How to Write Fractions in Google Docs?

We come across fractions in our daily lives, be it at work or school. 

We find the need to write bits in our documents, be it a cooking recipe, an article, a school assignment, etc. 

People, especially students, involved in Maths and Science will find the need to write fractions in their reports. Not only this but you will also see them being used extensively in the field of business and accounting.

Google Docs is an excellent platform for writing any type of article, financial reports, cooking recipes, etc. and it offers multiple ways to write fractions. Your document looks more professional if you write the fraction a/b as ^a/_b and you may agree that the former looks better.

Documents that involve math may sometimes require using fractions to represent a value. If we were to write the following like so:

1/2 + 1/2 = 1

You can tell that visually it does not look good or professional.

If we were to write it like

1/2+1/2= 1

You can immediately tell there is some form of visual clarity here.

So, in this article, I will show you how to write fractions in Google Docs using different methods.

Some of these methods will only require in-built features in Google Docs whereas others might require the help of external websites or 3rd party add-ons.

Method 1: Write Fractions in Google Docs Using Google Docs Auto-Formatting

This is the easiest method to write fractions in Google Docs involving numbers.

By default, Google Docs formats any fractions (having numbers) that you type in. If for some reason this auto-formatting is not enabled, you can enable it and then type your fraction to get it auto-formatted.

To check if auto-formatting is enabled follow the steps below. We will see an example where we type the fraction 1/2.

1. From the menu bar clicks on the Tools button.

2. In the menu that appears click on Preferences.

3. The Preferences window will open as shown.

4. Click on the Substitutions tab.

5. Check the Automatic Substitution checkbox.

6. Click on OK.

7. Now on your Google Docs page, type the following.

8. Press Enter. The result will look like the one shown below.

The dotted underline indicates that the fraction has been formatted. You can see that the fraction style is slanted.

If this is the fraction format you want, go ahead. If not, then use other methods described below.

Also read: Strikethrough Shortcut in Google Docs

Method 2: Write Fractions in Google Docs Using the Built-In Equation Tool

This is also one of the easiest ways to type fractions in Google Docs.

Furthermore, if you are looking for a vertical style fraction rather than the slanted one as we have seen previously then this method may be used.

This method is useful for writing fractions that involve both numbers as well as alphabets or characters.

We will see an example where we type the fraction 1/2.

1. From the menu bar click on the Insert button.

2. In the menu that appears click on the Equation button.

3. An equation box will appear on the page along with an options bar on the top as shown.

4. From the options bar, select the Math Operations drop-down.

5. The following options will appear.

6. Click on the Fraction option as shown.

7. In the equation box, type 1 (the numerator in the fraction) and press Enter. 

8. In the equation box, type 2 (the denominator in the fraction) and press Enter.

9. Press Enter one more time. The final result will look like the one shown below.

You can see that by using this method we have written a fraction that is formatted in a vertical style. 

Also read: Superscript Shortcut in Google Docs

Method 3: Write Fractions in Google Docs Using Subscript and Superscript

This method is for formatting fractions that do not involve numbers. Say for example a/b.

This may be required if you are writing a mathematical expression and so this method is the way to go.

We will see an example where we will type the fraction 1/2.

1. Type the following. (Do not press Enter or any other key.)

2. Select the numerator in the fraction (as shown below)

3. From the menu bar click on the Format button.

4. Hover your mouse over the Text option.

5. Select the Superscript option.

6. On your page select the denominator as shown.

7. From the menu bar click on the Format button.

8. Hover your mouse over the Text option.

9. Select the Subscript option.

10. The result will look like the one shown below.

Again you can see that the fraction style is slanted. If this is the look you’re going for, go ahead.

If not, then use other methods described below or the previous method using the built-in equation tool.

However, this method is useful if you want a slanted style and want to write fractions that do not involve numbers.

Method 4: Write Fractions in Google Docs Using 3rd Party Add-Ons

In this method, we will install a 3rd party add-on in our Google Docs to help us write fractions. The add-on we will be installing is called Auto-Latex Equations. 

We will see an example where we type the fraction 1/2 with the help of this add-on.

1. From the menu bar click the Extensions button.

2. Hover your mouse over the Add-ons option.

3. Select the Get add-ons option.

4. The Google Workspace Marketplace window will appear as shown.

5. In the search bar type latex and press Enter.

6. The search results will appear as shown.

7. Select the Auto-LaTex Equations as shown below. (This will usually be the first search result)

8. The following window will appear.

9. Click on Install.

10.  After the installation has finished the following window will appear.

11. Close the Dialog Box by clicking the X button.

12. Also, close the Google Workspace Marketplace window by clicking the X button.

13. From the menu bar click the Extensions button.

14. Hover your mouse over the Auto-LaTex Equations option.

15. Select Start.

16. The following window will appear on the right after you select Start.

LaTex uses a formula for writing fractions. The formula is as follows:

$$\frac{a}{b}$$

In this formula ‘a’ represents the numerator while ‘b’ represents the denominator. So for our example, the formula will be:

$$\frac{1}{2}$$

17. Type the formula on your Google Docs page as shown.

18. In the Auto-LaTex Equations window click on Render Equations.

19. The final result will look like this.

As you can see, the fraction has been inserted using the help of the add-on.

If you’re thinking that this is an overkill, I agree.

This is a good way to use if you are anyway using the LATEX in Google docs. You can then use the above steps to also write fractions in Google Docs.

If you are familiar with the Latex format, this add-on will allow you to write fractions inside Google Docs without having the need to go to other websites or use other software apps.

Method 5: Write Fractions in Google Docs Using a LaTex Website

This method uses the help of an external website. The fraction is created in the form of an image which is then copied over into Google Docs. 

The website uses LaTex equations for writing fractions and generates a high-quality image.

We will see an example where we type the fraction 1/2.

1. Go to the Latex website using the following link: https://latex.codecogs.com/eqneditor/editor.php

2. The webpage will appear as shown.

3. From the options available click on the Fraction option as shown.

4. This will generate a code in the text area with two curly brackets as shown.

5. Type 1 in the first curly brace. This is the numerator.

6. Type 2 in the second curly brace. This is the denominator.

7. An image will appear as shown.

8. Right-Click on the image and select Copy Image from the context menu. 

(This context menu may appear differently on different browsers).

9. Go to Google Docs and place your cursor where you want to insert the image.
10. Right-click and select Paste.

11. The result will be as shown.

This method generates an image that is copied into your Google Docs file.

If you want to change this, you cannot edit this directly in Google Docs. You will have to go back to the website and redo it all over again.

The good thing, however is that the images generated are very high quality, and the website has options to scale the image as per your requirement.

Even if you choose a large-size image, the quality will be crisp (which could be useful if you want to get your Google Docs file printed).

So in this article, we have seen five different methods of writing fractions in Google Docs.

Methods 1 and 3 insert the fraction in a slanting style, whereas Methods 2, 4, and 5 use a vertical style.

It is up to you to decide which style you prefer for the fraction and then choose the method accordingly.

Other Google Docs articles you may also like:

• Copy Formatting in Google Docs (Shortcut)
• How to Create New Folder in Google Docs?
• How to View Two Pages Side By Side in Google Docs?
• How to Auto Capitalize in Google Docs?
• How to Change Spacing in Google Docs?