Squared Symbol (²) and Superscript Numbers: How to Type Them Anywhere

The squared symbol ² is a small raised 2 that means "multiplied by itself": 5² = 5 × 5 = 25, and m² is a square metre. To type it, hold Alt and press 0178 on the Windows numeric keypad, use Ctrl + Shift + = in Word or Ctrl + . in Google Docs to switch to superscript, long-press the 2 key on an Android keyboard, or write x^{2} in LaTeX. Cubed ³ is Alt + 0179, and the other superscript digits ⁰ ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹ can be copied from the list below.

This guide explains what the squared and cubed signs mean, the difference between a real superscript character and formatting, and how to type every superscript number on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, Google Docs, Word, Excel, HTML, and LaTeX.

Copy and Paste the Squared Symbol and Superscript Numbers

• ² — superscript two, squared (U+00B2)
• ³ — superscript three, cubed (U+00B3)
• ¹ — superscript one (U+00B9)
• ⁰ — superscript zero (U+2070)
• ⁴ ⁵ ⁶ ⁷ ⁸ ⁹ — superscript four to nine (U+2074 to U+2079)
• ⁺ ⁻ ⁼ ⁽ ⁾ — superscript plus, minus, equals, and parentheses (U+207A to U+207E)
• ⁿ — superscript Latin small letter n (U+207F)
• ⁱ — superscript Latin small letter i (U+2071)
• ° — degree sign, often mistaken for a superscript o (U+00B0)

The three most common digits, ¹ ² ³, live in the Latin-1 Supplement block, which is why they have Windows Alt codes and HTML entity names, while ⁰ and ⁴–⁹ were added later in the Superscripts and Subscripts block and need Unicode input methods.

What the Squared Symbol Means

An exponent tells you how many times to use the base as a factor. The small 2 in x² is the exponent, x is the base, and the whole thing is read "x squared" because a square with side x has area x². Cubed follows the same logic: x³ is x × x × x, the volume of a cube with side x. Beyond 3 there is no shape name, so x⁴ is simply "x to the fourth."

Squares appear everywhere:

• Area and units: a 3 m by 4 m room has an area of 12 m²; a cubic metre is m³, and speed of light squared appears in E = mc².
• The Pythagorean theorem: a² + b² = c² relates the sides of a right triangle.
• Statistics: variance is written σ² and the coefficient of determination is R².
• Square roots undo squares: √25 = 5 because 5² = 25, which is why the square root sign is covered alongside this one at https://www.useoctree.com/blog/square-root-symbol-meaning-how-to-type.

A negative exponent means a reciprocal (x⁻² = 1/x²), a fractional exponent means a root (x^½ = √x), and x⁰ = 1 for every nonzero x.

Superscript Characters Versus Superscript Formatting

There are two ways to get a small raised 2. A superscript character such as ² is its own Unicode code point; it survives copy and paste into a plain-text field, a filename, a tweet, or a spreadsheet cell, and it is the right choice for m² in a unit label. Superscript formatting takes an ordinary 2 and raises it with a style, which is what Word, Google Docs, and HTML's <sup> tag do; it looks better in running text, works for any character, and is what an equation editor produces, but it disappears the moment the text is pasted somewhere that does not keep formatting. In mathematics, formatting (or LaTeX, which is formatting by another name) is the only sensible choice, because exponents can be expressions like x^(n+1) that no precomposed character can represent.

How to Type the Squared Symbol

Windows: Hold Alt and type 0178 on the numeric keypad for ², 0179 for ³, and 0185 for ¹. The three-digit code Alt + 253 also produces ² because it comes from the older code page 437. The other superscript digits have no Alt code; in Word, type the hex value (for example 2074 for ⁴) and press Alt + X. Laptops without a numeric keypad can use the Windows emoji panel (Windows key + .) and its Symbols tab, where ² sits under Latin symbols.

Word: Ctrl + Shift + = toggles superscript formatting, so type x, press the shortcut, type 2, and press it again. Word's AutoCorrect also replaces a typed ^2 with a superscript in some configurations, and the equation editor (Alt + =) understands x^2 directly. Ctrl + = is the matching subscript shortcut.

Google Docs: Press Ctrl + . (period) to turn superscript on and off; Cmd + . on a Mac. Alternatively, Insert → Special characters and search "superscript two". Google Docs's Format → Text → Superscript menu does the same thing. Ctrl + , handles subscripts.

Mac: macOS has no Option-key shortcut for ² on the US keyboard. Open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search "superscript", or set a text replacement in System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements so that typing ^2 expands to ². In Pages, Cmd + Control + = raises selected text to superscript, and in Word for Mac the shortcut is Cmd + Shift + =.

iPhone and iPad: The iOS keyboard has no superscript digits, and long-pressing 2 offers nothing. Copy ² from this page, or go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement and map ^2 to ². Pages and Numbers on iOS offer superscript under the formatting brush.

