Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Word versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. If you are using an earlier version (Word 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Word, click here: Using Fields for Fractions.

Using Fields for Fractions

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated July 29, 2021)
This tip applies to Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365

There is an often-overlooked way to add fractions to your Word documents—through the use of the EQ field. This field was originally designed for equations, and can be used very handily for fractions.

There are two ways you can utilize the EQ field for your fractions. Using the first method, your field would look as follows:

{ EQ \f(x, y) }

Just make sure you insert regular field braces by pressing Ctrl+F9, and replace x with your numerator and y with your denominator. The result is a fraction using a horizontal divider between the numerator and the denominator.

The other EQ field method is as follows:

{ EQ \s\up2(x)/\s\do2(y) }

This approach uses quite a few different EQ field switches to format the equation. The first part utilizes the \s\up2 switches to position a superscript. The last part utilizes the \s\do2 switches to position a subscript.

WordTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Word training. (Microsoft Word is the most popular word processing software in the world.) This tip (10910) applies to Microsoft Word 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, and Word in Microsoft 365. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Word here: Using Fields for Fractions.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. Learn more about Allen...

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What is six minus 2?

2018-01-08 09:59:14

Andrew

I prefer Graham Mayor's method using superscripts and subscripts - http://www.gmayor.com/createfraction.htm. This provides an attractive (non-scientific) inline fraction, which I use in legal texts. I've modified his macro a bit, but the method works manually (as opposed to a macro) very well also.

2018-01-06 17:59:36

Lewis Eigen

Allan, this is really a very hard way to go about this. In addition it requires memorizing a number of different operations that most people will not use and are unlikely to remember.

A much easier way to is to

Insert > Equation
Click on the Fraction Section.
Choose which fraction format you want X/Y or X over Y
Two boxes appear, one for the numerator and the other for the denominator
Enter each of these.
If either involve sub or superscripts, before adding the numerator or denominator containing the sub/superscripts, click on the Accent Section and chose the Superscript or Subscript. Insert these and then enter the respective characters in the boxes.

What I notice is that you cover most other parts of Word but not the Equations. We train all our editors to do equations because trying to so them in regular Word mode takes longer and does not look as well. The writers who are technical of course use Equations all the time but there is very little material to equlp them to learn and nothing I have found to parallel your approach of "how do I" with equations. You might think of doing a book here and using the book sections to add to your tips -- the other way around from how you developed the books so far.

I was going to do such a book myself, but have just been so busy that I keep postponing it.

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