WPS Superscript and Subscript lets you place selected characters above or below the text baseline in WPS Writer; this guide covers 5 core tasks, with 5 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 5 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 5 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | All listed tasks are available directly |
About This Feature
Overview
Superscript and Subscript is a text formatting feature in WPS Writer for macOS. It lets you display selected characters above or below the normal text baseline for layouts such as math expressions, chemical formulas, and footnote markers.
Core tasks include:
- Apply superscript directly from the Home tab for quick text formatting.
- Apply superscript from Text Properties for panel-based formatting control.
- Apply subscript directly from the Home tab for common notation.
- Apply subscript from Text Properties for detailed text adjustments.
- Remove superscript or subscript by using the same command again.
This feature is useful for academic writing, teaching materials, technical documents, and everyday document formatting when you need clearer notation for exponents, formulas, or reference marks.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | A Mac device that can run WPS Office for Mac normally |
| App version | It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office for Mac |
| Network | No mandatory network connection is required for local text formatting; internet access is needed for download, installation, and account-related actions |
| Other | You need to be able to open or create a Writer document and edit text content |
Download & Installation
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Installation | Download the Mac installer package and complete setup by following the on-screen instructions |
| Check after installation | Open WPS Writer, then confirm that the Superscript or Subscript entry is available on the Home tab |
Source: WPS Download Center
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | In WPS Writer, you can apply superscript or subscript from the Home tab or from the Text Properties panel, and use the same command again to remove the formatting. | Word supports superscript and subscript with ribbon buttons, keyboard shortcuts, and the Font dialog box. | Google Docs provides superscript and subscript shortcuts on desktop, making text formatting available through keyboard commands. | Notion supports superscript and subscript through inline equations using ^ and _, so the content is entered as equation text. | Acrobat lets you edit PDF text and apply superscript or subscript from text formatting options in the edit panel. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: WPS provides both direct toolbar access and a Text Properties path in the same document editing workflow, which fits both quick formatting and panel-based adjustment. | Compared with WPS: Word also offers multiple entry points and additionally documents keyboard shortcuts and the Font dialog box. | Compared with WPS: Google Docs clearly documents shortcuts, but its public guidance here focuses on shortcut-based formatting. | Compared with WPS: Notion is better suited to equation-style input than standard body-text formatting with document toolbar controls. | Compared with WPS: Acrobat focuses on PDF text editing rather than a general word-processing workspace. |
| Official Source | — | Format text as superscript or subscript in Word | Keyboard shortcuts for Google Docs | Math equations | Edit text in PDFs |
Overall Conclusion
If your main goal is to format superscript and subscript inside a word-processing document on macOS, WPS offers a clear path through both direct buttons and the Text Properties panel. Other products also support related formatting, but their workflows are more centered on shortcuts, equation input, or PDF editing depending on the product.
Use Cases
| No. | Scenario | Suitable for | Main issue | How this feature helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Entering math expressions | Students, teachers | Exponents and powers need clear formatting | Use superscript for exponent notation |
| 2 | Editing chemical formulas | Teachers, researchers | Chemical indices need accurate layout | Use subscript for formula indices |
| 3 | Managing footnote markers | Authors, editors | Reference numbers can look unclear in body text | Use superscript for footnote numbers |
| 4 | Formatting technical documents | Engineers, documentation writers | Variables and units need consistent notation | Use superscript or subscript for standardized formatting |
| 5 | Correcting existing formatting | General office users | Previously formatted text may need to return to normal | Use the same command again to remove superscript or subscript |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
| Capability | Free users | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Basic superscript and subscript formatting | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Basic PDF features | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| More PDF editing and conversion tools | Limited | ✅ More features available |
| Cloud storage | 1GB | 20GB |
| Template downloads | Limited | More benefits available |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Usage scenario | Recommended plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday document formatting, formulas, and footnotes | Free version | Basic superscript and subscript formatting is available directly |
| More PDF tools, cloud storage, or broader office benefits | WPS Premium | Suitable if you also need more advanced office features beyond text formatting |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership center: Subscribe now
Source: WPS Office pricing page