Insert or change a formula or expression. How to write and insert formulas in WORD Inserting regular characters

Many users experience difficulties when they need to paste formulas in Word, since this function is rather unclear in Microsoft's text editor.

The situation is complicated by the fact that one of the most popular word processing programs in the world is completely updated every few years.

As a result, the interface is redesigned and the controls change their location.

Therefore, if you knew Word 2003 perfectly, then when working with newer versions you may have questions about how to do this or that action that you previously performed automatically.

This statement is completely true for inserting formulas.

Working with formulas in Word 2003

This version of the text editor was the last to create documents in the well-known DOC format by default (supported since 1997), and the first to undergo a commercial rebranding from MS.

As the future has shown, changing the design of the Office 2007 suite has become a very effective solution, as evidenced by the fact that many organizations and private users still use this particular version of the office software package.

A specific feature of Word 2003 is the use of a separate application, Microsoft Equations 0.3, for working with formulas, the window of which opens every time you insert a new mathematical expression.

  • To insert a formula, you need to find the “Insert” item in the top panel and select “Object” from the drop-down menu.
  • After this, a window for selecting an insertion object will appear. You must click on Microsoft Equations 3.0

  • After this, the formula editor will automatically launch and the main window of this subroutine will open in front of the user, in which you can write any possible formula construction.

  • The program has a laconic interface, made in accordance with the design style of all Microsoft products of that period. At the top there is a control panel where standard functions are located.
    Below are categories of various mathematical symbols, after selecting one of which a list of available elements will open. In order to select the desired symbol, just click on it with the left mouse button.
    All the notation is intuitive, many of them have a dotted rectangle icon indicating that there should be some kind of mathematical expression in that place.

  • The style function allows you to select the font and style type for certain characters. To define your own settings, click Style and then Define.

  • The “Size” menu item makes it possible to adjust the size of various formula elements and also has the ability to set custom settings, for which you need to follow the “Size” - “Define” path.

Advice! You cannot put a space in the formula editor - the sizes between elements are adjusted automatically. If you need to insert an interval of a particular length, select the appropriate element from the suggested characters.

  • When you have completed entering the formula, press Esc or close the window, as a result of which it will be inserted into the main element. Repeated editing is carried out by double-clicking LMB.
    The size of the formula field can be changed and moved by simply dragging the mouse.

Working with formulas in Word 2007 and 2010

Word 2010 and Word 2007 are very similar to each other, which also applies to the formula editor.

Therefore, if you are using a Microsoft office suite released in 2010, you can use the instructions described above to insert mathematical expressions.

This version of the text editor has its own formula designer, which has its own taskbar. Therefore, working with it is significantly different from Word 2003.

  • To create a formula, use the “Insert” item and the “Formula” subitem, after activating which the user is offered the most common options, such as Newton’s binomial, area of ​​a circle, etc.
    To enter your own expression, select the “Insert new formula” function.

  • As a result of these actions, the designer for working with formulas will open, which has its own toolbar, divided into three categories: Tools, Symbols and Structures.
    Despite the large number of possibilities, there is no numbering, but even during the first acquaintance this is not a big problem.
  • The functions of the Service category allow you to select any standard expression, and if you click on the small arrow at the bottom of the panel, the formula parameters window will open, in which you can set some specific settings before inserting a custom formula, but most of them are unlikely for the average user will they come in handy?

  • The next category is the most important, as it gives access to all possible symbols. By default, the table displays basic mathematical symbols such as operation signs, infinity symbol, equals symbol, etc.
    To insert, for example, a Greek letter, you need to change the group of symbols, for which LMB click on the arrow below the scroll slider, and then on the triangle after the name of the symbol group and select the required selection.

  • The last category of functions provides the user with various standard constructions of symbols, such as fractions, limits, trigonometric functions, with the help of which mathematical calculations are carried out.
    Everything here is intuitive: select the appropriate subcategory, click on it, and then click on the specific expression.

  • The finished formula does not require saving, since it is one of the insertion elements, along with clips, pictures or diagrams. To continue working on other elements, just move the cursor to another part of the document and continue writing text.
    To change the formula, click on it once. The formula can be dragged by “grabbing” the panel to the left of the input field, which shows three dots.

Third-party formula editors for Word

Some users are skeptical about various innovations and believe that older versions of Word worked better, while modern ones are overloaded with unnecessary functionality.

One of the most functional solutions in this area is the LaTex editor (which can be downloaded for free on the official website latex-project.org).

Its developers have created their own programming language, which allows you to give the document exactly the look that the user needs.

However, the optimal solution for home use by users who do not want to understand the specifics of complex programs is MathType.

It is a small third-party program that runs alongside the Word editor.

