Three kinds of tiny text
Unicode has three families of small letters, and each one looks and behaves a bit differently:
| Style | Example | What it is |
|---|---|---|
| Small caps | ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ᴄᴀᴘꜱ | Capital letter shapes at lowercase height. Covers the whole alphabet and sits on the normal line. |
| Superscript | ˢᵘᵖᵉʳˢᶜʳⁱᵖᵗ | Tiny raised letters, like the 2 in x². Most letters exist, but not q. |
| Subscript | ₛᵤbₛcᵣᵢₚₜ | Tiny lowered letters, like the 2 in H₂O. Only about half the alphabet exists. |
When a small version of a letter doesn't exist, the generator keeps the normal letter so your text is still readable.
When small text is useful
- Quiet bios. ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ᴄᴀᴘꜱ look calm and neat in a profile.
- Footnotes and maths. Superscript numbers ¹²³ and subscript ₁₂₃ are perfect for footnotes, formulas and chemistry like CO₂.
- Whispered asides in a message: ᵗʰⁱˢ ⁱˢ ᵃ ˢᵉᶜʳᵉᵗ
- Soft labels under a heading in a caption.
Which one should I choose?
For whole words and sentences, use small caps. They are the most complete set and the easiest to read. Use superscript and subscript for short words, numbers and playful touches, because the missing letters become obvious in long text.
Things to keep in mind
Tiny text is harder to read on small screens, especially superscript. Keep it short, and don't use it for anything people must read, like dates, prices or links. Screen readers may also skip or misread these characters.
For more soft styles, browse the aesthetic fonts. To go the other way and make words big, try the ASCII art banner.
Superscript and small caps generators
This page works as a superscript generator and a small caps generator in one. Superscript is handy for footnotes and exponents, while small caps give names and headings a tidy, bookish look.