Superscript Shortcut in Excel

superscript-in-excel

Superscript in Excel formats characters slightly above the baseline, similar to subscript. It’s useful for notations or footnotes.

You can easily learn how to apply this formatting for specific characters in your text with practical examples. This article is a part of our definitive guide about keyboard shortcuts.

What is Superscript in Excel?

We use superscript in Excel to transform a number or text value into smaller fonts above the selected numbers and text. We often use this feature to create ordinal numbers, like 1st,2nd, and 3rd. Another option is to create unit measurements and special symbols.

How to use Superscript in Excel

  1. Select the text you want to format as superscript.
  2. Press F2 to enter edit mode.
  3. Press Ctrl + 1 to open the Format Cells dialog box.
  4. Go to the Font tab, check the Superscript option under Effects.
  5. Press OK.

This will apply the superscript format to the selected text.

Using Font Group

First, select the text that you want to convert to superscript format. Then, enter the cell edit mode using the F2 edit cell shortcut. You can edit the cell using the Formula Bar too!

edit-cell-mode

After that, open the ‘Format Cells’ dialog box using the Ctrl + 1 shortcut or locate the Home Tab and check the Font Group. If you don’t want to use shortcuts, click on the small arrow icon in the bottom-right corner.

Open-the-Format-Cells-dialog-box-using-the-Ctrl-1

The ‘Format Cells’ dialog box appears. Select the Font Tab. Under the Effects Group, find the superscript option and click the checkbox.

apply-superscript-excel

How to Apply Superscript Shortcut in Excel

  1. Select the text you want to format as superscript.
  2. Press Ctrl + Shift + F to open the Format Cells dialog box directly on the Font tab.
  3. Press Alt + E to activate the Superscript option in the Effects section.
  4. Press Enter or click OK to apply the superscript formatting.

Add a macro to the Quick Access Toolbar

The Quick Access Toolbar is the best place to store the frequently used commands in Excel. To add a new macro to the QAT, press the Alt + F11 shortcut and add a new Module.

Finally, copy-paste the code like in the picture below:

insert-a-macro

When you execute this macro, Excel will ask for the character position you want to format.

Sub QuickSuperscript()
Dim i As Integer, str As String
i = InputBox("Enter the char position")
str = i
ActiveCell.Characters(i, 1).Font.Superscript = True
MsgBox "Superscript formatting has been applied"
End Sub

Save the Workbook using the .xlsm or .xslb format. Then, use the File tab and click Options to open the Excel Options dialog.

add-a-superscript-shortcut-to-QAT

To list the available macros in this Workbook, select Macros from the ‘Choose commands from..’ drop-down list.

Click Add to place the new macro in QAT and click OK to close the dialog box.

From now on, you can apply superscript with a single click. In our example, the new macro is the third on the list, so the Alt, 3 shortcut works.

excel-superscript-macro

If you want to save your time, download the macro-enabled Workbook here.

Alt key codes for superscript format

You can use specific Alt codes to insert superscript numbers directly into your worksheet in Excel. These codes are particularly handy when you need superscript characters for mathematical notations or ordinal indicators (like 1st, 2nd, 3rd) without manually formatting them.

Built-in Alt Codes for Superscript Numbers:

  1. Alt + 0185 inserts the superscript number ¹.
  2. Alt + 0178 inserts the superscript number ².
  3. Alt + 0179 inserts the superscript number ³.
alt-shortcut-keys

How to use these codes:

  1. Select the cell where you want to insert the superscript.
  2. Hold down the Alt key on your keyboard.
  3. Type the corresponding number code (using the numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard) for the desired superscript (e.g., 0185 for ¹).
  4. Release the Alt key, and the superscript character will appear.

It is good to know that the result is not a number, so you can not use these numbers in a function or formula. In the example, we are using the ‘Calibri’ font. If you are using another font, the result may be different.

The Char function

In Excel, you can apply superscripts using the CHAR function. However, the output is (in this case, too) a string, so we don’t recommend you use these cells as a part of a formula; otherwise, you’ll get a formula error.

Use the following numbers as a parameter of the CHAR function:

char-function-to-superscript-excel

How to create ordinal numbers

Ordinal numbers, like 1st, 2nd, and 3rd, indicate an item’s position in a list. To format ordinal suffixes (like “st”, “nd”, “rd”, and “th”) so they appear smaller and slightly above the number, follow these steps:

convert-text-to-ordinal-number
  1. Select the characters you want to format. For example, in “1st”, highlight just the “st”.
  2. Press Ctrl + 1 to open the Format Cells dialog box.
  3. Under the Font tab, select the Superscript option in the dialog box.
  4. Press Enter or click OK to apply the format.

You can also use a quick shortcut for formatting:

After highlighting the characters, press Alt + E to apply the effect instantly.

This formatting technique is helpful when creating ranks or positions in a table, such as “1st place”, “2nd place”, etc. Excel will keep your ordinal numbers neat and professional.

For repetitive tasks like ranking lists, you can use Alt codes (for numbers like ¹, ², and ³) or manually apply the format for characters other than numbers. These formatting options help make the suffixes visually distinct from the main number, making your data clearer and more organized.

Here is a faster, VBA-based solution: You can apply a macro to superscript the second and third characters. The procedure is the same: paste the code into a new module. Let us see the code!

'Macro to convert text to rank without displaying input box
Sub TextToRank()
Dim i As Integer
For i = 2 To 3
ActiveCell.Characters(i, 1).Font.Superscript = True
Next i
'MessageBox (Optional)
MsgBox "You have converted the text to rank!"
End Sub

Example:

superscript-multiple-characters

Insert Equation

Before we take a deep dive into equations, bear the following restriction in mind: you will get the result (superscripted string) in a text box. A text box is an object, not a cell, with a value, so you cannot use formulas or calculations.

Go to the Insert Tab on the ribbon and select the Equation icon under the Symbols Group.

insert-tab-equation

Use the ‘Script’ drop-down menu and select superscript.

select-superscript

Add numbers to fill out the boxes.

enter-numbers

Note:

  • The Excel superscript formatting works with text.
  • Don’t use the shortcut on numbers because Excel will convert the data to a string, and you’ll lose cell format.
  • For numbers, use the ‘^’ math operator, like =3^2 = 9
  • Apply a shortcut for all repetitive tasks; it is worth using it!