Android: On Gboard, switch to the number keyboard and long-press 2; the pop-up includes ². The same works for 3 and, on recent versions, every digit from 0 to 9. Samsung Keyboard offers the same long-press pop-ups.

Excel: For a label such as m², type m and then =UNICHAR(178) in a formula, or use ="m"&UNICHAR(178). For formatting, select the 2 in the formula bar, open Format Cells (Ctrl + 1), and tick Superscript under Font. Note that Excel's own exponent operator is the caret: =5^2 returns 25.

HTML and CSS: Use the ² and ³ entities for the characters, or wrap any text in <sup>...</sup> for formatting, which is what MathML and most web math renderers fall back to. A vertical-align: super; font-size: smaller style reproduces the effect by hand.

Squared and Superscripts in LaTeX

In math mode the caret raises whatever follows it: x^2 works for a single character, but braces are the habit to form, because x^{10} and x^{n+1} need them (x^10 would typeset as x¹ followed by 0). In text mode the caret is an error, so a unit in a sentence is written either as m\textsuperscript{2} or by dropping briefly into math, m$^2$. The degree sign is a superscript circle, 90^{\circ}, and the siunitx package handles units with exponents in a way that keeps spacing and fonts consistent: \unit{\metre\squared} prints m², \qty{12}{\metre\squared} prints 12 m², and \qty{3}{\metre\cubed} prints 3 m³. Older documents use \si{...} and \SI{...}{...}, which siunitx still accepts.

1\documentclass{article}
2\usepackage{amsmath}
3\usepackage{siunitx}
4\begin{document}
5Math mode: $x^{2}$, $x^{3}$, $x^{10}$, $x^{n+1}$, $e^{-x^{2}}$,
6$a^{2} + b^{2} = c^{2}$, and $E = mc^{2}$.
7
8Text mode: an area of 12\,m\textsuperscript{2}, or 12\,m$^2$, at $90^{\circ}$.
9
10Units with siunitx: \qty{12}{\metre\squared}, \qty{3}{\metre\cubed},
11\qty{9.81}{\metre\per\second\squared}, and \unit{\kilo\gram\per\metre\cubed}.
12\end{document}
Copy

\textsuperscript is a kernel command and needs no package. For the full story of raising and lowering text, including nested indices and the \sb/\sp aliases, see https://www.useoctree.com/learn/subscripts-superscripts, and for math mode in general see https://www.useoctree.com/learn/mathematical-expressions.

Related Symbols

Subscript digits ₀–₉ (U+2080 to U+2089) are the mirror image of the superscripts and are typed the same way, with _ in place of ^ in LaTeX and Ctrl + = in place of Ctrl + Shift + = in Word. The degree sign has its own guide at https://www.useoctree.com/blog/degree-symbol-how-to-type.

FAQ

How do I type the squared symbol on a keyboard?

On Windows hold Alt and type 0178 on the numeric keypad. In Word press Ctrl + Shift + = and type 2. In Google Docs press Ctrl + . and type 2. On Android long-press the 2 key. On a Mac or iPhone, copy ² or set up a text replacement. In LaTeX write x^{2}.

What does ² mean?

The small raised 2 is an exponent meaning "multiplied by itself": 7² = 7 × 7 = 49. In a unit it marks a square measure, so m² is a square metre and km² a square kilometre.

Is there an Alt code for cubed?

Yes: Alt + 0179 produces ³ on Windows. Alt + 0185 gives ¹ and Alt + 0178 gives ². There are no Alt codes for ⁴ to ⁹; use Word's Alt + X with the hex codes 2074 to 2079, or copy them.

How do I write x squared in LaTeX?

In math mode write x^{2}; the braces are optional for a single digit but required for anything longer, such as x^{10}. Outside math, use \textsuperscript{2} or wrap the exponent in dollar signs: m$^2$.

How do I type a superscript on an iPhone?

The default keyboard cannot do it. Paste ² or ³ from this page, or add a text replacement in Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement so that typing a shortcut such as ^2 inserts ². Apps like Pages and Notes also offer superscript in their formatting menus.

Writing Exponents Cleanly in Your Documents

Use the precomposed ² and ³ for units in plain text, formatting for prose in a word processor, and x^{2} for anything mathematical. Octree, the AI LaTeX editor at https://www.useoctree.com, autocompletes exponents, braces, and siunitx units as you type and compiles instantly, so squares, cubes, and square metres always come out right.