Digits have better small-font coverage in Unicode than letters do — you can get raised, lowered, and circled numbers as plain copy-paste text. Generate them with the superscript generator, subscript generator, or bubble text generator.
This guide covers the three small-number styles and where each fits.
Superscript digits (⁰¹²³)
The smallest option. Complete set 0–9 plus + − = ( ). Used for exponents (x²), footnote markers, and ordinal suffixes (1ˢᵗ). See superscript numbers and exponents.
Subscript digits (₀₁₂₃)
Same size range, sits below the line. Complete set 0–9. Used for chemical formulas (H₂O) and indexed variables (xₙ). See subscript numbers for chemistry.
Circled and small digits (①②③, ⓪)
Circled numbers from the bubble set — larger than super or subscript but distinct, good for lists and rankings. Digits 0–9 all have a circled form.
Which to use
Exponent or power: superscript. Formula or index: subscript. A decorative numbered list or a rank badge in a name: circled. All three copy and paste as plain text and count as one character each.
Every small digit style in one table
Digits are better supported than letters in every small style, which makes them the safest choice when you need something tiny.
| Style | Example | Coverage | Best for |
|---|---|---|---|
| Superscript | ⁰¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹ | All ten digits | Exponents, ordinals, dates |
| Subscript | ₀₁₂₃₄₅₆₇₈₉ | All ten digits | Chemical formulas, footnotes |
| Circled | ⓪①②③④⑤⑥⑦⑧⑨ | All ten digits | Lists, step numbers |
| Negative circled | ⓿❶❷❸❹❺❻❼❽❾ | All ten digits | Dark backgrounds |
| Parenthesised | ⑴⑵⑶⑷⑸⑹⑺⑻⑼ | One to nine only | Ordered points |
| Fullwidth | ０１２３４５６７８９ | All ten digits, but wide | Visual effect, not compactness |
Where small digits fail, and what to do instead
The main failure is the phone number. Superscript and subscript have full digit coverage, so nothing breaks technically, but a number typed that way is impossible to dial by eye and often unfindable by search. Keep phone numbers plain.
The second failure is ordering. Circled and parenthesised digits exist to mark a list, so using them inside a sentence reads as a numbering error rather than as styling.
If you need small numbers in a spreadsheet or a document, use the native superscript formatting rather than Unicode. Native formatting keeps the value numeric, so sorting and formulas keep working, which Unicode characters cannot do.