How to Subscript in Word, Excel,Google Docs, & PowerPoint (With Shortcuts)

Subscript is text that sits slightly below the normal text line (and usually looks smaller). You’ll see it in things like H₂O, CO₂, and math/science notes.

This guide gives you the fastest shortcuts first, then the menu method, and finally a way to insert real subscript characters you can copy/paste (like ₀ ₁ ₂).

You’ll learn how to turn subscript on and off again in Word, Google Docs, Excel, and PowerPoint—on both Windows and Mac.

Table of Contents

1-Minute Answer (fastest method per app)

Word (Windows): Highlight text → Ctrl + = (press again to turn off)
Word (Mac): Highlight text → ⌘ + = (Word 2016 and later) / ⌘ + – (Word 2011)
Google Docs (Windows): Highlight text → Ctrl + , (press again to turn off)
Google Docs (Mac): Highlight text → ⌘ + , (press again to turn off)
PowerPoint (Windows): Highlight text → Ctrl + = (press again to turn off)
PowerPoint (Mac): Highlight text → ⌘ + = (press again to turn off)
Excel (Windows & Mac): No built-in shortcut. Use Format Cells inside the cell (steps below)

Details below for each app.

Quick Help Table (Subscript Shortcuts Across Apps)

App	Windows shortcut	Mac shortcut	Notes
Word	Ctrl + =	⌘ + = (Word 2016+) / ⌘ + – (Word 2011)	Toggles subscript on/off. If no text is selected, Word can switch into subscript typing mode.
Google Docs	Ctrl + ,	⌘ + ,	Works on highlighted text only (doesn’t switch typing mode). Toggles on/off.
PowerPoint	Ctrl + =	⌘ + =	Same shortcut as Word. Works inside a text box/shape.
Excel	No built-in shortcut	No shortcut	Use Format Cells (Ctrl + 1 / ⌘ + 1) while editing a cell.

📝 Note: In Excel, formatting text as subscript requires a few extra steps through menus, but we’ll show you how in its section.

Formatted subscript vs “real” subscript characters (important)

There are two different things people mean by “subscript”:

Formatted subscript (toggle on/off)
This is what Word/Docs/PowerPoint do when you apply the Subscript style. It depends on formatting.
Real subscript characters (copy/paste)
These are actual Unicode characters like ₂ and ₉. They stay subscript even when you paste them into places that don’t support formatting (but not every font supports every character).

You’ll use formatted subscript most of the time in documents, and real subscript characters when you need a quick copy/paste option.

🅰️ How to Subscript in Word (Windows & Mac)

There are several ways to type or apply subscript formatting in Microsoft Word. Whether you’re using a keyboard shortcut, formatting button, or inserting special symbols, here’s how to do it:

✅ Method 1: Use the Subscript Shortcut in Word

Windows:

Highlight the text you want to subscript (e.g., the “2” in H2O).
Press Ctrl + =
Press the same shortcut again to toggle subscript off.

Mac (Word 2016 and later):

Highlight the text → Press Command (⌘) + =

Mac (Word 2011):

Highlight the text → Press Command (⌘) + –

💡 If no text is selected, the cursor will switch to subscript mode, allowing you to type subscript characters directly.

✅ Method 2: Use the Subscript Button on the Home Tab

Type your text, then highlight the part you want as subscript.
Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
In the Font group, click the X₂ button (Subscript icon).
To exit subscript mode, click the button again or press the shortcut.

✅ Method 3: Use the Font Dialog Box

Select the text you want to subscript.
Press Ctrl + D (or Command + D on Mac) to open the Font dialog box. Alternatively, click the Font launcher on the Home tab.
In the Effects section, check the box labeled Subscript.
Click OK to apply.

✅ Method 4: Insert Subscript Symbols in Word

Sometimes you need actual subscript characters that behave like symbols (₁ ₂ ₃). These don’t rely on formatting and stay subscripted even if the text style changes.

Steps:

Go to Insert > Symbol > More Symbols
In the Symbol dialog, set Subset to Superscripts and Subscripts
Select your subscript character (e.g., ₂)
Click Insert, then Close

✅ Method 5: Use Alt Code + Alt+X (Windows Only)

If you know the Unicode or Alt code of a subscript symbol, you can type it manually:

Type the character code (e.g., 2082 for ₂)
Highlight it and press Alt + X
→ It will convert to the corresponding subscript symbol.

📝 How to Subscript in Google Docs (Windows & Mac)

Subscripts are essential when working on academic, scientific, or technical documents. In Google Docs, you can subscript text using either a keyboard shortcut or the Format menu. Below are the step-by-step methods for both Windows and Mac users.

✅ Method 1: Subscript Shortcut in Google Docs

This is the fastest way to apply subscript formatting.

🔹 On Windows:

Open your Google Docs document.
Highlight the text you want to subscript (e.g., the “2” in H₂O).

Press Ctrl + , (Control + comma).
- Your selected text will immediately shift slightly below the text line as a subscript.

To remove the subscript, highlight the subscripted text again and press Ctrl + , once more.

🔹 On Mac:

Open your Google Docs document.
Select the character(s) to format as subscript.
Press Command (⌘) + , (Command + comma).
Repeat the shortcut to toggle subscript off.

📝 Note: If no text is selected, the shortcut does not change the typing mode—it only works on highlighted text.

✅ Method 2: Use the Format Menu

If you prefer menus over shortcuts or are using a touchscreen/laptop without a full keyboard, this method works well:

Open your Google Docs file.
Select the character(s) you want to subscript.
Click Format in the top menu bar.
Hover your mouse over Text in the dropdown.
Click Subscript from the submenu.

✔️ The selected text will now appear smaller and lowered below the text line.

To remove the formatting:

Repeat the steps and click Subscript again to toggle it off.

