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I'm a beginner trying to use LaTeX. I tried to write a sentence which includes the %-symbol using \text{}, but the function that the %-symbol has in LaTeX seems to block me from using it in a normal text sentence.

\documentclass{article}
\usepackage[utf8]{inputenc}
\begin{document}
\maketitle

\text{I can't use the %-symbol}
\end{document}
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  • 3
    Welcome to TeX.SX! You have to type \% (backslash percent) to get a percent sign.
    – gernot
    Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 23:14
  • 1
    See also Escape character in LaTeX.
    – gernot
    Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 23:28
  • @Werner, are you sure this is a duplicate of the link of you've posted? It seems to me that is not the case. This post asks about typing special characters of Latex within a text.
    – CroCo
    Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 23:31
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    There is no need for \text{}. You are already in the text mode.
    – CroCo
    Commented Nov 14, 2016 at 23:33
  • 1
    @CroCo: Yes. I can find it on Detexify and it is listed in Table 1 of The Comprehensive LaTeX Symbol List. And the use-case would be no different if you didn't use \text.
    – Werner ♦
    Commented Nov 15, 2016 at 1:01

1 Answer 1

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94

Very simple, use \ before the %:

\text{I can't use the \%-symbol}
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  • I don't know why those commands are used, it's just a sort of template i'm using.
    – Luuk
    Commented Nov 15, 2016 at 6:03
  • 3
    luuk, it what are you using latex for? i use it mainly for journal / article or beamer. and you really never have to use '/text'. let me know if i can help on anything
    – Eric
    Commented Nov 20, 2016 at 2:04

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