Superscript numbers: squared ², cubed ³ and exponents
A superscript is a small character raised above the line. The most used are ² (squared, as in m² or x²) and ³ (cubed, as in cm³), followed by ¹ for footnotes. With the full set ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹ and the signs ⁽ ⁾ you can write any power: 2¹⁰ 1024, 10⁶, or ⁿ with the superscript n ⁿ.
Because they are characters, not formatting, superscripts survive where bold and font settings do not: in Instagram and TikTok bios, Discord names, tweets, file names, spreadsheet cells and plain-text emails.
Subscript numbers for chemistry and math
Subscripts sit below the line. In chemistry they count atoms: H₂O, CO₂, C₆H₁₂O₆, O₃. In math and physics they label things: x₁ and x₂ for two values, aₙ for the n-th term, v₀ for an initial velocity, log₂ for a logarithm base. The set is ₀ ₁ ₂ ₃ ₄ ₅ ₆ ₇ ₈ ₉ plus ₍ ₎, so ions and indices like SO₄² or a₍ₙ₁₎ are possible in plain text.
With the fraction slash you can even build any fraction: ¹₇, ³₁₆, ⁹⁹₁₀₀. Superscript digit, fraction slash, subscript digit reads like a typeset fraction.
Why ¹ ² ³ sometimes look different from ⁴ ⁵ ⁶
Superscript one, two and three are old: they were already in the Latin-1 character set (U00B9, U00B2, U00B3) most likely because European text needed m² and m³. The rest, ⁰ and ⁴ to ⁹, were added later in Unicode's Superscripts and Subscripts block (U2070 to U209F). Some fonts design the two groups separately, which is why 1²³⁴ can look slightly uneven in height or weight.
If evenness matters (a logo, a printed formula), use your editor's superscript formatting instead: Ctrl Shift in Word, Ctrl . in Google Docs. For anywhere formatting is not available, these characters are the answer.
Superscript letters and how to type superscripts
Unicode has no complete superscript alphabet. Most small letters exist as modifier letters (ᵃ ᵇ ᶜ ᵈ ᵉ …) but the superscript q (𐞥) only arrived in Unicode 14 (2021) and many fonts still lack it, and capitals are patchy. Subscript letters are even fewer: ₐ ₑ ₕ ᵢ ⱼ ₖ ₗ ₘ ₙ ₒ ₚ ᵣ ₛ ₜ ᵤ ᵥ ₓ. That is why 'superscript generator' tools mix in look-alikes; the digits and signs on this page are the reliable, real ones.
Keyboard shortcuts: on Windows hold Alt and type 0185 for ¹, 0178 for ², 0179 for ³ on the numeric keypad. In Word, type the code (for example 2074 for ⁴ or 2082 for ₂) and press Alt X. On a Mac, open the Character Viewer with Ctrl Cmd Space and search 'superscript'. Or simply tap a number here to copy it.
Ký hiệu
97Nhấp vào một ký hiệu để sao chép và mở trang của ký hiệu đó.
Letters a to m
How to use them
5 situationsNhấp để sao chépSuperscript & Subscript Numbers combos
13Điều cần biết
- ¹ ² ³ are much older in computing than ⁴ to ⁹: they were part of the 1987 Latin-1 standard, while ⁰ and ⁴ to ⁹ only arrived with Unicode in the early 1990s.
- The superscript q 𐞥 only arrived in Unicode 14 (2021) and many fonts still lack it, which is why superscript text generators substitute look-alike characters.
- Subscript letters h, k, l, m, n, p, s and t were only added in Unicode 6.0 (2010).
- Unicode classes these digits as compatibility characters: normalisation (NFKC) turns ² back into a plain 2.
Câu hỏi thường gặp
7How do I copy and paste superscript numbers?
Tap any superscript number in the grid (⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹) to copy it, then paste with Ctrl V, Cmd V or long-press and Paste. To copy a whole exponent, copy several in a row, for example ¹⁰⁰.
How do I copy and paste subscript numbers?
Tap ₀ ₁ ₂ ₃ ₄ ₅ ₆ ₇ ₈ ₉ in the grid to copy, then paste. They are ordinary Unicode text, so H₂O stays subscript in chats, bios and spreadsheets.
How do I type the squared symbol ²?
Windows: Alt 0178 (or Alt 253) on the numeric keypad. Word: 00B2 then Alt X. Mac: Character Viewer (Ctrl Cmd Space), search 'superscript two'. Or copy ² from this page.
How do I type the cubed symbol ³?
Windows: Alt 0179 on the numeric keypad. Word: 00B3 then Alt X. Or copy ³ here.
What is the to the power of symbol?
In handwriting and print, a power is shown as a superscript: 2³, 10⁶, xⁿ. On calculators and in code it is written with or ** (2**3 in Python).
Are there superscript letters?
Partly. Unicode has most lowercase letters as modifier letters (ᵃ ᵇ ᶜ …) and only some capitals; the superscript q 𐞥 only arrived in Unicode 14 (2021) and many fonts lack it. The superscript n ⁿ in this collection is the one used most in math.
How do I make superscript in Word or Google Docs?
That is formatting, not a character: select the text and press Ctrl Shift in Word or Ctrl . in Google Docs (Ctrl , for subscript). Use the copyable characters on this page when the text has to keep its look outside the document.
