Typing Math in Word Doesn't Have to Be Painful: Try This!

Wrestling with Word’s equation editor can be frustrating, but it doesn’t have to be. A few simple tricks can make typing and formatting math equations a breeze—no more clunky menus or endless formatting tweaks.

How to Use the Equation Editor in Word

The Equation feature in Microsoft Word is a powerful tool for creating and formatting complex mathematical expressions. Inserting an equation opens an entire toolbar with several options to write and typeset equations how you want them.

Go to Insert > Equation (in the Symbols group) on the Ribbon to open the Equation tab. This tab has all the Equation Tools to insert, convert, and typeset any equation. Selecting the dropdown arrow opens a gallery with several preset equations. You can choose one from here or click Insert New Equation to write your equation.

When your equation is in the document, edit it by selecting and rewriting it. You can switch between different equation formats using the options in the Conversion group. Convert Current to Linear transforms the selected equation into a one-line format using mathematical symbols, while Convert All to Linear applies this to every equation in the document.

Similarly, you can switch back to the Professional format for better readability.

You can use a stylus or a finger to write the equations with the inking feature on touchscreens.

Enter the Equation Editor Quickly

Use the keyboard shortcut Alt + = when you regularly work with equations. The shortcut key bypasses the preset formulas, but you can go to Equation and click the dropdown to reveal the built-in formulas.

An easy-to-remember keyboard shortcut should be enough. But if you need more access, consider customizing the Quick Access toolbar with any "Equation" options—for instance, a button for inserting fractions.

A specific Equation button can be a way to quickly format your documents in Word with mathematical content.

Don't Hunt in the Toolbar for Symbols

Instead of clicking through menus to find symbols, you can type keywords directly into the Equation box. Some common symbols and keywords are:

• Typing \alpha will insert the alpha symbol.
• Using \sqrt will generate a square root symbol.
• Try \pi to insert the Pi symbol.
• Write fractions with \frac{numerator}{denominator}.

Microsoft Word recognizes many, but not all, symbols using LaTeX-style commands. Try typing \symbolname, then press the space bar to see if it converts into the corresponding symbol. You have to manually insert the less common symbols using the Symbols group under Equation Tools.

These LaTeX shortcuts are the same as those of other word processors. Once you get the hang of them, you can quickly type math in Obsidian or other apps that support it.

Add Symbols Without Keywords

You won't be able to remember keywords for all symbols. Word also doesn't have keywords for all of them, but it gives you an entire collection.

1. Hit the keyboard shortcut Alt + = to open Equation on the Ribbon.
2. Go to the Symbols group and select a specific symbol, or use the dropdown menu to explore all symbols in the different categories.
3. Add it to your document and save it as part of a custom equation snippet.

Save Frequently Used Equations

You can save and use your equations as presets. Select the equation, choose the down arrow on the box, and click Save as New Equation.

Remember to name and categorize the equation properly so it's easier to retrieve when needed.

Insert a Formula Inside a Table

Tables are often underused for organizing information in Word. Equations inside tables can improve clarity, especially for data-rich reports.

1. Click on the cell where you want to insert an equation.
2. Use the shortcut Alt + = to open the Equation box within that cell.
3. Type or select a built-in equation.
4. Adjust the cell width and align the equation as necessary.

Use Handwriting Recognition for Quickly Writing Equations

Using a stylus or your fingers is a natural alternative to typing math in Word.

1. Open Equation in Word.
2. Click on Ink Equation in the Tools group.
3. Write your equation in the Math Input Control dialog and preview it.
4. Click Insert to enter it in the document.

You can also do math from the Draw tab on the Ribbon. You can use the two inking options here. Use Ink to Shape for some random brainstorming with numbers in Word. The Ink Replay feature is useful here for reviewing the brainstorming session. The Ink to Math button opens the Equation tab and the Math Input Control box to help you write equations manually in a separate box.

Format Equations for Readability

Equations are displayed in the center by default on a Word page. You can change them to inline so that it flows seamlessly with any surrounding text.

Depending on the nature of your document, you can choose the Display or Inline options. I prefer the Display option, as it enters the equation and separates it from the rest of the text.

However, the Inline format might be ideal for simpler and one-off equations within a text-heavy paragraph.

Format Equations for Presentation

The Display and Inline options are for placement. Word Equations can be formatted in several ways to make them visually appealing. The Professional and Linear formats each have their purpose.

The Professional format clearly presents equations using standard mathematical notation (e.g., stacked fractions, radical signs for square roots). I always prefer this format for clarity and visual appeal.

The Linear format presents equations in a single line of plain text that integrates with surrounding text in a paragraph. For instance, the same fraction would appear as "a/b" and square roots are represented as "sqrt(a)." I prefer this format for quick input or writing equations within lines of text without breaking the flow.

The good thing is that any equation can be converted from one format to the other (and also convert all equations in one go with the All-Professional and All-Linear options).

Word equations can be read in a natural-sounding syntax with the built-in Read Aloud function. An equation is read aloud as written. So, Word will read the above as "Cap A equals pie r squared" in the Professional format. Word will read it in the linear format as "Cap A equals pie r to the two."

Three Choices of Syntax for Math Input

While the built-in equation editor gives you a graphical interface, you can insert symbols, equations, and formulas directly using three different methods: LaTeX, Unicode, or plain text.

Unicode is a universal character encoding standard that assigns a unique code to every character and symbol, regardless of the platform, program, or language. This is ideal if you work across different platforms.

LaTeX is the mathematical markup language for precisely formatting complex mathematical expressions. Text is for those who prefer quick and straightforward equation entries without special formatting or syntax.

Microsoft Word has limited LaTeX support; only a subset of LaTeX commands are recognized. You can insert LaTeX syntax directly into Word by selecting "Insert > "Equation" and then typing the LaTeX code. Word will automatically convert the LaTeX code into a formatted equation.

A more detailed how-to on using the three syntax methods would require a comprehensive handbook. The core idea is to (hopefully) take you around the Equations toolbar and show that Word is quite versatile for typesetting math, too.