Tiny text, small caps or subscript?
| Style | Example | Use it for |
|---|---|---|
| Tiny text | ᵗⁱⁿʸ ᵗᵉˣᵗ | Cute asides and whispered words. It sits high on the line, like a footnote. |
| Small caps | ꜱᴍᴀʟʟ ᴄᴀᴘꜱ | Names, headings and taglines. The most readable small style. |
| Bold small caps | 𝗕ᴏʟᴅ 𝗦ᴍᴀʟʟ 𝗖ᴀᴘꜱ | Display names that need a strong first letter. |
| Subscript | ₛᵤbₛcᵣᵢₚₜ | Chemistry-style notes (H₂O, CO₂). Patchy for words, see below. |
Unicode doesn't have bold small letters, so Bold Small Caps uses the closest look that does exist: a bold capital at the start of each word followed by small caps.
Letters that can't be made small
Each small style is built from a limited set of characters that Unicode happens to include, so some letters have no small version and stay full size. That's why small text sometimes looks uneven.
| Style | Letters that stay normal | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Tiny text | q and Q | There's no widely supported superscript q. |
| Tiny text capitals | C, F, S, X, Y and Z turn lowercase | Only lowercase superscript forms exist for these letters. |
| Subscript | b, c, d, f, g, q, w, y and z | Widely supported subscript forms exist for only 17 letters, all lowercase. |
| Small caps | x | A small capital X would look the same as a normal lowercase x. |
For whole words, tiny text and small caps give you the most consistent result. Save subscript for numbers and formulas, where every digit from ₀ to ₉ is available.
Small text in Discord and games
Discord has its own small text for messages: start a line with -# and a space, and that line shows as small grey subtext. It only works in messages, though. For your display name or server nickname, copy a style from the tool instead.
In games, small text usually works in display names, clan tags and chat, but not in the account name you log in with. Check the game's naming rules before you change anything that's hard to change back.
Small numbers for ordinals, footnotes and formulas
Small text isn't only decoration. Superscript and subscript digits fix a few everyday formatting problems in places with no formatting buttons. Type the part that should be small into the generator, copy the Tiny Text or Subscript style, and paste it next to the normal text.
| Need | Result | How |
|---|---|---|
| Ordinals | 1ˢᵗ 2ⁿᵈ 3ʳᵈ 4ᵗʰ 21ˢᵗ | Tiny Text on "st", "nd", "rd" or "th" |
| Footnote markers | Free shipping¹ | Tiny Text on the number |
| Powers and units | x² + y² · 10 m³ | Tiny Text on the exponent |
| Chemical formulas | H₂O · CO₂ · C₆H₁₂O₆ | Subscript on the numbers |
| Trademark-style marks | Brandᵀᴹ | Tiny Text on "TM" |
This works in captions, comments, product listings and chats. In a word processor, use its own superscript button instead; it keeps the text searchable and accessible.
Mix big and small text
Small text looks best next to something bigger. The size contrast makes both parts stand out, the same way a magazine pairs a headline with a small caption.
- Announcements: 𝗦𝗔𝗟𝗘 ᵉⁿᵈˢ ˢᵘⁿᵈᵃʸ
- Name and tagline: 𝓜𝓲𝓪 ᴀʀᴛɪꜱᴛ · ʟᴏɴᴅᴏɴ
- A whispered aside: GOOD MORNING ⁽ᵐᵒˢᵗˡʸ⁾ (the Whisper style)
Keep the big part short and the small part shorter. Two to four tiny words read as a playful aside, but a whole sentence of tiny text turns into a squint test.
Quick answers
- Can text get smaller than tiny text? No. Superscript is the smallest size Unicode offers. Anything smaller would need a real font size setting, which bios and chats don't have.
- Why is my tiny text hard to read? Superscript letters are roughly half height. Keep them to a few words, or switch to small caps for anything longer.
- Does small text work with numbers? Yes. Tiny text turns 2026 into ²⁰²⁶ and subscript turns it into ₂₀₂₆. Small caps leaves numbers as they are.