Every digit from 0 to 9 has a dedicated Unicode superscript character (⁰¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹), which means you can write x², 10⁶, or cm³ as plain text — no equation editor, no formatting toolbar. Type the number into a superscript generator, copy the raised version, and paste it directly after the base.
This guide covers exponents and powers, ordinal endings like 1ˢᵗ and nᵗʰ, and where the copy-paste characters hold up. Use the superscript generator to convert.
Superscript numbers: the full set
Unlike letters, digits have complete superscript coverage in Unicode, so 0–9 all convert exactly. That makes exponents the most reliable use of a superscript tool: 2¹⁰, E = mc², 5 × 10⁻³. Type just the exponent, copy it, and place it right after the base number or variable.
How to type an exponent, step by step
1. Open the superscript generator.
2. Type the exponent on its own — for x², type 2.
3. Copy the ² result.
4. In your document or chat, type x, then paste ² immediately after it.
5. Repeat for each exponent; there's no need to convert the whole expression.
Ordinals: 1ˢᵗ, 2ⁿᵈ, 3ʳᵈ, nᵗʰ
Ordinal endings use superscript letters (ˢᵗ, ⁿᵈ, ʳᵈ, ᵗʰ). Lowercase superscript letters have good but not total coverage, and these four combinations all convert cleanly, so dates and rankings written as 1ˢᵗ or 25ᵗʰ work well.
Where superscript numbers work
Pasted superscript displays correctly in Google Docs, Word, Slack, Discord, and most social apps and email clients. For a document you'll keep editing and reformatting, the app's built-in superscript button is sturdier because it's a text attribute rather than a separate character — but for chat, captions, and plain-text notes, the Unicode character is the only option that survives a copy-paste.
Superscript vs subscript for formulas
Superscript sits above the baseline for powers and exponents (x², 10⁶). Subscript sits below for things like chemical formulas (H₂O, CO₂). They're separate Unicode blocks — the subscript numbers guide covers the below-the-line case, and subscript vs superscript compares them.
The exponents you will actually use, ready to paste
Most exponent work is a handful of repeated cases. This table covers them so you can copy without running a conversion.
| Expression | Superscript form | Typical use |
|---|---|---|
| x squared | x² | Area, algebra |
| x cubed | x³ | Volume |
| ten to the sixth | 10⁶ | Large numbers, storage sizes |
| negative four | 10⁻⁴ | Small measurements |
| square metre | m² | Floor area, density |
| cubic centimetre | cm³ | Volume of liquids and engines |
| degrees squared | 12°2 or 12°² | Angles in physics notation |
| pixel squared | px² | Density, screens |
Native superscript in Word, Google Docs, and Excel
In Google Docs, select the character and use Format, then Text, then Superscript. The keyboard shortcut is Ctrl and full stop on Windows and Command and full stop on macOS. Docs also converts the caret notation automatically: type x then caret then 2, and press space.
In Word, the shortcut is Ctrl, Shift and the plus key. Excel does not support superscript in a formula, so the superscript must be a formatting choice applied to selected characters inside a cell, and the cell still holds its original value.
The rule that keeps documents safe: use native formatting inside documents, and Unicode superscript only where formatting does not exist. Native keeps the text editable and searchable, and Unicode survives a paste into a social field.