Google Sheets doesn’t have a direct option to insert a superscript or subscript. It might be pretty frustrating because this is pretty easy on Google Docs. Fortunately, there are a few ways you can try to insert superscripts and subscripts in your sheet.
4 methods to insert superscript and subscript in Google Sheets:
- Using the CHAR function
- Using Unicode symbols
- Using third-party websites
- Using Google Docs
Method 1: Using the CHAR function
All characters have a value called an ASCII value. ASCII stands for American Standard Code for Information Interchange. For instance, A corresponds to the ASCII code 65, and a corresponds to the ASCII code 97.
Similarly, you can find ASCII codes for superscript and subscript characters. Go to the Alt Code Shortcuts for Superscript and Subscript section of this article. You can find all the ASCII codes for superscripts and subscripts here.
Step 1: Enter the equation or formula required.
Pick a cell and enter the equation or formula that requires the superscript or subscript.
In this instance, we need to change the 2 in row 1 to a superscript and the 2 in row 2 to a subscript.
Step 2: Find out the required ASCII values.
Go to the previously mentioned article to find the required ASCII values. Here, we require the ASCII value for the superscript and subscript of 2.
178 is the ASCII value for superscript 2.
8322 is the ASCII value for subscript 2.
Step 3: Use the ASCII values and CHAR function to replace the twos.
To join the function with the existing values inside the cell, you can use the ampersand symbol (&). The other values are called strings and they will be put within quotes. So, your formula would be =”E = mc”&CHAR(178).
The formula for H2O would be =”H”&CHAR(8322)&”O”.
Step 4: Press Enter.
Once you’re done typing in the formula, press Enter to see your function in action.
Method 2: Using Unicode symbols
There are many websites that give you several Unicode symbols. You can just copy-paste them onto your Google Sheet. Some of our suggestions are Graphemica, Compart, or even Wikipedia.
Step 1: Identify the required Unicode symbols.
Let’s use the same example. So, we require 2 in both subscript and superscript forms.
Step 2: Copy the desired Unicode symbol.
Go to one of the websites mentioned above and find the required Unicode symbols. You can search for it in the search bar at the top of your screen. Once you find the Unicode symbol, just click on it. This would take you to the page of that particular Unicode symbol.
Copy the symbol by selecting it, right-clicking, and pressing the Copy option. Alternatively, you can also use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C.
Step 3: Paste the Unicode symbol into your Google Sheet.
Now that the Unicode symbol is stored in your clipboard, you can paste it into your Google sheet. You can do this by right-clicking at the place where you want to paste the Unicode symbol. Select the Paste option. Alternatively, you can use the keyboard shortcut as well. Use Ctrl+Shift+V to paste without formatting.
Follow the same steps for subscript 2 as well.
Method 3: Using third-party websites
There are many third-party websites where you can just type in a character. It would be converted to a superscript or subscript based on your choice. Our pick is Lingojam’s superscript and subscript generators.
Step 1: Figure out the required superscripts and subscripts.
Using the same example, we need the superscript and subscript of 2.
Step 2: Generate the superscript or subscript.
We need to enter 2 in both the subscript and superscript generator.
You can see two large text boxes. Enter the value to convert to a superscript in the left text box. You can see the superscript of the value generated in the right text box.
Step 3: Copy the generated superscript or subscript.
Now select the superscript, right-click and select Copy. Alternatively, you can select the superscript and use the keyboard shortcut Ctrl+C.
Follow the similar steps for the subscript as well by going to the subscript generator.
Step 4: Paste the copied superscript or subscript.
Now paste the subscript in your sheet. You can now see your results.
Method 4: Using Google Docs
Google Docs have superscript and subscript formatting options. You can copy the superscript and subscript from your doc and paste them onto your sheet.
Step 1: Open a Google doc and type the required values.
Go to your drive and click + New on the top-left of your screen.
Select Google Docs from the options listed.
Now, type the values into your Google Doc.
Step 2: Convert the required values to a superscript or subscript.
Select the value to be converted into a superscript or subscript.
In the main menu bar, tap on Format and select Text. Now, click on superscript or subscript based on what you want.
As you can see, you can also use keyboard shortcuts right after selecting the value. For superscript, you can use Ctrl+. and for subscript, you can use Ctrl+,
After you’re done, you can see the values converted.
Step 3: Copy the values.
Now, just select and right-click. Tap on Copy to copy the value. You can also use Ctrl+C instead.
Step 4: Paste the values onto your sheet.
Paste the copied value onto your Google sheet. Repeat steps 3 and 4 for the other values as well. You can paste by right-clicking and selecting the Paste option or by using Ctrl+Shift+V.
Conclusion
No more struggling to use superscripts and subscripts in your Google Sheet. You can use any of the 4 methods mentioned above to easily insert superscript and subscript on your sheet in no time.