The complete reference for all 40+ Unicode subscript characters — digits, letters, operators,
and phonetic extensions. Every character listed with its Unicode code point, block, and one-click copy.
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About This Reference
The Unicode Subscript Character Set — Explained
Unicode's subscript characters are concentrated in the Superscripts and Subscripts block (U+2070–U+209F).
This block was specifically designed to provide plain-text alternatives to HTML <sub>
formatting — glyphs that appear below the baseline without requiring any markup or rich text
environment.
The block contains 10 subscript digits (₀–₉,
U+2080–U+2089), 5 arithmetic operators (₊ ₋ ₌ ₍
₎, U+208A–U+208E), and 13 Latin letters
(ₐₑₒₓₔₕₖₗₘₙₚₛₜ, U+2090–U+209C). Additional subscript-height letters exist in the Phonetic Extensions
block (U+1D00–U+1DBF) and Modifier Letter blocks, primarily for International Phonetic Alphabet
(IPA) use.
A critical point for users: the full 26-letter Latin
subscript alphabet does not exist in Unicode. Only 14 letters have dedicated subscript
code points. For full-alphabet small text rendering, Unicode small caps characters (from the
Phonetic Extensions block) are the practical alternative — they cover the full alphabet and appear
in a reduced style, though not technically "below the baseline" like true subscript.
Complete Reference
All Unicode Subscript Characters — Full Table
Every subscript character in the Superscripts and Subscripts block (U+2070–U+209F) with Unicode name
and copy button.
Character
Unicode
Unicode Name
Category
Common Use
Copy
₀
U+2080
Subscript Zero
Digit
Atomic number notation, base subscripts (log₂)
₁
U+2081
Subscript One
Digit
Sequence indexing (x₁, a₁), ionic formulas
₂
U+2082
Subscript Two
Digit
H₂O, CO₂ — most common subscript digit
₃
U+2083
Subscript Three
Digit
NH₃, Fe₂O₃ chemical formulas
₄
U+2084
Subscript Four
Digit
H₂SO₄, CH₄ (methane) formulas
₅
U+2085
Subscript Five
Digit
C₂H₅OH (ethanol) formulas
₆
U+2086
Subscript Six
Digit
C₆H₁₂O₆ (glucose), ring structures
₇
U+2087
Subscript Seven
Digit
Phosphate groups, complex polyatomic ions
₈
U+2088
Subscript Eight
Digit
S₈ (sulfur ring), complex organic formulas
₉
U+2089
Subscript Nine
Digit
Large ring structures, polymer notation
₊
U+208A
Subscript Plus Sign
Operator
Ionic notation (Ca₊₂), thermodynamic subscripts
₋
U+208B
Subscript Minus
Operator
Negative ion subscripts, electrochemical notation
₌
U+208C
Subscript Equals Sign
Operator
Mathematical subscript equations
₍
U+208D
Subscript Left Parenthesis
Bracket
Grouping in subscript expressions
₎
U+208E
Subscript Right Parenthesis
Bracket
Grouping in subscript expressions
ₐ
U+2090
Latin Subscript Small Letter A
Letter
Mathematical variable subscripts (aₖ)
ₑ
U+2091
Latin Subscript Small Letter E
Letter
Euler's number subscripts, base-e notation
ₒ
U+2092
Latin Subscript Small Letter O
Letter
Ordering subscripts, phonetic notation
ₓ
U+2093
Latin Subscript Small Letter X
Letter
Variable subscripts (xₓ), phonetics
ₕ
U+2095
Latin Subscript Small Letter H
Letter
Enthalpy subscripts (ΔHₕ), phonetics
ₖ
U+2096
Latin Subscript Small Letter K
Letter
Index variable subscripts (aₖ), rate constants
ₗ
U+2097
Latin Subscript Small Letter L
Letter
Liquid phase notation (H₂O₍ₗ₎), length subscripts
ₘ
U+2098
Latin Subscript Small Letter M
Letter
Molar subscripts, mass subscripts in physics
ₙ
U+2099
Latin Subscript Small Letter N
Letter
Index notation (aₙ), polymer chain length
ₚ
U+209A
Latin Subscript Small Letter P
Letter
Pressure subscripts, phonetic notation
ₛ
U+209B
Latin Subscript Small Letter S
Letter
Solid phase notation (CO₂₍ₛ₎), entropy subscripts
ₜ
U+209C
Latin Subscript Small Letter T
Letter
Time subscripts, temperature subscripts
How To Use
How to Use Unicode Subscript Characters
1
Click to Copy Individual Characters
Click any character in the Quick Copy grid or the table Copy buttons above. The character is
instantly copied to your clipboard. Paste it anywhere — Google Docs, Instagram, Discord, email —
with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V.
