Choosing What You See in the Equation Editor

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated March 14, 2026)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


As you enter text and fill equation slots with variables in the Equation Editor, you normally will not be able to see nonprinting characters such as spaces and tabs. If you select Show All from the View menu, however, you will be able to see where these characters occur.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (925) applies to Microsoft Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003.

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

Hyperlink Formatting

Word, as you type, normally formats hyperlinks automatically. If you don't like the way that hyperlinks look in a ...

Discover More

Indenting a Table

Insert a table into your document and it normally appears aligned with the left margin. Word allows you to indent the ...

Discover More

Using the Keyboard to Control Page Display in Print Preview

Sometimes it is just easier to use the keyboard than it is to use the mouse. If you are a keyboard-oriented person, you ...

Discover More

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!

More WordTips (menu)

Setting Fraction Bar Overhang Spacing in the Equation Editor

The Equation Editor is a great tool for easily creating fancy-looking equations in your document. One setting you can ...

Discover More

Setting Bracket Clearance Spacing in the Equation Editor

The Equation Editor provided with Word can be very powerful in how it displays mathematic equations. Here's how you can ...

Discover More

Setting Superscript Height in the Equation Editor

The Equation Editor makes it easy to create and add equations to your documents. Here's how to adjust where the ...

Discover More
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, 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 2 + 6?

There are currently no comments for this tip. (Be the first to leave your comment—just use the simple form above!)


This Site

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.

Videos
Subscribe

FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in WordTips, 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.