Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated April 28, 2018)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
Tom needs a way of having a subscripted character and a superscripted character appear in the same space, so that one is exactly over the other. He tried using the Equation Editor, but decided that he didn't like the results and needed to find a different solution.
There are a couple of things you can try. First of all, you can create two small text boxes and place them in close proximity to each other. Adjust the box size, box position, and font size, as desired, to get the effect you want.
Another possible solution is to adjust the formatting of two adjacent characters. Follow these general steps:
Figure 1. The Character Spacing tab of the Font dialog box.
You may need to experiment with the spacing amount entered in step 6; different point sizes may be required for different typefaces and font sizes.
A third solution is to use the EQ (equation) field that has been available in Word since before the Equation Editor was around. You can follow these steps:
You can, if desired, also use the \o switch with the equation field. Just replace the \a with \o (step 2) and then superscript the 1 and subscript the 2. When you collapse the field, you may get just want you want in your display.
There is one "gottcha" with creating these types of field: If the field appears near the end of a line, Word will wrap the text right after the field and before the next word. This may not seem like a big deal, unless you want to make the field results stay with the following word. It is virtually impossible to do this with such a field, however.
WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (508) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Word (Word 2007 and later) here: Superscript and Subscript at the Same Place.
Learning Made Easy! Quickly teach yourself how to format, publish, and share your content using Word 2021 or Microsoft 365. With Step by Step, you set the pace, building and practicing the skills you need, just when you need them! Check out Microsoft Word Step by Step today!
Sometimes it can seem that the formatting needs of your document can easily outstrip the capabilities of Word. This is ...
Discover MoreThe normal way to change the color of selected text is through the use of the Font Color tool. If you have to use the ...
Discover MoreWord allows you to format your text in a number of different ways. One rather esoteric way to format your text is by ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-07-06 11:56:02
Thanks, I was struggling with a chemical formula with both sub and super scripts needed to be on the same alignments. Was able to solve my situation after reading your post.
Regards,
Rakesh Nathan Nair
2018-08-13 00:13:57
How do you do this in Excel?
Got a version of Word that uses the menu interface (Word 97, Word 2000, Word 2002, or Word 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Word, visit our WordTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
Visit the WordTips channel on YouTube
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments