You can use Word's built-in Insert Symbol button. The following function
displays the Insert Symbol dialog. If the return value of the function
is -1, then the Charnum and Fontname arguments return the character number
and font name of the selected character.

Function PickSymbol(CharNum As Long, FontName As String)
Dim iDisplay As Long
With Dialogs(wdDialogInsertSymbol)
 iDisplay = .Display
 If iDisplay = -1 Then
   CharNum = .CharNum
   FontName = .Font
 End If
End With
PickSymbol = iDisplay
End Function

A bit of shell code that illustrates the use of the function is as follows

Sub ShowSymbol()
Dim strFont As String
Dim iChar As Long
If PickSymbol(iChar, strFont) = -1 Then
 Debug.Print iChar, strFont
End If
End Sub

You could call ther PickSymbol function from the Click event of a
Commandbutton. Armed with the character code and font name, it should be
quite straightforward to set the text and font of a label to reflect the
selected symbol.

Good Morning,
I am trying to do the same thing. By using the following code, th
dialog window is opened with theuse of a keyboard shortcut but the
stops witht a command failed message at teh insertsymbol line. It woul
appear that the vba dialogs object doesn't recognise charnum. Ca
somebody pease assist with this problem?

Public Sub Insert_Symbol()
Dim mysymbol As String
Dim symbolnum As Long
Dim myrange As Range
Dim CurFont As String
Dim myFont As String
Dim Dlg As Object

'unlock the form
LockUnlockForm
'set dlg to symbol insertion dialog window
Set Dlg = Dialogs(wdDialogInsertSymbol)

With Dlg
If .Display = -1 Then
myFont = .Font
symbolnum = .CharNum

'relock the form if user chooses cancel
ElseIf .Display = 0 Then
LockUnlockForm
Exit Sub
End If

End With

' insert the symbol at the cursor
Set myrange = ActiveDocument.Characters(1)

With myrange
.Collapse Direction:=wdCollapseStart
.InsertSymbol CharacterNumber = symbolnum, _
Font = myFont, Unicode = True, Bias = 0
.Move Unit:=wdCharacter, Count:=1
End With

'relock the form
LockUnlockForm

End Su

--
Alla

Doug,
Thanks for the repsonse. I have placed the colonsin the code an
everything apears to work except that the symbol is still not inserted
The variables are obtaining the details from the dialog box but no
inserting them. Is the problem with the selection? After running th
code, the whole form field is selected but no symbol has bee
inserted.

Look forward to your reply

--
Alla

Doug,
I appreciate that the code works, just not on my form. It goes thoug
all the motions and then selects the whole form field without placin
the symbol in it. I am using word 2003 but this template may be used o
other versions of Word.
Once again, thanks for any help with this problem

--
Alla