of every paragraph so you can see hidden breaks.
Teacher's note on an essay: A ¶ mark is drawn before the sentence "On the other hand, critics argue." The teacher means the essay changes topic there, so a new paragraph should begin.
Paragraph abbreviation in citations
Online sources such as web articles often have no page numbers. Style guides let you point to a paragraph number instead.
APA in-text citation: (Rivera, n.d., para. 5). Here para. tells the reader to count to the fifth paragraph of the source. The n.d. means no date was given.
MLA uses par. or pars. only when the source itself numbers its paragraphs. Check the APA and MLA pages for what those style names stand for. Never invent paragraph numbers for a source that does not show them; use a section heading instead if the guide allows it.
Paragraph vs section vs chapter
People sometimes reach for the wrong mark. The § sign stands for section, not paragraph, and §§ means sections. Law books often use both: "§ 4, ¶ 2" points to the second paragraph of section 4. A chapter is a larger unit, abbreviated ch. (see the abbreviation for chapter). Lines are abbreviated l. or line, and pages are p. and pp. Keeping these straight makes a citation easy to follow.
Quick tips for writing it
- Spell out paragraph in normal sentences: "The second paragraph explains the rule."
- Use the abbreviation inside parentheses, notes and tables, where space is tight.
- Match the style guide your class or office uses.
- Do not mix para. and par. in the same paper.
- Use ¶ only where readers expect it, mainly law and editing.
You can find more short forms for everyday words in the common abbreviations list.
Questions people ask
What is the abbreviation for paragraph?
The usual short forms are para. and par. In legal writing and editing, the symbol ¶ is used. Style guides such as APA prefer para., while MLA uses par.
How do you abbreviate paragraphs, plural?
Write paras. or pars., keeping the period. With the symbol, double it: ¶¶ 3 to 6.
What is the ¶ symbol called?
It is called a pilcrow, and it means paragraph. Editors use it to mark where a new paragraph should begin.
Is § the paragraph symbol?
No. The § sign is the section sign. It is often seen next to ¶ in law, but the two marks mean different things.
Should I capitalize para.?
Only when it starts a sentence or appears in a title. Inside a citation such as (Kim, para. 2), it stays lowercase.