Subscript Generator
Lower text below the line with real subscript characters: chemical formulas like H₂O and SO₄²⁻, indexed variables like x₁ and aₙ, and logarithms like log₂. Chemical formula mode lowers every count and raises charges, so you can type a formula the way you would on a keyboard.
Unicode subscripts cover all ten digits, + − = ( ) and just 17 lowercase letters: a e h i j k l m n o p r s t u v x. There are no subscript capitals and no b, c, d, f, g, q, w, y or z. The tool tells you when your text needs one of those, rather than filling the gap with a Greek lookalike.
Need raised text instead? Try the superscript generator
Every Subscript Character
What plain subscript mode does to each letter, digit and symbol, generated from the same table the tool uses. Unicode has no subscript capitals, so capitals use the small-letter form where one exists.
Lowercase letters (17 of 26 have a form of their own)
- aₐU+2090
- bnoneNo form, left as typed
- cnoneNo form, left as typed
- dnoneNo form, left as typed
- eₑU+2091
- fnoneNo form, left as typed
- gnoneNo form, left as typed
- hₕU+2095
- iᵢU+1D62
- jⱼU+2C7C
- kₖU+2096
- lₗU+2097
- mₘU+2098
- nₙU+2099
- oₒU+2092
- pₚU+209A
- qnoneNo form, left as typed
- rᵣU+1D63
- sₛU+209B
- tₜU+209C
- uᵤU+1D64
- vᵥU+1D65
- wnoneNo form, left as typed
- xₓU+2093
- ynoneNo form, left as typed
- znoneNo form, left as typed
Capital letters (0 of 26 have a form of their own)
- AₐU+2090Small-letter form
- BnoneNo form, left as typed
- CnoneNo form, left as typed
- DnoneNo form, left as typed
- EₑU+2091Small-letter form
- FnoneNo form, left as typed
- GnoneNo form, left as typed
- HₕU+2095Small-letter form
- IᵢU+1D62Small-letter form
- JⱼU+2C7CSmall-letter form
- KₖU+2096Small-letter form
- LₗU+2097Small-letter form
- MₘU+2098Small-letter form
- NₙU+2099Small-letter form
- OₒU+2092Small-letter form
- PₚU+209ASmall-letter form
- QnoneNo form, left as typed
- RᵣU+1D63Small-letter form
- SₛU+209BSmall-letter form
- TₜU+209CSmall-letter form
- UᵤU+1D64Small-letter form
- VᵥU+1D65Small-letter form
- WnoneNo form, left as typed
- XₓU+2093Small-letter form
- YnoneNo form, left as typed
- ZnoneNo form, left as typed
Digits and math symbols (15 of 15 have a form of their own)
- 0₀U+2080
- 1₁U+2081
- 2₂U+2082
- 3₃U+2083
- 4₄U+2084
- 5₅U+2085
- 6₆U+2086
- 7₇U+2087
- 8₈U+2088
- 9₉U+2089
- +₊U+208A
- -₋U+208B
- =₌U+208C
- (₍U+208D
- )₎U+208E
Subscript Examples
Rows marked chemical formula or math notation use those modes. Every output is produced by the tool itself.
| Input | Output | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
| small text | ₛₘₐₗₗ ₜₑₓₜ | Every letter here has a subscript form, so the whole phrase drops below the line. |
| a1 + a2 + an | ₐ₁ ₊ ₐ₂ ₊ ₐₙ | Digits, plus and the letter n all have subscript forms. |
| tiny text | ₜᵢₙy ₜₑₓₜ | y has no subscript form, so it stays full size and the tool says so. |
| H2SO4 | H₂SO₄ | Chemical formula mode lowers each count and leaves element symbols full size. |
| SO4^2- | SO₄²⁻ | A charge after ^ is raised, so ions come out right. |
| 2H2 + O2 -> 2H2O | 2H₂ + O₂ -> 2H₂O | Leading coefficients stay full size because they follow no element. |
| Ca(OH)2 | Ca(OH)₂ | A count after a closing bracket applies to the whole group. |
| log_2 x and x_{n+1} | log₂ x and xₙ₊₁ | Math notation lowers only what follows _, including braced groups. |
| x_b | x_b | b has no subscript, so _b is left as typed rather than half converted. |
| HELLO | ₕₑₗₗₒ | There are no subscript capitals. Plain mode uses small-letter forms where they exist and reports it. |
How Subscript Text Works
Subscripts are separate Unicode characters, encoded mostly for chemistry, maths and phonetic notation.
