How to Type a Squared Symbol
The squared symbol (²) is essential for mathematical expressions, area measurements (m²), and exponents. Here's how to type the superscript 2 on every platform.
Last reviewed on October 3, 2026.
Quick Reference
Windows
Hold Alt and type 0178 on the numeric keypad.
Alt + 0178
Mac
Press Ctrl + Cmd + Space, search for "superscript 2" or use Character Viewer.
Character Viewer → Search "superscript"
Linux
Press Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00B2, press Enter.
Ctrl + Shift + U, 00B2, Enter
HTML
Use the HTML entity ² or numeric ².
² or ²
Common Uses
The squared symbol is widely used in mathematics, science, and everyday measurements. It indicates that a number is raised to the power of two, or that a unit is two-dimensional.
- Area measurements: 100 m², 500 ft², 25 km²
- Mathematical expressions: x², a² + b² = c² (Pythagorean theorem)
- Physics formulas: E = mc² (Einstein's equation)
- Real estate: Apartment size is 850 ft²
- Statistics: R² value, chi-squared test
Alternative Methods
Microsoft Word: Type the number 2, select it, then press Ctrl + Shift + = to make it superscript.
Google Docs: Type the number 2, select it, then go to Format → Text → Superscript (or use Ctrl + .).
Copy and paste: Select and copy this: ²
More Ways to Type ²
- Windows (OEM code):
Alt + 253also gives ² in most apps. Cubed ³ isAlt + 0179, superscript one ¹ isAlt + 0185. - Microsoft Word:
00B2then Alt + X inserts the real ² character (better than formatting a normal 2 as superscript when the text will be copied elsewhere). - Mac Text Replacement: System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements → add
^2→ ² and^3→ ³. - Android (Gboard): on the symbols keyboard, long-press 2 for ² (and 3 for ³).
- Excel / Google Sheets: use
=A1^2to calculate a square. For a label like m², type the ² character or use="m"&UNICHAR(178).
Superscript Number Characters
Only a handful of digits have dedicated superscript characters, and they come from two different Unicode blocks — which is why ¹ ² ³ sometimes look slightly different from the others in the same font.
| Char | Unicode | Char | Unicode |
|---|---|---|---|
| ⁰ | U+2070 | ⁵ | U+2075 |
| ¹ | U+00B9 | ⁶ | U+2076 |
| ² | U+00B2 | ⁷ | U+2077 |
| ³ | U+00B3 | ⁸ | U+2078 |
| ⁴ | U+2074 | ⁹ | U+2079 |
| ⁺ ⁻ | U+207A / U+207B | ⁿ | U+207F |
On web pages, <sup>2</sup> is the semantic choice for exponents in running text; the ² character is convenient for units such as m² and km².
Technical Details
Unicode: U+00B2
HTML Entity: ²
HTML Decimal: ²
Alt Code (Windows): Alt + 0178
Name: SUPERSCRIPT TWO