Fractions are commonly used in documents for math, science, recipes, financial reports, and more. Inserting professional-looking fractions into Word can give your documents a polished look.
In this article, you’ll learn several methods to input fractions in Word on both Windows and Mac.
Benefits of Using Fractions in Word
Adding fractions to your Word documents has multiple benefits:
- Makes mathematical and financial writing more clear and precise
- Allows accurate documentation of measurements and quantities
- Gives instructions and recipes a professional appearance
- Improves overall readability for the audience
Using Word’s built-in tools to add fraction symbols also saves time formatting over typing slash marks. The fraction characters have a more uniform look over makeshift solutions.
Enabling Auto-formatting for Fractions
The easiest way to type common fractions is to enable the AutoCorrect auto-formatting option. This will automatically convert fractions you type like “1/2” into professional fraction characters.
Here is how to enable automatic fractions in Word:
On Windows
- Go to File > Options > Proofing
- Click AutoCorrect Options
- Go to the AutoFormat As You Type tab
- Check the Fractions (1/2) with fraction character (1⁄2) option
- Click OK
On Mac
- Go to Word > Preferences > AutoCorrect
- Check the Fractions (1/2) with fraction character (1⁄2) option
- Click OK
Once enabled, typing “1/2” will change to “1⁄2” automatically. This works for the most common fractions like 1/4, 1/3, and 3/4 too.
Using the Insert Symbol Tool
If you need an uncommon fraction like 7/8 or 5/6, use the Insert Symbol tool instead.
Here are the steps:
On Windows
- Place cursor where you want the fraction
- Go to Insert > Symbol > More Symbols
- Change Subset to Number Forms
- Browse fractions and double-click the one you want
On Mac
- Place cursor where you want the fraction
- Go to Insert > Special Characters
- Select Number Forms from left menu
- Browse fractions and double-click the one you want
This method has 100+ fractions you can insert. It gives you more options than AutoCorrect.
Typing Custom Fractions with the Equation Tool
For uncommon fractions or custom formats, use Word’s Equation tool. It lets you build a fraction from scratch.
Follow these steps:
- Go to Insert > Equation
- Click Fraction under Structures
- Choose the fraction style you prefer
- Type the numerator and denominator into the fraction box
- Press Enter to insert it
You can then customize the look of your custom fraction, changing the font size, position, color, and more to fit your document style.
Quick Fraction Entry with Keyboard Shortcuts
Instead of clicking through symbols or equations every time, use these handy keyboard shortcuts:
- 1/2 fraction: Ctrl + Alt + 2
- 1/4 fraction: Ctrl + Alt + 4
- 3/4 fraction: Ctrl + Alt + 6
Simply press the shortcut keys to quickly insert common fractions. This saves multiple clicks inserting the same fractions over and over.
Formatting Fractions
Once inserted, click the fraction and use the Equation Tools Format tab to customize appearance further:
- Change font size and color
- Switch to stacked or skewed style
- Adjust position and spacing
- Add borders or background color
Format fractions to match document style and improve readability.
Conclusion
Learning how to add fractions in Word improves document accuracy and readability. Use the AutoFormat feature for common fractions or Insert tools for custom or complex fractions.
Adjusting the look using Equation Tools ensures fractions blend into your document style. Accurate fractions improve comprehension for financial, mathematical, scientific documents.
Use these tips to insert fractions and give your Word documents a polished, professional look.
