Ever been halfway through typing a chemical equation or a complex math problem in Google Docs and just... hit a wall? You're trying to write $H_2O$, but it keeps looking like H2O. It's frustrating. Honestly, Google doesn't make it as obvious as it should be, especially compared to the big "B" for bold or "I" for italics sitting right there on the toolbar. If you're looking for how to type a subscript in Google Docs, you've probably realized by now that there isn't a dedicated button staring you in the face.
Most people just give up and leave the numbers full-sized. Don't be that person. Whether you’re a student finishing a lab report or a researcher drafting a paper, getting your formatting right matters for readability. It’s about more than just looking "professional"—it's about being technically accurate.
The fastest way to get it done
Keyboard shortcuts are your best friend here. If you remember nothing else from this, remember this specific combo. On a PC, you're going to want to hold down Ctrl and the Comma key (Ctrl + ,) at the same time. If you’re on a Mac, it’s Command and the Comma key (Cmd + ,).
That’s it.
Highlight the text you want to shrink, hit those keys, and it drops down. To go back to normal typing, you just hit the same shortcut again. It’s a toggle. I’ve seen people try to highlight the text, right-click, search through menus—it takes forever. Just use the keys. It’s faster, and it makes you look like you actually know your way around a keyboard.
Using the menu (if you hate shortcuts)
Maybe you’re not a "shortcut person." Maybe your brain is already full of other more important things, and you can't be bothered to memorize another key combination. That’s fine. You can still do this through the top navigation bar, though it takes a few more clicks.
First, highlight the character or number you want to transform. Head up to the Format menu at the very top of your screen. Hover over Text, and a side menu will pop out. Down near the bottom of that list, right under "Superscript," you’ll find Subscript. Click it.
The downside? You have to do this every single time if you aren't doing it all at once. If you’re writing a long document with dozens of chemical formulas, this menu-diving will drive you absolutely insane. My advice is to write the whole document first with regular numbers, then go back, hold down the Ctrl (or Cmd) key, highlight every single number that needs to be a subscript, and then hit the shortcut once. It applies the formatting to everything you’ve selected simultaneously.
The special characters trick for math and science
Sometimes, you aren't just trying to make a number small; you're looking for a specific symbol that doesn't exist on your keyboard. Or maybe you want a subscript that stays a subscript even if you copy-paste it into a plain text editor that doesn't support Google Docs formatting.
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In this case, go to Insert and then Special Characters.
A little box pops up. You can actually draw the symbol you want in the box, which is kinda cool, but usually, it's easier to just type "subscript" into the search bar on the right. This will show you a list of "Unicode" subscript characters. These are different from the formatting trick we talked about earlier. These are actual unique characters in the Unicode standard.
- Pros: They stay small even if you paste them into a basic Notepad file or a Discord message.
- Cons: The selection is limited. You’ll find numbers and some letters, but you won't find the entire alphabet in subscript form this way.
Why does Google hide this?
It’s a design choice, likely because Google Docs is built for the "average" user. Most people are writing resumes, letters, or school essays that don't require fancy notation. Adding more buttons to the main toolbar would "clutter" the UI. While Microsoft Word has a visible $X_2$ button right there in the Home tab, Google prefers a minimalist look.
Interestingly, Google’s mobile app is even more hidden. If you’re on an iPhone or Android, you have to tap the "A" icon with the little lines next to it (the formatting icon) at the top of the screen. Then you have to tap the "Text" tab and scroll down to find the subscript symbol. It’s buried. It feels like an afterthought, which is weird considering how many people use Docs for STEM subjects.
Common mistakes and "Ghost" formatting
Have you ever turned on subscript, typed your number, and then realized everything you typed afterward is also tiny? This is the "Ghost Formatting" trap.
It happens because you haven't "closed" the subscript command. Because it's a toggle, Google Docs assumes you want to stay in that mode until you tell it otherwise. If you find yourself stuck in "tiny text mode," just hit Ctrl + , again.
Another common mess-up happens with line spacing. Sometimes, when you add a subscript, Google Docs thinks the line needs more room and creates a weird, uneven gap between the line you're on and the one below it. To fix this, you usually have to go into Format > Line & paragraph spacing and set it to a fixed "Custom spacing" rather than "Single" or "1.15." This forces the lines to stay even regardless of what's happening with your subscripts.
When to use Subscript vs. Superscript
Just a quick sanity check, because people mix these up constantly.
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Subscript is the one that goes below the line. Think "Submarine" (underwater). You use this for:
- Chemical formulas (like $CO_2$ or $C_6H_{12}O_6$)
- Mathematical bases (like $log_{10}$)
- Variable indicators in physics ($v_i$ for initial velocity)
Superscript is the one that goes above the line. Think "Superman" (flying). You use this for:
- Exponents ($x^2$)
- Ordinal numbers ($1^{st}$, $2^{nd}$)
- Footnote citations in academic papers
Dealing with Equations
If you're doing heavy-duty math, don't use the standard subscript formatting. Use the Equation Editor.
Go to Insert > Equation. A new bar appears. When you want a subscript, you can type an underscore _ and then the character. Docs will automatically snap it into a subscript position within the equation box. This looks much cleaner and follows standard typesetting rules (like LaTeX) which makes your math look like it actually belongs in a textbook rather than a grocery list.
Making it stick
If you find yourself using subscripts constantly for a specific project, you might want to look into "Auto-substitutions."
You can set it up so that every time you type something like "(h2o)", Google Docs automatically replaces it with $H_2O$ with the proper subscript.
- Go to Tools.
- Click Preferences.
- Go to the Substitutions tab.
- Put your shortcut (like
h2o) in the "Replace" box and the formatted version in the "With" box.
Wait—there's a catch. You can't actually paste formatted subscript text into that "With" box easily. You have to copy a Unicode subscript character from a site like fsymbols or the "Special Characters" menu we talked about earlier. It’s a bit of a workaround, but for words you type a thousand times, it’s a lifesaver.
Actionable Next Steps
To master this and save yourself hours of frustration, start by auditing your current document. Instead of formatting as you go, which breaks your "flow state," try this workflow:
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- Draft in plain text: Type your formulas normally ($H2O$, $CO2$, $X2$).
- Batch highlight: Once you're done with a section, hold the Ctrl (PC) or Cmd (Mac) key.
- Select all targets: Use your mouse to highlight only the "2"s and "10"s or whatever needs to be lowered.
- Execute the shortcut: Press Ctrl + , once.
By applying the formatting in one "sweep," you avoid the toggle-on-toggle-off headache that slows down most writers. If you're on mobile, stick to the formatting menu (the "A" icon) and try to do your heavy editing on a desktop later, as the mobile app is objectively clunkier for technical formatting.
Check your line spacing after you're done. If the paragraphs look "jumpy" or uneven, go to Format > Line & paragraph spacing > Custom spacing and set it to a consistent value like 1.15 or 1.5 to keep the document looking clean.