People searching for a 'superscript and subscript generator' usually want one tool that does both directions — which the subscript generator and superscript generator cover between them. But whichever tool you use, the results depend on which characters Unicode actually defines. This guide is the full map.
Knowing the gaps up front saves confusion when a word comes out with one or two normal-size letters in the middle.
Numbers: both complete
Digits 0–9 have a full set of both superscript (⁰¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹) and subscript (₀₁₂₃₄₅₆₇₈₉) forms, plus + − = ( ) in both. This is why exponents (x²) and chemical formulas (H₂O) always convert cleanly.
Superscript letters: nearly complete lowercase, partial capitals
Lowercase superscript covers a–z with one historical gap that most tools fill with a look-alike. Capitals are only partly defined — there's no superscript form for several of them, so words with capitals come out mixed.
Subscript letters: sparse
Subscript defines only a handful of lowercase letters — a, e, h, i, j, k, l, m, n, o, p, r, s, t, u, v, x — and no capitals. Any other letter stays normal size. Subscript is really a number tool with a few letters attached.
What a good generator does with gaps
When there's no Unicode form for a character, the tool should leave your original letter untouched rather than swap in a symbol from another alphabet that only looks close. A normal letter in a styled word is honest; a wrong glyph is misleading. See Unicode, explained for why the blocks are incomplete.
Full superscript map
Superscript is the more complete of the two sets, but it is still not a full alphabet. Below is what exists, using the letter or digit followed by its converted form.
| Characters | Available as superscript |
|---|---|
| Digits 0 to 9 | All ten available |
| Maths symbols | Plus, minus, equals, and parentheses available |
| Lowercase letters | a b c d e f g h i j k l m n o p r s t u v w x y z |
| Missing lowercase | q only, which has no superscript form |
| Uppercase letters | A B D E G H I J K L M N O P R T U V W |
| Missing uppercase | C, F, Q, S, X, Y, Z |
| Punctuation | Not available |
Full subscript map
Subscript is a much thinner set, and knowing its shape in advance prevents the usual disappointment when a name converts with some letters full size.
| Characters | Available as subscript |
|---|---|
| Digits 0 to 9 | All ten available |
| Maths symbols | Plus, minus, equals, and parentheses available |
| Lowercase letters | a e h i j k l m n o p r s t u v x |
| Missing lowercase | b c d f g q w y z have no subscript form |
| Uppercase letters | None |
| Greek letters | Several, used in maths and physics |
What to do when a letter is missing
Decide first whether the missing letter matters. In a short label it often does not, because the eye reads the shape of the word rather than every character. In a name, it does: one full-size letter in a small word looks like a mistake.
The usual workaround is to substitute a nearby character rather than accept the fallback. In subscript, an uppercase L is often written with the available lowercase l glyph, and letters that exist in neither set are spelled out in plain text.
The other workaround is to change the style. If coverage is the problem, small caps solves it, because it covers almost the whole alphabet. Superscript and subscript are best treated as notation styles for numbers, symbols, and short strings.