How to Type Superscript and Small Text Anywhere
Quick answer: In Word press Ctrl+Shift+= for superscript, and in Google Docs press Ctrl+. (period). For places without formatting, like social bios and chats, use Unicode small characters from a small text generator. Not every letter has a Unicode superscript, so some will look mismatched.
Small text shows up in footnotes, math, trademarks and plenty of aesthetic bios. How you type it depends on where it is going.
In documents: use formatting
| App | Superscript | Subscript |
|---|---|---|
| Microsoft Word (Windows) | Ctrl+Shift+= | Ctrl+= |
| Google Docs (Windows) | Ctrl+. | Ctrl+, |
| Google Docs (Mac) | Cmd+. | Cmd+, |
Formatting is the best option in documents because it works for every character and stays searchable.
Everywhere else: use Unicode
Social media, chat apps and usernames strip formatting. Unicode includes small versions of many letters: superscript letters like ᵃᵇᶜ, small caps like ᴀʙᴄ and a few subscripts. Make them with the small text generator.
The limits
- Unicode has no complete superscript alphabet. A few letters, like q, are missing, and generators fall back to a lookalike.
- Subscript is even more limited. See why subscript is so limited.
- Small caps are missing a true small-caps x on some fonts.
Which style to choose
Small caps are the most readable for labels. Superscript looks good for short tags like ᵒᶠᶠⁱᶜⁱᵃˡ. For more styles, see the fancy text generator.