How to Type an Exponent in Word

To type an exponent in Word, type the number, select the part that should be the exponent, and press Ctrl + Shift + Plus sign (+) (Command + Shift + Plus sign on a Mac). That makes it superscript, so x2 becomes x². You can also select the text and click the Superscript button (x²) on the Home tab.

These steps work in Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024, Word 2021, Word 2019, and Word 2016 on Windows and Mac, which are the versions Microsoft’s Format text as superscript or subscript in Word article covers. Word for the web uses the same shortcut. If its Home tab is too narrow to show the x² button, look under the More options (…) button at the end of the tab.

An exponent in Word is usually just superscript formatting: a normal character drawn smaller and higher than the text around it. Word also has ready-made superscript characters and a full equation tool, covered below.

How to Type an Exponent in Word

1. Type the base and the exponent next to each other, like 102.
2. Select just the exponent (the 2) by dragging over it, or by placing the cursor after it and pressing Shift + Left Arrow.
3. Press Ctrl + Shift + Plus sign (+), or go to Home and select Superscript in the Font group. The 2 shrinks and moves up, so the text reads 10².

On a US keyboard, the plus sign shares the equals key, so you’re really pressing Ctrl + Shift + =. That’s the same set of keys.

Turn Superscript On Before You Type

You don’t have to type the exponent first and fix it afterward.

1. Type the base, such as x.
2. Press Ctrl + Shift + Plus sign (+). The Superscript button on the Home tab turns highlighted.
3. Type the exponent, such as 2. It appears raised.
4. Press Ctrl + Shift + Plus sign (+) again to turn superscript off, then keep typing normal text.

If you forget step 4, everything you type next stays small and raised.

Exponents With More Than One Character

Select every character that belongs in the exponent before you apply superscript. For a negative power like 10⁻³, select both the minus sign and the 3. For x²ⁿ, select the 2 and the n. In scientific notation such as 3 × 10⁸, only the 8 is raised. The multiplication sign is in Insert > Symbol > More Symbols.

On a Mac

Select the exponent and press Command + Shift + Plus sign (+), or go to Home > Superscript in the Font group. The Font dialog steps below also work on a Mac from Format > Font.

Use the Font Dialog

The Font dialog lets you preview the result and set how high the exponent sits.

1. Select the text.
2. On the Home tab, select the Font dialog box launcher (the small arrow in the corner of the Font group), or press Ctrl + D.
3. Check Superscript under Effects. The Preview box shows the change.

4. Select OK.

Microsoft adds a tip: to raise text without shrinking it, enter a higher percentage in the Offset box instead. That keeps the exponent full size, which some readers find easier to read in printed handouts.

The Font dialog can also enlarge single characters, which helps if you want to make periods bigger in Word.

The same Effects list also holds Strikethrough and Double strikethrough, which cross a line through text to mark it as outdated.

The Font dialog is also where you apply small caps in Word, and you can set a default font in Word from it too.

Raised numbers you type yourself are not linked notes, so for numbered notes that Word tracks, add a footnote instead.

How to Undo Superscript

Select the raised text and click the highlighted Superscript button, or press Ctrl + Shift + Plus sign (+) again. This removes only the superscript.

You can also select the text and press Ctrl + Spacebar. This removes superscript or subscript formatting, but it clears all other character formatting you added to that selection too, such as bold, italics, or a font color. Use the button when you want to keep the rest.

How to Insert a Superscript Symbol

For common exponents like ² and ³, you can insert a real superscript character instead of formatting a normal number. The character stays raised even if someone clears the formatting or pastes it into an app that doesn’t support superscript, like a chat box or a file name.

1. Click where you want the symbol.
2. Go to Insert > Symbol > More Symbols. If the Word window is small, select Symbol again before More Symbols.
3. Choose (normal text) in the Font list.
4. Set Subset to Latin-1 Supplement for ¹, ², and ³, or to Superscripts and Subscripts for ⁰ and ⁴ through ⁹.

5. Select the symbol, click Insert, then Close.

The two subsets matter because Unicode stores ¹, ², and ³ in a different block from the other superscript digits, so you won’t find them in the Superscripts and Subscripts list. A faster route is to type the code in the Character code box at the bottom of the dialog with from set to Unicode (hex): 00B2 for ² or 00B3 for ³.

Type the Code and Press Alt + X

In Word for Windows, type a superscript character’s code and press Alt + X to turn it into the character. Microsoft’s page on inserting ASCII or Unicode Latin-based symbols and characters has the details.

Character	Unicode code (then Alt + X)	Alt code (numeric keypad)
¹	00B9	Alt + 0185
²	00B2	Alt + 0178
³	00B3	Alt + 0179
⁰	2070	none
⁴ to ⁹	2074 to 2079	none
ⁿ	207F	none

If the code comes right after a letter or number, Word may read that character as part of the code. Type a space first, or select only the code before pressing Alt + X.

Alt Codes for ¹, ², and ³

Hold Alt and type the code from the table on the numeric keypad, with Num Lock on. The number row above the letters won’t work. Include the leading zero: Alt + 0178 gives ², but Alt + 178 gives a different character.

You can also add an AutoCorrect entry (File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options) so a short code you type, such as ^2, is replaced with ². Type the code in the Replace box, paste ² in the With box, and select Add.

Use the Equation Tool for Math

For full formulas, use Word’s equation editor:

1. Press Alt + =, or go to Insert > Equation. An equation box appears at the cursor.
2. Type the expression with a caret, such as x^2. For a longer exponent, wrap it in parentheses, such as e^(x+1).
3. Press the Spacebar. Word raises the exponent inside the equation.

4. Click outside the equation box to go back to normal text.

Microsoft’s linear format equations guide uses the same caret notation. If the equation stays in its typed form, select Convert > Professional or press Ctrl + =. Word for Microsoft 365 subscribers can also type equations in LaTeX, with the same caret for exponents. For roots in the same equation box, you can insert a square root symbol in Word.

Use the Caret Outside Equations

Word can apply math shortcuts in regular text too. Go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options, open the Math AutoCorrect tab, and check Use Math AutoCorrect rules outside of math regions. The same equations page covers this option. It turns codes like \sqrt into symbols in normal text, but a plain x^2 still needs an equation box to become a formatted exponent.

Which Method Should You Use?

Method	Best for	Survives clearing formatting?
Superscript shortcut or button	An exponent in a sentence, like square feet (ft²)	No
Superscript symbol (², ³)	Text you’ll copy into email, chat, or other apps	Yes
Equation tool	Real math with fractions, roots, or several terms	Yes, inside the equation

Troubleshooting

• The shortcut types a plus sign or does nothing: make sure you’re holding both Ctrl and Shift. On some keyboards the plus sign shares the equals key. If another add-in uses the shortcut, use the Superscript button on the Home tab instead.
• Everything after the exponent is raised: superscript is still on. Press the shortcut again, or select the text and click Superscript to turn it off.
• The Superscript button is greyed out: the document is probably open for reading only. Select Enable Editing on the yellow Protected View bar, or check Review > Restrict Editing if someone protected the file.
• Word raises “st” in 1st on its own: that’s AutoFormat. Go to File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options > AutoFormat As You Type and clear Ordinals (1st) with superscript (details on Microsoft’s ordinal superscript page).
• Alt codes don’t work: the codes use the numeric keypad. On a laptop without one, use Insert > Symbol or the Alt + X codes instead.
• The exponent is hard to read in print: use the Font dialog’s Offset box to raise full-size text, or use an equation.

Frequently Asked Questions