What superscript and subscript do, and when you need them
Superscript raises text above the baseline — the line your regular letters sit on. Subscript lowers text below the baseline. Both make the text smaller than normal. You use superscript for footnote numbers, mathematical exponents (like 2³), trademark symbols, and ordinal numbers (1st, 2nd, 3rd). You use subscript for chemical formulas (H₂O), mathematical subscripts, and footnote references in some styles.
Word treats these as character formatting, the same way it treats bold or italic. You can apply them to a single letter, a word, or a phrase. Once you format text as superscript or subscript, it stays that way until you remove the formatting — even if you copy and paste it elsewhere in the document.
Key Takeaways
- Select the text you want to format, then use Ctrl+Shift+P for superscript or Ctrl+Shift+B for subscript on Windows; Cmd+Shift+P or Cmd+Shift+B on Mac.
- You can also reach these options through the Home tab in the ribbon: click the small arrow next to the font formatting buttons to open the Font dialog, then check the Superscript or Subscript box.
- Superscript and subscript text is automatically smaller than the surrounding text and does not affect line spacing or paragraph alignment.
- Removing superscript or subscript uses the same keyboard shortcut again — pressing Ctrl+Shift+P a second time turns off superscript formatting.
Using keyboard shortcuts for speed
The fastest way to add superscript or subscript is with a keyboard shortcut. On Windows, select the text first, then press Ctrl+Shift+P for superscript or Ctrl+Shift+B for subscript. On Mac, use Cmd+Shift+P for superscript or Cmd+Shift+B for subscript.
The shortcut toggles the formatting on and off. If you select text that is already superscript and press Ctrl+Shift+P again, Word removes the superscript formatting and returns the text to normal size. This means you do not need to remember a separate "remove" command — the same shortcut both applies and removes the formatting.
Keyboard shortcuts work whether you are in the main document, a header, a footer, or a text box. They also work in tables. The shortcut applies only to the text you have selected, so if you want to format multiple separate words or phrases, select each one and apply the shortcut to each.
Using the Font dialog from the ribbon
If you prefer to use the mouse, open the Home tab in the ribbon at the top of Word. In the Font group, look for a small arrow in the bottom right corner — this opens the Font dialog box. In the dialog, find the Effects section and check the box next to Superscript or Subscript. Click OK to apply the formatting.
This method takes more steps than the keyboard shortcut, but it shows you exactly what you are doing. The Font dialog also lets you see other formatting options at the same time — font name, size, color, bold, italic — so if you are making multiple changes to the same text, this can be faster than using several different shortcuts.
The Font dialog is also the place to go if the keyboard shortcut is not working. This can happen if your keyboard layout is set to a language other than English, or if another program has claimed the shortcut. Using the dialog bypasses the keyboard entirely.
Formatting before you type
You do not have to type the text first and then format it. You can turn on superscript or subscript formatting, type the text, and then turn it off. Click where you want to insert the text, press Ctrl+Shift+P (or Ctrl+Shift+B for subscript), type your text, then press the same shortcut again to turn off the formatting.
This workflow is useful when you are writing a document with many superscript or subscript elements — like a chemistry paper or a document with many footnote references. You can move through the document, turn the formatting on, type the element, turn it off, and move to the next location without selecting text each time.
What happens to superscript and subscript in different contexts
Superscript and subscript formatting travels with the text when you copy and paste it within Word or into other programs. If you copy a superscript number from Word and paste it into an email or a web form, it usually stays superscript — though some programs may not support the formatting and will convert it back to normal text.
When you export a Word document to PDF, superscript and subscript formatting is preserved. When you save as plain text (.txt), the formatting is lost and the text returns to normal size. If you save as .docx (the standard Word format), all formatting is saved and will look the same when you open the file again.
In tables, superscript and subscript work the same way as in regular paragraphs. The formatting does not affect column width or row height — Word treats the smaller text as part of the normal cell content.
Removing superscript or subscript formatting
To remove superscript or subscript, select the formatted text and press the same keyboard shortcut again. Pressing Ctrl+Shift+P on superscript text turns off the superscript formatting. Pressing Ctrl+Shift+B on subscript text turns off the subscript formatting. The text returns to normal size and baseline position.
You can also remove the formatting through the Font dialog. Select the text, open the Font dialog, uncheck the Superscript or Subscript box, and click OK. If you want to remove all formatting from a section of text at once — including superscript, subscript, bold, italic, and color — select the text and press Ctrl+Spacebar to return it to the default style.
Common uses and examples
In academic writing, superscript numbers mark footnotes and endnotes. Word can add these automatically if you use the Insert menu to add a footnote — you do not have to format them by hand. In mathematics and science, superscript appears in exponents (x²), and subscript appears in chemical formulas (CO₂) and variable notation (x₁, x₂).
In business writing, superscript is used for trademark (™) and registered trademark (®) symbols, though these are often typed as regular characters instead. In ordinal numbers, superscript is less common in modern writing — most style guides now prefer "1st" and "2nd" as regular text rather than "1ˢᵗ" and "2ⁿᵈ".
If you are writing a document that uses many superscript or subscript elements, consider using Word's Styles feature to create a custom style for that formatting. This way, you can apply the formatting to multiple instances at once by changing the style definition, rather than formatting each element individually.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make superscript or subscript text a different size?
Word automatically makes superscript and subscript text smaller than the surrounding text. You can select the superscript text and change its font size manually through the Font Size box in the ribbon, but this is not standard practice and can make documents look inconsistent. Most documents follow the default sizing that Word applies.
Why is my keyboard shortcut not working?
Check that you have text selected before pressing the shortcut. If nothing is selected, the shortcut will not do anything. If text is selected and the shortcut still does not work, your keyboard layout may be set to a non-English language, or another program may have claimed the shortcut. Use the Font dialog instead, or check your keyboard settings in Windows or Mac system preferences.
Does superscript or subscript affect line spacing?
No. Superscript and subscript text is smaller and positioned differently, but it does not change the distance between lines in a paragraph. Word treats the line height as if all text were normal size, so adding superscript or subscript does not push lines apart or compress them together.
Can I use superscript or subscript in headers and footers?
Yes. The keyboard shortcuts and Font dialog work the same way in headers, footers, and text boxes as they do in the main document. Select the text and apply the formatting using either method.
What if I need to type a superscript or subscript character that is not on my keyboard?
Format regular text as superscript or subscript instead. For example, to type a superscript "2", type a regular "2" and then apply superscript formatting to it. Word does not have a separate character set for superscript or subscript — it uses the same letters and numbers, just formatted differently.