How to Insert a Square Symbol (² or □) in Word on Mac

“Square symbol” can mean two different things in Word: the squared sign (²), as in m² or x², or a square shape (□ or ■), as in a checkbox or bullet. Word for Mac can insert both, using the Symbol menu, a keyboard shortcut, or macOS’s Character Viewer. This guide covers each method on a Mac.

Quick answer

For ², type the number 2, select it, and press Command + Shift + = to make it superscript. For a square shape, go to Insert > Advanced Symbol, choose the Geometric Shapes subset, select □ or ■, and click Insert.

Part 1: Insert the squared symbol (²)

Method 1: Superscript shortcut

1. Type the text and the number, for example m2.
2. Select just the 2.
3. Press Command + Shift + = (the equals/plus key). The 2 becomes superscript: m².
4. Press the same shortcut again before typing more text to switch superscript off.

You can also click the x² (Superscript) button on the Home tab. For more on this, see how to add a superscript in Word.

Method 2: Insert the ² character

Superscript formatting can change if text is pasted elsewhere. To insert the actual ² character instead:

1. Go to Insert > Advanced Symbol (in some versions, Insert > Symbol > Advanced Symbol).
2. On the Symbols tab, set Font to (normal text) and Subset to Latin-1 Supplement.
3. Click ² and click Insert.

The same subset contains ³ (cubed) and ¹.

Method 3: macOS Character Viewer

1. Click where you want the symbol.
2. Press Control + Command + Space, or choose Edit > Emoji & Symbols.
3. Type superscript two in the search box.
4. Double-click ² to insert it.

This works in any Mac app, not just Word.

Method 4: Create an AutoCorrect entry

If you type ² often, insert it once, select it, then go to Tools > AutoCorrect (or Word > Preferences > AutoCorrect). Type a code such as ^2 in the Replace box, and click Add. From then on, typing ^2 followed by a space produces ².

Part 2: Insert a square shape (□ or ■)

Method 1: Advanced Symbol

1. Go to Insert > Advanced Symbol.
2. Set Font to (normal text) and Subset to Geometric Shapes.
3. Choose □ (white square), ■ (black square), or smaller versions such as ▪ and ▫.
4. Click Insert.

Method 2: Character Viewer

Open Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search for square or ballot box. Ballot box ☐ is designed for checklists, and ☑ and ☒ are checked versions.

Method 3: Wingdings

Change the font to Wingdings and type a lowercase o or q to get box shapes, then switch the font back. This is quick, but the symbol may display incorrectly if the document is opened on a device without Wingdings.

Need a clickable checkbox?

A □ symbol is only a printed box. For a box you can tick on screen, use a content control instead. See how to insert a checkbox in Word.

Troubleshooting

• Superscript shortcut does nothing: make sure the number is selected, and check that another app or a macOS shortcut is not using Command + Shift + =.
• Symbol shows as an empty box or question mark: the font does not include that character. Change the text to a common font such as Calibri, Arial or Times New Roman.
• ² looks too small: increase the font size of just that character, or use superscript formatting instead, which scales with the text.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between superscript 2 and the ² character?

Superscript is formatting applied to a normal 2, so it can be lost if you paste the text into an app that strips formatting. The ² character is its own symbol and stays the same wherever you paste it. For units like m² in emails or web forms, the character is more reliable.

How do I type ² outside of Word on a Mac?

Use the Character Viewer method, which works in Pages, Mail, Safari and every other Mac app. You can also add ² to your Favorites in Character Viewer so it is always one click away.

Can I make a keyboard shortcut for ²?

Yes. In Insert > Advanced Symbol, select ², click Keyboard Shortcut, press the key combination you want, and click Assign.

Using Windows?

On Windows, you can also type 00B2 and press Alt + X in Word to get ². For exponents beyond squared, see how to make an exponent in Word.

Summary

1. For ², select the 2 and press Command + Shift + =, or insert ² from Advanced Symbol.
2. Use Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) to search for any symbol.
3. For □ or ■, use Advanced Symbol > Geometric Shapes.
4. Use a checkbox content control for boxes you can tick.