2
Use the Generator for Full Text
For converting complete formulas (H2SO4, CO2, C6H12O6), use our Subscript Generator. It converts all digits and available
letters in one step. Type your text, copy the output, paste anywhere.
3
Note Character Availability
Only subscribe digits (0–9), 5 operators, and 14 letters have Unicode subscript equivalents. If
your formula needs a letter not in the list (like b, c, d), use a visually similar alternative
or the full Subscript Generator which handles unavailable
characters gracefully.
⚡ Pro Tip
For chemistry: you only ever need subscript digits (₀–₉). Element symbols (H, C, O, N, Fe, etc.) stay
as regular uppercase letters — subscript notation in molecular formulas only applies to the atom
count numbers. The 14 subscript letters are primarily used in mathematics (variable indexes like aₙ,
xₖ) and phonetics.
Applications
Where These Characters Are Used
⚗️
Chemistry (Digits ₀–₉)
The subscript digits cover all chemistry formula needs. H₂O, CO₂, H₂SO₄, NaCl, C₆H₁₂O₆ — every
molecular formula uses only subscript digits for atom counts. No subscript letters needed for
standard chemical notation.
∑
Mathematics (Letters ₐₑₙₖ…)
Subscript letters are used in mathematical sequences (aₙ, xₖ, bₘ), index notation, and formal
mathematical writing. The available set (ₐₑₒₓₕₖₗₘₙₚₛₜ) covers the most common mathematical
variable subscripts.
🔊
Phonetics (IPA Notation)
Several subscript characters (ₐ, ₑ, ₒ) are used in the International Phonetic Alphabet for
phonetic transcription. Linguists and language teachers use these in plain text to annotate
pronunciation without requiring specialized IPA keyboards.
🖩
Mathematics Operators (₊₋₌)
The subscript arithmetic operators (₊ ₋ ₌ ₍ ₎) allow mathematical expressions to be written
entirely in subscript position in plain text — useful in technical documentation, README files,
and plain-text notation systems.
FAQ
Frequently Asked Questions
Unicode contains approximately 40+ dedicated subscript characters. The primary block
(U+2070–U+209F) includes 10 digits, 5 operators, and 13 Latin letters. Additional
subscript-positioned letters appear in Phonetic Extension blocks. The full 26-letter
subscript alphabet is not available.
Subscript 2 is Unicode U+2082, named 'Subscript Two', in the Superscripts and Subscripts
block (U+2070–U+209F). UTF-8 encoding: E2 82 82. Most commonly used in H₂O and CO₂ chemistry
formulas.
Subscript letters span multiple blocks. Superscripts and Subscripts (U+2070–U+209F) has ₐ ₑ ₒ
ₓ ₔ ₕ ₖ ₗ ₘ ₙ ₚ ₛ ₜ. Additional letters are in Phonetic Extensions (U+1D00–U+1DBF). No
single block has a complete subscript alphabet.
Yes. Unicode subscript digits (₀–₉) are standard UTF-8 characters that display in any modern
email client — Gmail, Outlook, Apple Mail, Thunderbird. They render as subscript because
they are actual distinct glyph characters, not HTML formatting. Copy them from our generator
and paste directly into your email body.
LaTeX subscript (x_{n}) is a typesetting instruction — it only renders in compiled LaTeX
documents. Unicode subscript (xₙ) is an actual UTF-8 character that displays as subscript in
any Unicode-supporting environment including plain text, email, social media, and all modern
apps. Use Unicode for universal portability; use LaTeX for academic typesetting.