Superscript digits like ² and ³ handle squares and cubes (m², cm³), while subscripts like ₂ handle chemistry (H₂O, CO₂). ² and ³ have Windows Alt codes (Alt+0178, Alt+0179); the full sets of raised and lowered digits are on the keys below and on their own character pages. In Word, type the code then Alt + X.
01 Symbols at a glance
| Symbol | How to type | |
|---|---|---|
| Superscript Two | U+00B2 · Alt+0178 · ² |
|
| Superscript Three | U+00B3 · Alt+0179 · ³ |
|
| Superscript One | U+00B9 · Alt+0185 · ¹ |
|
| Superscript Zero | U+2070 · Word: 2070 Alt+X · ⁰ |
|
| Superscript n | U+207F · Word: 207F Alt+X · ⁿ |
|
| Subscript Zero | U+2080 · Word: 2080 Alt+X · ₀ |
|
| Subscript One | U+2081 · Word: 2081 Alt+X · ₁ |
|
| Subscript Two | U+2082 · Word: 2082 Alt+X · ₂ |
02 Characters in this set
03 FAQ
How do I type ² (squared) and ³ (cubed)?
Windows: Alt+0178 gives ², Alt+0179 gives ³. Word: type 00B2 or 00B3 then Alt+X. Or copy them above. These are true superscript characters, so they work even where formatting is stripped.
How do I write H₂O with a real subscript?
Copy ₂ (Subscript Two, U+2082) from the keys above and type H₂O. Unlike formatted subscript, this survives copy-paste into plain-text fields, chat and code comments.
Are these better than formatting text as superscript?
For plain-text contexts (chat, filenames, CSV, code) these characters are better because the effect is baked into the character. For rich documents, either works, but these never lose their raised/lowered look.