# Superscript Generator (¹²³)

URL: https://speedycalculator.com/calculators/other/superscript-generator/
Last updated: 2026-10-30

> The superscript generator turns text, digits and signs into raised Unicode superscript characters (x², 10⁻³, Ca²⁺, ᵗʰ) that stay superscript when pasted anywhere. It also converts caret notation like x^2 or e^{-x} automatically and shows the subscript version.

## Inputs

- Text to convert

## Results

- Superscript text
- Math formatting (x^2 → x²)
- Chemistry formatting (Ca2+ → Ca²⁺)
- Subscript version
- Characters with no superscript form
- Characters

## Formula

```
Digits → ⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹ (¹ ² ³ from Latin-1, the rest U+2070–U+2079)
Signs + − = ( ) → ⁺ ⁻ ⁼ ⁽ ⁾ · letters → ᵃ ᵇ ᶜ … (no superscript q)
```

## Explanation

A superscript is a small character raised above the normal line of text. It marks exponents (a² + b² = c², 10⁻⁶), ion charges (Ca²⁺, SO₄²⁻), isotopes (¹⁴C), ordinal indicators in some languages, trademark-like signs and footnote references in Chicago and AMA citation styles. Typographically, superscripts are about 50–75% of the body size and often drawn slightly heavier so they do not look faint.

Formatting buttons in word processors produce superscripts that vanish when text is pasted into a plain field such as a chat, a spreadsheet cell, a tweet or a code comment. Unicode superscript characters do not: ² is a character in its own right. All digits and the signs + − = ( ) exist, as do nearly all lowercase letters (except q) and many capitals; missing capitals (C, F, Q, S, X, Y, Z) fall back to the lowercase form.

If you write maths in plain text with a caret, the “Math formatting” output converts only what follows ^ – x^2 becomes x², 10^-3 becomes 10⁻³ and e^{i·π} becomes eⁱ·π with braces grouping several characters – and leaves the rest of the line alone.

### How to use the Superscript Generator

- **Text to convert**

Everything is calculated in your browser, so results appear instantly and nothing you type is sent to a server.

### How it works

Characters are looked up in a superscript table built from the Latin-1, Superscripts and Subscripts, Phonetic Extensions and Spacing Modifier blocks. The math output converts only the characters after a caret (^), using braces {…} for longer exponents.

### Worked example

“E = mc^2, 10^-3” becomes **E = mc², 10⁻³** in the math output: the caret disappears and 2 and −3 are raised. Converting the whole line instead gives ᴱ ⁼ ᵐᶜ^², ¹⁰^⁻³ – handy for a tiny caption, but the caret and comma have no superscript form.

### Superscript characters

Normal0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9+ − = ( )n i a b c d eSuperscript⁰ ¹ ² ³ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹⁺ ⁻ ⁼ ⁽ ⁾ⁿ ⁱ ᵃ ᵇ ᶜ ᵈ ᵉ

## Worked example

Inputs — Text to convert: E = mc^2, 10^-3.

Results — **Superscript text = ᴱ ⁼ ᵐᶜ^², ¹⁰^⁻³**; Math formatting (x^2 → x²) = E = mc², 10⁻³; Chemistry formatting (Ca2+ → Ca²⁺) = E = mc², 10⁻³; Subscript version = ₑ ₌ ₘc^₂, ₁₀^₋₃; Characters with no superscript form = ^ ,; Characters = 15.

## Key terms

- **Superscript**: A small character raised above the baseline.
- **Exponent**: The power a number is raised to, written as a superscript (2³ = 8).
- **Caret notation**: Plain-text way to write exponents, e.g. x^2.

## FAQ

**How do I type x squared?**
Type x^2 and copy the “Math formatting” output: x². The character ² can also be typed with Alt + 0178 on Windows.

**Is there a superscript q?**
Not in common fonts. Unicode added one only recently, so q stays normal.

**How do I write 10 to the minus 3?**
10^-3 becomes 10⁻³ in the math output.

**What is the shortcut for superscript in Word?**
Ctrl + Shift + = (⌘ + Shift + = on Mac); in Google Docs Ctrl + . (⌘ + .).

**Why do ¹ ² ³ look different from ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ in some fonts?**
¹ ² ³ come from the older Latin-1 block and some fonts design them differently.

**Can I write ion charges?**
Yes – Ca2+ becomes Ca²⁺ in the chemistry output and SO4^2- becomes SO₄²⁻.

**How large is a superscript?**
Usually 50–75% of the body size, raised so its top roughly aligns with capital letters.


## Sources

- [The Unicode Standard – Superscripts and Subscripts (U+2070–U+209F)](https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U2070.pdf)
- [The Unicode Standard – Latin-1 Supplement (U+0080–U+00FF)](https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U0080.pdf)
- [The Unicode Standard – Spacing Modifier Letters (U+02B0–U+02FF)](https://www.unicode.org/charts/PDF/U02B0.pdf)