Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Specifying Superscript Text.

Specifying Superscript Text

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated June 5, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365


2

Excel supports a number of different text attributes that can be applied to the characters in your cells. One of those attributes is superscript, which makes affected text smaller and raises it above the baseline used by surrounding text. Superscript is very helpful to use for scientific formulas. To apply superscript in your text, follow these steps:

  1. Select the cell (or information within a cell) that you want to be superscript.
  2. Press Ctrl+Shift+F. Excel displays the Format Cells dialog box, with the Font tab selected. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Font tab of the Format Cells dialog box.

  4. Select the Superscript check box.
  5. Click on OK.

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (10034) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Excel in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Specifying Superscript Text.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

MORE FROM ALLEN

Selecting Text Orientation for an Axis in Microsoft Graph

Microsoft Graph allows you to easily create charts from numeric data, without the need to use Excel. This tip explains ...

Discover More

Calculating an IRR with Varying Interest Rates

You might wonder how you can calculate an IRR (internal rate of return) when the person repaying the loan pays different ...

Discover More

Correcting Capitalization with AutoCorrect

We all have idiosyncrasies that are evident in how we type. Word can compensate for a lot of these flubs, but it is ...

Discover More

Program Successfully in Excel! John Walkenbach's name is synonymous with excellence in deciphering complex technical topics. With this comprehensive guide, "Mr. Spreadsheet" shows how to maximize your Excel experience using professional spreadsheet application development tips from his own personal bookshelf. Check out Excel 2013 Power Programming with VBA today!

More ExcelTips (ribbon)

Hash Marks Displayed Instead of Cell Contents

Have you ever entered information in a cell only for it to appear as hash marks? This tip explains why this happens, how ...

Discover More

Pasting Numeric Values in Other Programs

When you paste information from Excel into other programs, you may get more than you actually want. It is not unusual for ...

Discover More

Saving a Custom Table Style

When you format your data as a table, Excel allows you to apply a style to that table. You can even create your own table ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

View most recent newsletter.

Comments

If you would like to add an image to your comment (not an avatar, but an image to help in making the point of your comment), include the characters [{fig}] (all 7 characters, in the sequence shown) in your comment text. You’ll be prompted to upload your image when you submit the comment. Maximum image size is 6Mpixels. Images larger than 600px wide or 1000px tall will be reduced. Up to three images may be included in a comment. All images are subject to review. Commenting privileges may be curtailed if inappropriate images are posted.

What is 1 + 1?

2021-06-08 18:07:19

Bob Williams

About superscripts -- I have discovered characters that look like superscripts but are actually not. There are only four of them: º (Alt-0186), ¹ (Alt-0185), ² (Alt-0178), and ³ (Alt-0179). I have an application where they come in handy, and I even can make multi-digit "superscripts" which are base-4 values! (How geeky is that!)


2021-06-07 07:53:44

Nick Kramer

There is an excellent form that enables individual characters to be formatted from http://www.vertex42.com/ExcelTips/excel-toolbar-buttons.html

Custom Cell Format UserForm

This macro requires that you first download the code for the form and then import it into VBA. Below is a screenshot of the form. It is especially useful for formatting text that involves symbol fonts, subscripts, italics, bold, etc. Note that you cannot delete or add characters within the form.

(see Figure 1 below)

Figure 1. User Form


This Site

Got a version of Excel that uses the ribbon interface (Excel 2007 or later)? This site is for you! If you use an earlier version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the menu interface.

Newest Tips
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."

(Your e-mail address is not shared with anyone, ever.)

View the most recent newsletter.