<sup>
The <sup> element specifies inline text that should be displayed as superscript. Superscript text appears half a character above the normal line and is rendered in a smaller font. It is commonly used for exponents, ordinal numbers, footnote markers, and trademark symbols.
This page was last updated on 2025-11-17
Syntax
<sup>superscript text</sup>
The element requires both opening and closing tags. The content is rendered as superscript text above the baseline.
Attributes
- Global attributes - The <sup> element supports all global attributes such as
id,class,style,lang, anddir.
The <sup> element has no element-specific attributes.
Examples
Mathematical Exponent
<p>The equation is E = mc<sup>2</sup>.</p>
Ordinal Numbers
<p>The race finishes on the 21<sup>st</sup> of March.</p>
Footnote Reference
<p>This claim has been disputed<sup><a href="#fn1">1</a></sup> by several researchers.</p>
Trademark Symbol
<p>Welcome to SuperBrand<sup>™</sup> products.</p>
When to Use
Use the <sup> element when:
- Writing mathematical exponents (x2, 103)
- Marking ordinal indicators (1st, 2nd, 3rd)
- Creating footnote or citation references
- Adding trademark (TM), registered (R), or copyright symbols
- Displaying proper typographical conventions requiring superscript
Important: Only use <sup> for semantic superscript purposes where the superscript has meaning. Do not use it purely for visual styling - use CSS for that instead:
span.superscript { vertical-align: super; font-size: smaller; }
