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How to Insert an Equation in Word

Tap a step to follow along in order.

  1. Open the Insert tab

    Go to the Insert tab on the ribbon.

  2. Click Equation in the Symbols group

    Clicking the equation icon shows a gallery of built-in equation examples along with a blank equation box.

  3. Pick a built-in template or build one from scratch

    Choose a common one like the quadratic formula, or use the Equation Tools tab to combine fractions, exponents, and radicals into a custom formula.

  4. Handwrite it with Ink Equation on a touchscreen

    Writing a formula by hand on a tablet or touchscreen lets Word recognize and convert it automatically.

  5. Why it is useful

    Math and science reports can include fractions, radicals, and exponents in a clean, accurate form instead of awkwardly approximating them with plain text.

No more faking fractions and exponents with plain text

Math and science reports often need fractions, radicals, and exponents that do not render properly when typed out as plain text with slashes and carets. Word's equation tool builds these as proper stacked, scaled math notation instead, so a formula looks the way it would in a printed textbook rather than an awkward text approximation.

Equations can also be typed directly with a keyboard shortcut

Pressing Alt and the equals sign together drops a blank equation box into the document without opening any menu, and once the cursor sits inside it, typing linear shorthand like \sqrt or x^2 followed by a space automatically converts it into proper mathematical notation, using the same math autocorrect shortcuts that work throughout Word's equation tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can the font size or typeface inside an equation be changed?

Yes -- with the equation selected, it can be resized like ordinary text, and the entire formula scales proportionally rather than distorting.

Can equations be numbered?

Yes -- tabbing to the right of the equation and typing a number like "(1)" manually works, or captions can be used to help manage equation numbering.