The short answer: for the ready-made characters, press Alt + 0178 for ² and Alt + 0179 for ³ on Windows (numeric keypad) — or copy them below.
To turn any number into a superscript inside a document, toggle superscript with Ctrl + Shift + = (Windows) or Cmd + Shift + = (Word on Mac), type the number, then toggle off.
Squared vs. superscript — pick the right one
There are two different things people mean by “squared,” and choosing correctly saves a lot of frustration:
- The ready-made characters ² and ³ — single Unicode symbols. Best where you can’t format text: social bios, spreadsheets, search boxes, file names, plain text.
- Formatted superscript — raising normal text. Best in documents, and works for any digit or letter (x⁵, footnote¹), because it scales with your font.
Quick definition: “squared” means to the power of 2 (²), and “cubed” means to the power of 3 (³).
Quick reference
| Want | How |
|---|---|
| ² (squared) | Alt + 0178 · =UNICHAR(178) · or copy |
| ³ (cubed) | Alt + 0179 · =UNICHAR(179) · or copy |
| ¹ (to the first) | Alt + 0185 · =UNICHAR(185) |
| Superscript any number — Word | Ctrl + Shift + = (Mac ⌘⇧=), type, toggle off |
| Superscript — Google Docs | Ctrl + . (Mac ⌘.) |
| ² / ³ — Chromebook & Linux | Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00b2 / 00b3, Enter |
| HTML | <sup>2</sup> or ² / ³ |
| Unicode | U+00B2 (²), U+00B3 (³) |
How to type ² and ³ on every platform
Windows (fastest)
Hold Alt and type 0178 (²) or 0179 (³) on the numeric keypad. In Word you can also type the hex code 00B2 then press Alt + X.
Use these anywhere text can’t be formatted — for example m² in an Instagram bio, cm³ in a spreadsheet cell, or a product title.
Mac
There’s no dedicated Option shortcut for ² or ³. Two easy routes:
- Copy ² or ³ from the box above and paste.
- Use superscript formatting (Cmd + Shift + = in Word) and type a 2 or 3.
iPhone & Android
Phone keyboards have no superscript key. Two fixes:
- Copy ² or ³ from the box above.
- Make a text shortcut so you never hunt for it again:
- iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement. Set the Phrase to ² and the Shortcut to something like
x2. - Android: Gboard → Settings → Dictionary → Personal dictionary → add a word (²) with a shortcut (
x2).
- iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement. Set the Phrase to ² and the Shortcut to something like
Chromebook (ChromeOS)
The simplest route is to copy ² or ³ above, or use Google Docs superscript (Ctrl + .). In many text fields you can also type the character directly: press Ctrl + Shift + U, release, type 00b2 (for ²) or 00b3 (for ³), then press Enter or Space. This works in most standard text fields, though not every app or web input supports it.
Linux
With IBus (the default input method on most desktops), press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00b2 or 00b3, then press Enter or Space. Leading zeros are optional — b2 and b3 also work.
Superscript formatting (any number or letter)
This raises whatever you type, so it works for x⁵, 10⁻³, footnotes, and more:
- Word (Windows): Ctrl + Shift + =, type the character(s), press the shortcut again to turn it off.
- Word (Mac): Cmd + Shift + =.
- Google Docs: Ctrl + . (Mac Cmd + .), or Format → Text → Superscript.
This is the better choice inside documents because it scales with the font and works for any character — not just 2 and 3.
Superscripts beyond ² and ³ (⁴ ⁵ ⁶ … ⁰)
The higher superscript digits don’t have Alt codes. In Word, type the hex code then Alt + X — for example 2074 then Alt + X gives ⁴ (the rest run 2075–2079, with ⁰ at 2070). Or just copy them from the full set in the copy box, or use superscript formatting, which handles every digit and letter.
Squared and cubed in Excel and Google Sheets
Spreadsheets only superscript text, one character at a time, and it breaks calculations — so the easiest path is the ready-made character:
- Type Alt + 0178 / Alt + 0179, or
- Use =UNICHAR(178) / =UNICHAR(179).