Where subscripts come from
The digits, + − = ( ) and ₐ ₑ ₒ ₓ ₕ ₖ ₗ ₘ ₙ ₚ ₛ ₜ sit in the Superscripts and Subscripts block, ᵢ ᵣ ᵤ ᵥ in Phonetic Extensions, and ⱼ in Latin Extended-C. Unicode defines each as the subscript form of the ordinary character.
Chemical formula mode
Digits that follow a letter or a closing bracket become subscript counts. Whatever follows ^, a charge such as 2- or + or a mass number such as 14, is raised. Coefficients at the start of a term stay full size.
Math notation mode
Put _ before what should be lowered, as in x_1, a_n or x_{n+1}, and ^ before what should be raised. Braces around a group are dropped. A group with any character that has no subscript form is left exactly as typed.
No lookalikes
Some generators use Greek ᵦ for b or ᵧ for y. Those are different letters, and in science they mean different things, so this tool leaves b and y as typed and tells you.
Subscript Against the Other Small Styles
The same text lowered, raised and in small caps, so you can see which small style you need.
Shared input: tiny text 2
| Transformation | Result | Reach for it when |
|---|---|---|
| Superscript | ᵗⁱⁿʸ ᵗᵉˣᵗ ² | Exponents, footnote marks and raised tiny text. |
| Subscript | ₜᵢₙy ₜₑₓₜ ₂ | Chemical formulas, indices and lowered tiny text. |
| Small caps | ᴛɪɴʏ ᴛᴇxᴛ 2 | Tiny text that stays readable across a whole line. |
Subscript Caveats
Subscript has the smallest coverage of any Unicode style, which shapes how you can use it.
Only 17 letters
Words with b, c, d, f, g, q, w, y or z cannot be fully lowered. For variable names, stick to letters that exist, such as i, j, k, n, m and x.
No capitals at all
Plain mode uses the small-letter subscript for a capital where one exists (H becomes ₕ) and reports it. In a formula you rarely want that, which is why chemical formula mode never lowers letters.
Uneven sizes
Some fonts draw ᵢ ᵣ ᵤ ᵥ smaller or higher than ₐ ₑ ₒ ₓ, because they come from a different block. A whole subscript word can look uneven.
Screen readers and search
Screen readers read subscripts by their Unicode names or skip them, and “H₂O” is a different string from “H2O”, so search will not match one to the other.
Where Subscript Text Works
Subscript characters are plain text, so they work anywhere text goes. Whether you should use them depends on the app.
Word, Google Docs and LaTeX
Documents have real subscript formatting (Ctrl+= in Word on Windows) and LaTeX has _, which stay searchable and accessible. Unicode subscripts are for places with no formatting.
Chat and social posts
Messages, captions and comments have no formatting, so Unicode is the way to write CO₂ or x₁ there.
Spreadsheets
Cells hold subscripts as text. That is fine for a label such as CO₂, but a formula cannot read ₂ as the number 2.
Online quizzes and homework forms
Forms that check answers automatically may compare against plain “H2O”. Use subscripts for presentation, and plain text where an answer is marked by a computer.
What Subscript Is Used For
Chemical formulas
H₂O, CO₂, C₆H₁₂O₆ and ions such as NH₄⁺ in notes, messages and slides.
Indexed variables
x₁, x₂, aₙ and xᵢ in plain-text maths, code comments and forum posts.
Logarithm bases
log₂ and log₁₀ without needing an equation editor.
Tiny text
Low ₛₘₐₗₗ letters for a quiet line in a bio, as long as the words avoid the missing letters.
Frequently Asked Questions
Choose chemical formula mode and type H2O. The 2 follows a letter, so it is lowered and the H and O stay full size. You can also copy ₂ (U+2082) directly.
Unicode has no subscript form for those letters. The tool leaves them as typed and names them in the note under the output, instead of using a lookalike from another alphabet.
Unicode never encoded any. In plain mode a capital uses its small-letter subscript where one exists and the tool tells you. Chemical formula mode does not lower letters at all, so element symbols stay correct.
In chemical formula mode, put the charge after ^: SO4^2- becomes SO₄²⁻ and Na^+ becomes Na⁺.
No. Unicode has one level of subscript characters and nothing smaller, so nested indices need a real equation editor.
No. Spreadsheets treat them as text. Use them in labels and headings, not in calculations.
Only partly. Screen readers read subscripts by their Unicode names or skip them. For documents, use real subscript formatting.
No. The conversion runs in your browser and nothing is sent anywhere.
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