Subscript and Superscript in Excel: A Complete Guide

In this article, you will learn how to apply subscript and superscript in Excel. We’ve gathered numerous ways and you can apply these formatting to increase the presentability of your texts in Excel.

These features are particularly useful in scientific, mathematical, and technical contexts where formulas, chemical equations, footnotes, and annotations are prevalent. They offer a way to format text distinctively, making it stand out and drawing attention to important details.

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What are Subscript and Superscript in Excel?

In mathematics, computing, and typography, a Subscript is a character or symbol written bottom-right section of another character. And a Superscript is a character or symbol written upper-right section of another character.

How to Add Subscript and Superscript in Excel

1. From Font Group

• Select cell C5 and from Formula Bar, highlight 4 in the text.
• From the Font group, click on the Launch icon.

• In the Effects section, check the Subscript box and press OK.

• Again, after selecting cell C5, highlight plus (+) from the text in the Formula Bar.
• From the Font group, click on the Launch icon.

• In the Effects section, check the Superscript box and press OK. This will add Superscript in Excel.

• When you click OK, this is how your text will look like.

If you have followed everything right your dataset will look like this.

2. From Context Menu

• Select cell C5 and double-click to enter editing mode.
• Highlight 4 in the cell content and right-click on your mouse.
• Select Format Cells from the Context Menu.

• In the Effects section, check the Subscript box and press OK.

• Again, select cell C5 and double-click to enter editing mode.
• Highlight plus (+) in the cell content and right-click on your mouse to get the Context Menu.
• Select Format Cells.

• In the Effects section, check the Superscript box and press OK.

If you have followed everything right, your dataset will look like this.

3. Apply Keyboard Shortcut

• Select cell C6 and from Formula Bar, highlight 3 in the text.
• Press Ctrl + 1 to enter Format Cells dialog box.

• Next, press Alt + B to subscript and click OK.

• Again, after selecting cell C6, highlight minus (-) from the text in the Formula Bar.
• Press Ctrl + 1 to enter Format Cells dialog box.

• Next, press Alt + E to subscript and click OK.

If you have followed everything right, your dataset will look like this.

4. From Quick Access Toolbar

• To add Subscript and Superscript buttons in the Quick Access Toolbar, click on the Customize Quick Access Toolbar option.
• Then, click on More Commands.

• Excel Options dialogue box will open up.
• Scroll down the list of popular commands, select Subscript, and click the Add button to add the feature to your QAT.
• Apply the same process for Superscript feature.

You can see the features are available in your QAT now. Watch the video to understand how you can work with them and add Subscripts and Superscripts in your texts.

5. Using Symbols Feature

• First, type your texts up to where you want to add your Subscript/Superscript.
• Now, go to Insert tab and from Symbols group choose Symbol.

• In the Symbol dialogue box, choose Superscripts and Subscripts from the Subset dropdown list.
• Select your desired Subscripts from the list.
• Press Insert to add the subscript.

• Next, select your desired Superscripts from the list.
• Press Insert to add the superscript.

If you have followed everything right for every row, your dataset will look like this.

6. Use of Equation Editor

• Go to Insert tab and from Symbols group choose Equation.

• This will open up an extended Equation tab.
• While this tab is selected, from Structures group, click on Script option.
• Select the type of script to insert. We are choosing the third one where we can insert both Subscript and Superscript.

• This will create a template. Now, type your texts with subscripts and superscripts in the template.

Write other texts just like this to complete your dataset.

7. Apply Excel Ink Equation

• Go to Insert tab and from Symbols group choose Equation.

• This will open up an extended Equation tab.
• From Tools group, click on Ink Equation option.

• The Math Input Control box opens up.
• In this box, you can write your texts with subscripts and superscripts.
• Excel will convert it and show it in the preview box. If the preview is correct as you have written, press Insert.

Write all the texts and insert them to see your dataset look like this.

8. Applying Copy and Paste

• Copy the desired subscript by pressing Ctrl + C and paste them by pressing Ctrl + V into your cells.

• Copy the desired superscript by pressing Ctrl + C and paste them by pressing Ctrl + V into your cells.

9. Apply VBA Macro

• Prepare your dataset without any subscripts and superscripts like this.

• Access the Visual Basic Editor by pressing Alt + F11 on your keyboard.
• Create a Module in the Visual Basic Editor from the Insert tab.