📊 How to Subscript in Excel (Windows & Mac)

Unlike Word or Google Docs, Microsoft Excel doesn’t have a built-in shortcut for subscripts. However, you can still apply subscript formatting using a few manual but easy methods. These are perfect for writing chemical formulas (like H₂O), math expressions, or footnotes inside spreadsheet cells.

Here are the best ways to subscript in Excel:

✅ Method 1: Using the Format Cells Dialog (Best Method)

This is the most common and reliable method for adding subscript to any character inside a cell.

💻 Step-by-step (Works on both Windows and Mac):

Open your Excel file.
Type the full text in a cell, like H2O.
Click twice (not double-click quickly) on the cell or press F2 to enter edit mode.
Select the part of the text you want to format as subscript (e.g., select just the 2).
Right-click on the selected character and choose Format Cells
(Or press Ctrl + 1 on Windows or Command + 1 on Mac)

In the Format Cells window, go to the Font tab.
Under Effects, check the box labeled Subscript.
Click OK.

🧪 Example:
After applying these steps to the 2 in “H2O,” it will become H₂O (the 2 is now subscripted).

🔁 To remove the subscript:

Repeat the same steps and uncheck the Subscript box in the Format Cells dialog.

✅ Method 2: Insert Subscript Symbols (Static Symbols)

If you don’t want to format text but just need the subscript character (like ₁, ₂, ₃), you can insert it directly as a symbol.

💡 Steps:

Click into the cell where you want the subscript.
Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.
Click on Symbol (far right side).
In the Symbol dialog box, set the Font to Normal Text.
In the Subset dropdown, choose Superscripts and Subscripts.
Find and click on the subscript character you want (e.g., ₂).
Click Insert, then Close the dialog box.

📝 Note: These characters behave like text—they won’t calculate anything and are for display only.

✅ Method 3: Use the CHAR Function (Only for Display)

If you want to enter subscripts programmatically using formulas, the CHAR function lets you do that for common characters.

Example:

Type =UNICHAR(8322) in a cell → It will return the subscript ₂
Common codes:
- ₀ → =UNICHAR(8320)
- ₁ → =UNICHAR(8321)
- ₂ → =UNICHAR(8322)
- ₃ → =UNICHAR(8323)

📌 Important: These are Unicode characters and are useful for labeling, not for calculations.

⛔ Excel Limitation

Excel doesn’t support subscript formatting for part of a formula result. If you’re building dynamic text with formulas, you can’t apply subscript to just one part of the result without using VBA or helper columns with symbols.
No keyboard shortcut exists for subscript in Excel. You must use the Format Cells method.

📽️ How to Subscript in PowerPoint (Windows & Mac)

Adding subscript text in PowerPoint is useful for scientific notations, formulas, or creating professional-looking slides. While PowerPoint is primarily a design tool, it still offers several ways to apply subscript formatting, just like in Word.

Here’s how to do it step by step.

✅ Method 1: Use the Subscript Shortcut

This method is fast and works well if you’re editing text inside a text box or shape.

💻 On Windows:

Open your PowerPoint presentation.
Click into the text box where you want to type subscript text.
Type the full text, such as H2O.
Select the part of the text you want to subscript (e.g., just the 2).
Press Ctrl + = on your keyboard.
→ The selected text will appear slightly below the line and in smaller size.

🍏 On Mac:

Open PowerPoint and click in the desired text box.
Type your text (e.g., CO2), then highlight the part to subscript (2).
Press Command (⌘) + =
→ This toggles subscript formatting on or off.

💡 Press the same shortcut again to return the text to normal (toggle off subscript).

✅ Method 2: Use the Font Dialog Box

If you prefer using menus or need more formatting control, the Font dialog box is a great option.

Steps (Windows & Mac):

Open your PowerPoint file.
Click inside the text box and highlight the character(s) you want to format as subscript.
Right-click the selection and choose Font from the context menu.
(Alternatively, press Ctrl + T on Windows or ⌘ + T on Mac.)
In the Font window that appears, look for the Effects section.
Check the box labeled Subscript.
Click OK to apply the formatting.

✅ The text will now appear as subscript.

✅ Method 3: Use the Subscript Button (in Ribbon)

This method is great for users who prefer clicking over shortcuts.

Steps:

Highlight the text you want to subscript.
Go to the Home tab on the ribbon.
In the Font group, click the small arrow in the bottom-right corner to open the Font dialog.
Check the Subscript box under Effects.
Click OK.

🔣 Common Subscript Characters (Copy & Paste Ready)

Sometimes, instead of formatting text as subscript, you might just want to insert actual subscript characters—especially in tools like Excel, PowerPoint, or web forms that don’t support formatting easily.

These characters are Unicode subscript symbols—they stay as subscripts no matter where you paste them, making them useful for quick use across platforms.

📋 Subscript Numbers (Copy and Paste)

Number	Subscript	Copy
0	₀
1	₁
2	₂
3	₃
4	₄
5	₅
6	₆
7	₇
8	₈
9	₉

📋 Subscript Letters (Limited Set)

Only a few lowercase letters have official Unicode subscript versions:

Letter	Subscript	Copy
a	ₐ
e	ₑ
i	ᵢ
o	ₒ
r	ᵣ
u	ᵤ
v	ᵥ
x	ₓ

📝 Note: Not all fonts support these letters. If they appear as boxes or blank spaces, try changing the font (e.g., use Arial Unicode MS or Segoe UI Symbol).

✅ Final Thoughts

Whether you’re writing chemical formulas like H₂O, mathematical notations, or academic references, knowing how to type subscript text saves time and improves your formatting.

Here’s what to remember:

Microsoft Word and PowerPoint share the same shortcut: Ctrl + =