Superscript Two
U+00B2Latin-1 Supplement
Also known as squaredsuperscript 2small 2
Copy and paste ². The Superscript Two character has Unicode code point U+00B2 and decimal HTML code ².
Symbol codes
- Unicode
U+00B2- Alt Code
Alt+0178- HTML Code
²- CSS Code
\B2- HTML Entity
²- HEX Code
²
Technical properties
Unicode 18.0.0
- Code point
- U+00B2
- Decimal
- 178
- Unicode name
- SUPERSCRIPT TWO
- Block
- Latin-1 Supplement · U+0080–U+00FF
- General category
- Other Number (No)
- Script
- Common
- Introduced
- Unicode 1.1
- JavaScript
- "\u00B2"
Appears in
About Superscript Two
Superscript two is a raised form of the digit 2 used when plain text needs a compact exponent, footnote marker, or identifier.
² is encoded in Unicode as code point U+00B2 (decimal 178). Its official Unicode name is SUPERSCRIPT TWO.
It belongs to the Latin-1 Supplement block (U+0080–U+00FF), its General Category is Other Number (No), and it was added in Unicode 1.1, released in 1993. Its script value is Common: it is shared across writing systems rather than belonging to one.
Common uses
- Writing a squared value in plain text
- Marking a second footnote or reference
Examples
- Squared unit
- m²Square meters
- Exponent
- x²x squared
Sources: Unicode Character Database 18.0.0, the HTML Standard’s list of named character references, and Unicode’s code page mappings.
How to type or insert Superscript Two
- Any device
- Select Copy symbol, then paste with Ctrl+V, or ⌘+V on a Mac.
- Windows Alt code
- With Num Lock on, hold Alt, type 0178 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt.
- Microsoft Word
- Type
00B2, then press Alt+X. - macOS Character Viewer
- Press Control+⌘+Space and search for “superscript two”.
- Linux (GTK and IBus)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type
00b2, then press Space. - HTML
²or². In a UTF-8 page you can also paste the character itself.- CSS
content: "\B2";in a::beforeor::afterrule.- JavaScript
"\u00B2"
Common questions about Superscript Two
What is the Superscript Two symbol?
Superscript two is a raised form of the digit 2 used when plain text needs a compact exponent, footnote marker, or identifier. In Unicode it is U+00B2, officially named SUPERSCRIPT TWO. It is also known as squared, superscript 2, and small 2.
How do I type m² for square meters?
Type m, then add the superscript two: copy ² from this page, or on Windows hold Alt and type 0178 on the numeric keypad. On a Mac, open the Character Viewer with Control+⌘+Space and search for “superscript two”.
How do I copy and paste the Superscript Two symbol?
Select Copy symbol at the top of this page, then paste with Ctrl+V on Windows and Linux or ⌘+V on a Mac. On a phone, tap Copy symbol, then touch and hold where you want it and choose Paste. ² pastes as ordinary text, so it works in documents, messages, and code.
How do I type the Superscript Two symbol on Windows?
Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, type 0178 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. In Microsoft Word, type 00B2 and press Alt+X to turn the code into ². In any app, open Character Map from the Start menu, search for “superscript two”, then select and copy the character.
How do I type the Superscript Two symbol on a Mac?
Press Control+⌘+Space to open the Character Viewer, search for “superscript two”, and double-click the result to insert it.
How do I type the Superscript Two symbol on an iPhone or Android phone?
The simplest way is to copy it from this page and paste it where you need it. If you use it often, save it as a text shortcut: on iPhone, go to Settings > General > Keyboard > Text Replacement; with Gboard on Android, go to Gboard settings > Dictionary > Personal dictionary.
Can I use the Superscript Two symbol in Word, Google Docs, and social media?
Yes. ² is a standard Unicode character, so you can paste it into Microsoft Word, Google Docs, emails, and posts or bios on Instagram, X, Facebook, and TikTok. In Google Docs you can also choose Insert > Special characters and search for “superscript two”. In Word, choose Insert > Symbol > More Symbols, set from to Unicode (hex), and enter 00B2 as the character code.
Is the Superscript Two symbol an emoji?
No. ² is a text symbol, not an emoji. It takes the color and size of the surrounding text, and its exact shape depends on the font.
Why does the Superscript Two symbol show as a box or question mark?
An empty box or a question mark means the font on that device has no glyph for ². The character is still there: it appears correctly wherever a font covers Unicode’s Latin-1 Supplement block, and free font families such as Google Noto cover nearly all of Unicode.
What are the HTML and CSS codes for the Superscript Two symbol?
In HTML, write ² (decimal) or ² (hexadecimal), or the named entity ². In CSS, use content: "\B2"; in a ::before or ::after rule, and in JavaScript "\u00B2". See all HTML codes.