Writing superscript in Excel is super easy, and there are lots of ways to achieve it. However, it’s not a particularly common feature of everyday Excel use, and so many people (even those highly skilled in the program) are unfamiliar with the process.
To learn how to write text and number-based superscript in Microsoft Excel, follow our step-by-step guidelines below. For any additional information, or if you have further questions, we recommend you turn your attention to our FAQ section at the end of this article.
Table of Contents
How to write text-based superscript in Excel (method one)
- Open Microsoft Excel on your device, and load a test document
- Select a cell and begin writing the text onto which you’ll be attaching a superscript (for example ‘Area m2’ ← you’ll be turning this 2 into superscript to indicate ‘metres squared’)
- Now, highlight the part of the text (in our example above, this would be the ‘2’) which you wish to make superscript
- On your keyboard, press CTRL+1 (the Format Cells shortcut), then ALT+E (the superscript shortcut), and finally ENTER
- Note: Alternatively you could write click on the highlighted text, select ‘Format Cells’ from the pop-up menu, then tick/check the blank box next to ‘Superscript’ and click ‘OK’
- Note: Alternatively you could write click on the highlighted text, select ‘Format Cells’ from the pop-up menu, then tick/check the blank box next to ‘Superscript’ and click ‘OK’
How to write text-based superscript in Excel (method two)
- Open Microsoft Excel on your device, and load a test document
- Click the downward-pointing arrow to the right of the ‘Redo’ button in the Quick Access Toolbar, labelled ‘Customize Quick Access Toolbar’
- Scroll down and click on ‘More Commands’
- Scroll through the list and click on ‘Superscript’, then click ‘Add’, and then ‘OK’
- Select a cell and begin writing the text onto which you’ll be attaching a superscript (for example ‘Area m2’ ← you’ll be turning this 2 into superscript to indicate ‘metres squared’)
- Now, highlight the part of the text (in our example above, this would be the ‘2’) which you wish to make superscript
- Lastly, click the superscript button which you have now assigned to your Quick Access Toolbar and you’ll see that your highlighted text is made superscript.
How to write superscript exponents in equations in Excel
- Open Microsoft Excel on your device, and load a test document
- Click ‘Insert’ from the Menu toolbar, then ‘Symbols’, and then ‘Equation’
- Move the equation box to wherever you want it to sit on your spreadsheet by clicking and dragging it
- Double click the default text in the equation box, and then click ‘Equation’ in the Menu toolbar
- Now, click ‘Script’ and choose the type of script you want to include. Two boxes, one centered and one top-right, indicates a ‘normal’ number, and a ‘superscript’ number. Click this, for practice.
- Now, click each box within the equation field separately and input the numbers you need to, to write the first exponent of your equation. For example, 2³.
- Repeat as necessary, adding as much superscript as you need into each part of your equation.
And there you have it! Whether you’re looking to write superscript into your equations or text, you can do so easily simply by following our step-by-step guides above. If you have any other questions or desire further information, see our FAQs below.
FAQs
What is a ‘superscript’ in Excel?
Superscript refers to the formatting of letters and numbers through which they are made small and placed above the preceding text. Superscript typically denotes units such as m², m³, or exponents in numerical equations such as 2³ or 2⁴.
In Microsoft Excel, a superscript is no different and used no differently. However, writing superscript in Excel is, in a sense, just for show. In other words, it doesn’t actually change the value of the text or numbers it is associated with. Even if you write an equation including superscript in its exponents, these exponents will not be read by Excel as such. For example, if you wrote 2³, Excel would still read this as ‘23’, rather than ‘2 to the power of 3’.
As such, be careful when writing superscripts into formulas on Excel, as they will not be read by the program as you might expect them to be.
Why would I want to use superscript in Excel?
You can use superscript to meet any number of goals on Excel, just as you would use it in day-to-day life. Probably the most obvious use is simply to quickly and easily inform your reader that you are working with, or referring to a particular type of data (such as a dataset relating to “Area m²”). Of course, this may also be for your personal benefit, rather than the readers.
Alternatively, you may need to write out complex equations in order to complement your work on Excel, which you could likely only do if you knew how to write in superscript on the program.
Can I change superscript back to default if I change my mind?
Of course. You can quickly and easily change any superscript you’ve written to standard formatting it, simply by highlighting the superscript and using the keyboard shortcuts we’ve described above: CTRL+1, then ALT+E, and then ENTER.
(Note: this applies only to text-based superscript, to reformat an equation with superscript exponents, you must click on the equation, then click on ‘Equation’ in the Menu bar up top, and use the tools there to rewrite its specific exponents without the superscript.)
