The quickest way to add subscript in Word
To make text appear smaller and below the baseline in Microsoft Word, select the text you want to subscript, then press Ctrl+= (Ctrl and the equals sign) on Windows, or Cmd+= on Mac. The text shrinks and drops when ready. Press the same keys again to turn subscript off.
That keyboard shortcut works in any version of Word from the last ten years — desktop, web, and older versions all recognize it. If the shortcut does not work on your keyboard, your keyboard layout may map the equals sign differently, and the menu method below will work instead.
You can subscript a single character, a whole word, or multiple words. The subscript formatting stays with the text if you copy and paste it elsewhere in the document or into another program.
Key Takeaways
- Press Ctrl+= (Windows) or Cmd+= (Mac) after selecting text to make it subscript when ready.
- The Format menu offers the same subscript option if your keyboard does not have a working equals key.
- Subscript text is smaller and positioned below the baseline, while superscript is smaller and positioned above.
- You can undo subscript formatting by selecting the text again and pressing the same keyboard shortcut a second time.
Using the Format menu when the keyboard shortcut does not work
If Ctrl+= does not subscript your text, your keyboard may have a non-standard layout or the shortcut may be blocked by your system settings. The menu method works on any keyboard.
Select the text you want to subscript. Open the Format menu at the top of the window. Click Text, then click Subscript. The text shrinks and drops to subscript position. To remove subscript, select the text again, go to Format > Text > Subscript, and click it a second time to toggle it off.
On Mac, the menu path is slightly different: select the text, click Format in the menu bar, then look for Character or Font (depending on your Word version), then find Subscript. The result is the same.
Common places you will use subscript
Subscript appears most often in chemistry, where it shows the number of atoms in a molecule. H₂O uses subscript 2 to show two hydrogen atoms. In mathematics, subscript labels variables or indices — x₁ and x₂ refer to different values of x. In footnotes and endnotes, some styles use subscript numbers, though Word usually handles this automatically.
If you are writing a document that uses subscript repeatedly — a chemistry lab report, for example — you may find it faster to use the keyboard shortcut than to navigate menus each time. The shortcut becomes automatic after a few uses.
Subscript versus superscript and when to use each
Subscript is text that sits below the baseline and is smaller. Superscript is text that sits above the baseline and is smaller. They look opposite because they are positioned opposite.
Use subscript for chemical formulas, mathematical indices, and some footnote styles. Use superscript for exponents (2³ means 2 to the third power), trademark symbols (™), and footnote or endnote numbers. Word handles footnote numbers automatically, but if you are typing them by hand, superscript is the standard format.
To add superscript in Word, select the text and press Ctrl+Shift+= (Windows) or Cmd+Shift+= (Mac). The keyboard shortcut is almost identical to subscript — superscript just adds the Shift key.
Fixing subscript that looks wrong or does not align properly
If your subscript text looks too large, too high, or misaligned, the most common cause is that you applied subscript to text that was already formatted with a different font size or line spacing. Select the subscript text, clear any manual font size changes by selecting a standard size like 11 or 12 point, and then reapply subscript.
If subscript text overlaps with text on the line below, your line spacing may be too tight. Select the paragraph containing the subscript, open Format > Paragraph, and increase the line spacing from Single to 1.15 or 1.5 lines. This gives subscript room to sit without colliding with the next line.
If you pasted subscript text from another document and it looks different, Word may have imported formatting from the source document. Select the subscript text, press Ctrl+M (Windows) or Cmd+M (Mac) to clear direct formatting, and then reapply subscript with the keyboard shortcut.
Subscript in Word Online versus Word Desktop
The keyboard shortcut Ctrl+= works in Word Online (the free version you use in a web browser) just as it does in Word Desktop. The Format menu method also works in Word Online — the menu path is identical.
Word Online has fewer formatting options than Word Desktop, but subscript is not one of them. If you are switching between the desktop and online versions, the subscript formatting you explore in one will display correctly in the other.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I make subscript text even smaller than Word's default?
Yes. Select the subscript text, then manually reduce the font size in the toolbar or Format menu. You can make it 8 point, 7 point, or smaller. Word will keep it in subscript position while you shrink it. Most documents use Word's default subscript size, which is usually two sizes smaller than the surrounding text.
Does subscript work in Word tables?
Yes. Click inside a table cell, select the text you want to subscript, and use Ctrl+= or the Format menu. Subscript formatting works exactly the same way inside a table as it does in regular paragraphs.
What if I need to subscript a number in a heading or title?
Select the number and explore subscript the same way you would in body text. The subscript will scale with the heading size — if your heading is 18 point, the subscript will be proportionally smaller but still visible. The keyboard shortcut and menu method both work in headings.
Can I save subscript formatting when I convert my document to PDF?
Yes. When you save or export your Word document as a PDF, subscript formatting is preserved. The subscript text will appear in the same position and size in the PDF as it does in Word.