• Now, write this code in the module.
• Press F5 or from Run tab, choose Run Sub/Userform to run the code.

Sub subscriptandsuperscript()

Range("C5").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "N") + 3, 1).Font.Subscript = True
Range("C5").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "N") + 4, 1).Font.Superscript = True

Range("C6").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "N") + 3, 1).Font.Subscript = True
Range("C6").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "N") + 4, 1).Font.Superscript = True

Range("C7").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "S") + 3, 2).Font.Subscript = True
Range("C7").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "S") + 4, 2).Font.Superscript = True

Range("C8").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "S") + 3, 2).Font.Subscript = True
Range("C8").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "S") + 4, 2).Font.Superscript = True

Range("C9").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "C") + 3, 2).Font.Subscript = True
Range("C9").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "C") + 4, 2).Font.Superscript = True

Range("C10").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "P") + 3, 2).Font.Subscript = True
Range("C10").Characters(InStr(1, Text, "P") + 4, 2).Font.Superscript = True

End Sub

This is your output.

How to Add Subscript and Superscript with Formula in Excel

1. Using CHAR Function

• Select cell C5 and use this formula to add superscripts using the CHAR function.

2. Using UNICHAR Function

• Select cell C5 and use this formula to add subscripts and superscripts using the UNICHAR function.

Get the UNICHAR codes for subscripts and superscripts from the table below.

How to Add Subscript and Superscript with Custom Number Formatting

• Select all the cells you want to add the same superscript. Select range C5:C10 and press Ctrl + 1 to enter Format Cells dialogue box.

• On the Number tab, under Category, select Custom.
• In the Type box, enter 0, hold the Alt key, and type the desired superscript code. We used Alt+0+1+7+8 to add superscript 2.

• Press OK to see the output.

Use these codes for subscripts and superscripts from the table below. Remember to always press Alt before typing the codes.

How to Write 1st, 2nd, 3rd in Excel

• First, manually enter 1st in cell C5. Then highlight st in the text.
• Press Ctrl + 1 to enter Format Cells dialog box.

• In the Effects section, check the Superscript box and press OK.

• Next, select cell C5 and apply Fill Handle (+) to make the rest of the serial number appear.

As you can see, the numbers have been formatted as ordinal. Thus, you can write 1st, 2nd and 3rd in Excel.

How to Remove Subscript and Superscript in Excel

• Select range C5:C11 and press Ctrl + 1 to enter Format Cells.

• Uncheck Subscript and Superscript boxes and press OK.

As you can see, the subscript and superscript formatting has gone.

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How do I change the default font or style for subscript or superscript text in Excel?

Ans: To change the default font or style for subscript or superscript text in Excel, follow these steps:

• Select a cell with the desired subscript or superscript formatting.
• Press Ctrl + Shift + F to open the Format Cells dialog box.
• In the Font tab, choose the desired font, size, and style.
• Click on the Subscript or Superscript
• Click OK.

The changes will apply as the new default for subscript or superscript formatting in Excel.

2. Are there any limitations or compatibility issues when using subscript or superscript formatting in Excel?

Ans: There are no specific limitations or compatibility issues when using subscript or superscript formatting in Excel. However, it’s important to note that the subscript and superscript formatting may not be preserved when copying and pasting the text into other applications or when exporting the Excel file to different file formats. It is recommended to check the compatibility of the target application or file format to ensure proper display of subscript and superscript formatting.

3. Can I use subscript or superscript formatting in Excel’s data validation messages or error alerts?

Ans: No, subscript or superscript formatting cannot be directly applied to Excel’s data validation messages or error alerts. The formatting options for data validation messages and error alerts are limited to basic text formatting, such as font style, size, color, and alignment. Subscript or superscript formatting is not available for these elements.

Conclusion

In conclusion, subscript and superscript in Excel offer various text formatting options which are useful in scientific, mathematical, and technical contexts. Understanding and working with subscript and superscript formatting in Excel can enhance the presentation of data and improve readability. We hope we’ve covered everything related to these topics in simple language.

Subscript and Superscript in Excel: Knowledge Hub

• How to Write CO2 in Excel
• [Solved:] Excel Subscript Not Working
• [Fixed!] Excel Superscript Not Working

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