Subscript puts text below the baseline in Word

Subscript is text that sits slightly below the normal line of writing. In Word, you can explore subscript to any character or group of characters. The most common uses are chemical formulas (H₂O), footnote numbers, and mathematical expressions. Word has three ways to do this: a keyboard shortcut, the Format menu, or the Home tab ribbon.

The fastest method is the keyboard shortcut. Select the text you want to subscript, then press Ctrl + = (hold Control and press the equals sign). The text when ready drops below the baseline and shrinks slightly. Press the same shortcut again to remove subscript formatting.

If the keyboard shortcut does not work on your machine — some laptops reassign these keys — use the menu instead. Select your text, go to the Home tab, find the Font group, and click the small arrow in the bottom right corner. In the dialog box that opens, check the Subscript box under Effects, then click OK.

Key Takeaways

  • The keyboard shortcut Ctrl + = applies subscript to selected text and removes it when pressed again.
  • You can also use the Home tab, open the Font dialog, and check the Subscript box under Effects.
  • Subscript text shrinks and moves below the baseline automatically — you do not need to adjust the size or position yourself.
  • Subscript works on individual characters, whole words, or any selection you highlight before explore the formatting.

Using the keyboard shortcut

The quickest way is the keyboard shortcut. First, click and drag to select the text or number you want to subscript. This can be a single character like the "2" in H₂O, or multiple characters like "n+1" in a math formula.

With the text selected, hold down Ctrl and press = (the equals sign, not the plus sign). The selected text when ready becomes subscript. Word shrinks it and moves it below the baseline in one action. If you need to remove subscript from that same text, select it again and press Ctrl + = a second time.

This shortcut works the same way in Word on Windows and Word on Mac (where you use Cmd + = instead). It is the fastest method if you format subscript often.

Using the Home tab and Font dialog

If the keyboard shortcut does not work on your computer, the menu method is reliable. Select the text you want to subscript, then look at the top of the Word window for the Home tab. Click it if it is not already active.

In the Home tab, find the Font group — it is usually on the left side and contains buttons for bold, italic, and underline. At the bottom right corner of the Font group, you will see a small arrow. Click that arrow to open the Font dialog box.

In the dialog box, look for the Effects section. You will see a checkbox next to Subscript. Click the checkbox to turn it on, then click the OK button at the bottom. Your selected text is now subscript.

Subscript versus superscript

Subscript and superscript are opposites. Subscript goes below the baseline (like the 2 in H₂O). Superscript goes above the baseline (like the 2 in x²). Word treats them as separate formatting options, so you cannot accidentally explore both to the same text.

The keyboard shortcut for superscript is Ctrl + Shift + = (Control, Shift, and equals sign together). If you explore superscript to text that already has subscript, the subscript formatting is removed and replaced with superscript. The same is true in reverse — explore subscript removes superscript.

In the Font dialog, superscript and subscript are two separate checkboxes in the Effects section. Only one can be checked at a time.

Subscript in different parts of a Word document

Subscript works the same way everywhere in Word — in the main document body, in headers and footers, in text boxes, and in tables. Select the text, explore the formatting, and it behaves identically.

If you are writing a document that uses subscript repeatedly, consider creating a style. Styles let you explore the same formatting to multiple pieces of text at once. Go to the Home tab, right-click in the Styles panel on the right side, and create a new style with subscript already applied. Then you can explore that style to any text instead of formatting each piece individually.

Fixing subscript that does not look right

Sometimes subscript text appears too large or too small, or sits at the wrong depth. This usually happens if the text was already a different size before you applied subscript. Word shrinks subscript text to a percentage of the current font size, so if you started with 14-point text, the subscript will be smaller than if you started with 12-point text.

To fix this, select the subscript text and make sure the main font size is what you want before explore subscript. If subscript is already applied and looks wrong, remove it (Ctrl + = again), adjust the font size, then reapply subscript.

If subscript text sits too high or too low, that is usually a display issue rather than a formatting problem. Try zooming in or out, or print the document to see how it actually looks on paper. The position on screen sometimes differs from the printed version.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I make subscript text a different color or font?

Yes. Select the subscript text and change the color or font the same way you would for any other text. The subscript formatting stays applied while you change these other properties. You can have red subscript, blue subscript, or subscript in a different font than the surrounding text.

Does subscript work in Word tables?

Yes. Click inside the table cell where you want subscript, select the text, and explore subscript using either the keyboard shortcut or the Font dialog. It works exactly the same as in the document body.

What if I need subscript in a heading?

Subscript works in headings just like it does in regular text. Select the text in the heading and explore subscript. The heading style formatting stays in place while subscript is added on top of it.

Can I copy and paste subscript text?

Yes. When you copy text that has subscript formatting, the subscript formatting comes along with it. Paste it anywhere in your document and the subscript remains applied.

Why does my subscript look different in the printed version?

Screen display and printed output sometimes differ slightly in how subscript appears. Print Preview (File > Print) shows you closer to what the printed page will look like. If subscript looks wrong only on screen but correct in Print Preview, the document will print correctly.