Superscript and subscript are essential for footnote markers, units, maths and chemical formulas. The shortcuts toggle each one on and off as you type.
Step by step
- Select the characters you want to change, or place the cursor where you're about to type.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+= for superscript, or Ctrl+= for subscript.
- Press the same shortcut again to return to normal text.
Tips & troubleshooting
- The same shortcuts work in PowerPoint and Outlook.
- Use the = key on the main keyboard, not the number pad.
Other ways to apply them
- Home tab: the x² and x₂ buttons in the Font group.
- Font dialog: press Ctrl+D and tick Superscript or Subscript. This is also where you can remove the effect from text that won't go back to normal.
- Typing as you go: press the shortcut, type the raised or lowered characters, and press the shortcut again to carry on in normal text.
When not to use them
- Footnotes and endnotes: don't type a raised number by hand. Press Ctrl+Alt+F to insert a real footnote, and Word numbers it, places the note at the foot of the page and renumbers everything if you add another.
- Equations: for anything beyond a simple squared sign, press Alt+= to insert an equation. Type x^2 and a space for a power, or H_2 and a space for a subscript.
- Plain text fields: forms, file names and many web pages can't show formatting. Use the real characters instead: hold Alt and type 0178 on the number pad for ² or 0179 for ³.
Ordinals that raise themselves
Word automatically turns 1st, 2nd and 3rd into 1ˢᵗ-style superscripts as you type. If your house style doesn't want that, press Ctrl+Z immediately after it happens to undo just the formatting. To stop it permanently go to File, Options, Proofing, AutoCorrect Options, open the AutoFormat As You Type tab and untick Ordinals (1st) with superscript.
In other apps
The same shortcuts work in PowerPoint and Outlook. Excel has no shortcut for either: select the characters in the cell, press Ctrl+1 and tick Superscript or Subscript. It only works on text, so a number such as 10² must be entered as text and can't be used in a calculation.