UNICHAR works on both Windows and Mac. Plain CHAR reads a legacy character set that differs between Windows and Mac, so it can return a different symbol on a Mac — use UNICHAR to be safe. (Same gotcha we cover in our degree symbol in Excel guide.)
Google Sheets has no superscript formatting at all, so paste the ² / ³ character straight into the cell.
On the web (HTML & CSS)
Use <sup>2</sup> for true superscript, or the entities ² (²) and ³ (³). In CSS you can raise any text with:
css
vertical-align: super;
font-size: smaller;Insert from a character picker (no keypad needed)
Great for laptops without a numeric keypad:
- Windows Character Map: open Start, search Character Map, find ² or ³, click Select → Copy, then paste.
- macOS Character Viewer: press Ctrl + Cmd + Space, search “superscript two” or “superscript three”, and double-click to insert.
A quick note on accessibility
The real characters ² and ³ carry their meaning in the text itself, so they survive copy-paste into plain-text fields and are handled predictably by assistive tech. A plain “2” that’s only visually superscripted can lose that formatting when pasted elsewhere. When exact meaning matters — m² versus m2 — the real Unicode character is the safer choice. (Exact pronunciation of ² varies by screen reader and verbosity settings.)
Examples
5 m² · 12 cm³ · x² + y² · 10³ = 1000 · E = mc² · area = πr² · footnote¹
Troubleshooting
- Alt + 0178 does nothing. You need the numeric keypad with Num Lock on. On a laptop without one, copy the symbol or use Word’s Alt + X method.
- My ² shows up full-size. You typed a normal “2” with formatting that got stripped (common when pasting into plain-text fields). Use the actual ² character there instead.
- The superscript shortcut won’t turn off. Press Ctrl + Shift + = again — it’s a toggle.
- Google Sheets won’t superscript. It has no superscript formatting; paste the ² / ³ character into the cell.
- Chromebook Unicode entry does nothing. Some web inputs and apps don’t support Ctrl + Shift + U — copy the symbol or use Google Docs superscript instead.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I type the squared symbol (²)?
On Windows, press Alt + 0178 on the numeric keypad, or in Word type 00B2 and press Alt + X. You can also copy the ² symbol, or use superscript formatting and type a 2.
How do I type the cubed symbol (³)?
On Windows, press Alt + 0179 on the numeric keypad, or copy the ³ symbol. In a document, you can turn on superscript formatting and type a 3.
How do I make a superscript number in Word?
Press:
Windows: Ctrl + Shift + =
Mac: Cmd + Shift + =
Type the number, then press the shortcut again to turn superscript off.
How do I type ² on a Mac?
There is no dedicated Option shortcut for ². You can:
Copy and paste the ² symbol
Use superscript formatting (Cmd + Shift + = in Word) and type 2
How do I do superscript in Google Docs?
Press:
Windows/ChromeOS: Ctrl + . (period)
Mac: Cmd + . (period)
Or go to:
Format → Text → Superscript
Then type the character.
How do I put a squared symbol in Excel?
Use the built-in character:
Alt + 0178 (Windows numeric keypad)
Or use the formula:
=UNICHAR(178)
Excel’s superscript formatting is limited and generally works only with text, not numeric values used in calculations.
How do I type squared on a Chromebook?
You can copy and paste ², use Google Docs Superscript (Ctrl + .), or press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00b2, and press Enter in applications that support Unicode input.
How do I type the square meters symbol (m²)?
Type m, then add the ² symbol using Alt + 0178, copy and paste ², or use superscript formatting to create m².
What’s the difference between ² and a superscript 2?
² is a single Unicode character that works in plain text and can be copied anywhere.
A superscript 2 is a regular 2 displayed as superscript through text formatting. It can be applied to any character and scales with the font, but it only remains superscript in applications that preserve formatting.
Recap
Need them in plain text or a spreadsheet? Use the ready-made ² (Alt + 0178) and ³ (Alt + 0179), or copy them. Writing in a document? Toggle superscript (Ctrl + Shift + =) so any number or letter works.
Written by Igor R. Tested on Windows 11, macOS, and in Microsoft 365. Last updated June 2026. The superscript two and three are U+00B2 and U+00B3 in the Unicode Standard.