Setting Prime Height Spacing in the Equation Editor

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 20, 2024)
This tip applies to Word 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003


A prime is a mathematical symbol that looks similar to an apostrophe. When using the Equation Editor, you can control how far above the equation baseline a prime symbol is placed. You do this as follows:

  1. Choose Spacing from the Format menu. The Equation Editor displays the Spacing dialog box.
  2. Click on the Prime Height box (it is at the bottom of the list of spacing settings). The Equation Editor changes the Spacing dialog box. (See Figure 1.)
  3. Figure 1. The Spacing dialog box.

  4. Enter a value signifying what percentage of the font size above the baseline the prime should appear.
  5. Click on OK.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (948) 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

Absolutely Getting Rid of Formatting

Need to get rid of the formatting applied to a bunch of text? One of the easiest ways to do this is to use Notepad in ...

Discover More

Quickly Transposing Cells

If you want to turn a range of cells by 90 degrees within a worksheet, you need to understand how Excel can handle the ...

Discover More

Saving Documents Using the Same Filename

When working on a document, you most often want to save your edits using the existing name of the document. If Word ...

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)

Wrong Characters Printed in Equations

Ever have the problem of your document printing different characters than what appears on the screen? There are several ...

Discover More

Choosing a Character Size in the Equation Editor

The Equation Editor is a handy tool, particularly for those who must include mathematical equations in their documents. ...

Discover More

Setting Matrix Row Spacing in the Equation Editor

The Equation Editor is a tool you can use to create complex mathematical formulas and insert them in your documents. If ...

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 three less than 3?

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.