The chemical symbol for water, H2O, stands for dihydrogen monoxide. This shorthand indicates that two hydrogen atoms, represented by H2, bonded to one oxygen atom, represented by O, forms one molecule of water. Typing the symbol for water involves using subscript for the number “2,” which both reduces its font size and lowers the base of the “2” below the base of the “H” and “O.” You can use subscript to correctly type the symbol for water in a word processing program such as Microsoft Word.

1. Open a new or existing document in Microsoft Word or your preferred word processing program.
2. Type “H2O.”
3. Highlight the “2.”
4. Click the subscript button.

• In Microsoft Word, this button is under the “Font” section of the “Home” ribbon menu.
• It resembles an “X” followed by a subscript “2.”

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Dialect Zone International