At the same time, creating formulas in MathType is very similar to working with Microsoft Equations 3.0, so this software can be called a kind of updated version of the previous standard Word constructor, which is no longer supported.

How to insert a formula into a text document in MS Word 2013

Creating and Inserting a Formula in Word - Step-by-Step Guide

In today's lesson I will tell you how to insert a formula in Word. There are actually several ways to do this and I will try to cover them all if possible.

Firstly, this can be done using the formula editor, which is built into the Word program itself. To do this, just go to the "Insert" tab and click on the "Formula" icon.

By the way, if you click on the arrow, which is located next to the formula designer icon, you can quickly insert ready-made options. Here at the very bottom you can also go to the editor using the “Insert new formula” link.

Once you are in the formula builder, you will have the opportunity to assemble a formula from the symbols and templates that are offered on the top panel of the program. I hope that there should be no problems at this stage.

The second method is also built-in. Go to the "Insert" tab, but only this time click on the "Object" icon. A new window will open in which you must select the object type "Microsoft Equation 3.0" and click the "Ok" button.

A new window will open in which you can select different signs to create a complex formula.

Well, let’s look at the last method, which is suitable for owners of the Windows 7 operating system. We will use the “Math Input Panel”. You can open it through the Start menu. To do this, you need to enter its name in the search bar.

A window will open in front of you in which you can draw formulas with the mouse. To do this, select the “Write” icon on the right and simply draw the formula on a yellow background.

If any of the characters were incorrectly recognized by the program, we can select the "Erase" tool, remove the incorrect character and draw it again.

After the formula is ready, just place the cursor in the place in the document where you want to insert the formula and click the “Insert” button in the program.

That's all. Now all that remains is to choose the method that is most suitable for you and solve the problem that has arisen.

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The functionality of the Microsoft Word text editor is in fact not limited to just working with text. So, this office application allows you to create tables, charts and graphs, add and change images and much more. One of the most interesting, although not the most obvious, functions is the insertion of formulas and equations, as well as the creation of them from scratch. We will tell you how this is done in this article.

As is the case with most objects that Word supports, adding and creating formulas in a text document is done in the tab "Insert". The user has four different options to choose from - from using ready-made templates to creating an entry yourself and even entering it manually. We will consider all this, as well as some additional features and nuances, in more detail later, but first of all, we will tell and show how to move on to the section of the program that interests us.


Method 1: Selecting template and frequently used examples

In the menu for creating equations in Microsoft Word there are several ready-made templates, to add any of which to the document you just need to click on it with LMB. These include the following:


Of course, this will not be enough for most users, and therefore it is not surprising that such a modest list can be supplemented with both your own formulas and additional equations on the Office.com website, which are actually available right in the program. To select them and then insert them, simply move the cursor over the corresponding menu item for adding a new entry.


Next, we will briefly talk about how to work with initially formatted, template mathematical records in Word.

Note: All formulas and equations, whether templated or hand-written, use the Cambria Math font and cannot be changed. All other parameters (changing the style type, size, color, etc.) remain available.

Immediately after adding a template equation (like any other) you will be redirected to the tab "Constructor"(do not confuse with the one that is not initially present in the Microsoft Word toolbar and is located between the tabs "Insert" And "Layout", previously it was called "Design").

Note: Tab "Constructor", through which all work with formulas is carried out, is active and open only at the time when the field for inserting a new equation is highlighted and/or you are interacting with it.

There are three main categories of tools, namely:

  • Transformations;
  • Symbols;
  • Structures.

Get access to opportunities "Transformations" You can also use the menu with the added formula block - just LMB on the downward-pointing triangle. Among other things, from here you can save the equation as a template, which we will talk about later, and determine the type of its alignment on the document page.


If you need to make changes to the added entry, use the Section Toolkit "Symbols" And "Structures".


When you're done with the equation, simply click on a blank area of ​​the page. If you then press the spacebar, the entry originally inserted in the middle will be aligned to the left (or whatever is set as the default alignment options for the current document).

Method 2: Create your own equations

Much more often it is necessary to add not a template entry to a text document, but an arbitrary one or one simply missing from the list "Built-in" the equation. This is done as follows:

  1. In the menu dropdown list "The equation" select item "Insert New Equation", after which a record field will be added to the page.

    Note: To insert a formula field called "Room for the Equation", you can use hotkeys, namely, the combination “ ALT+= ».

  2. To handwrite an equation, use the elements presented in the second and third group of tools on the tab. "Constructor" — "Symbols" And "Structures".


    The latter include the following:
    • Fraction;
    • Index;
    • Root;
    • Integral;
    • Large operator;
    • Bracket;
    • Function;
    • Diacritics;
    • Limit and logarithm;
    • Operator;
    • Matrix.


    Here's an example of how you can write a simple equation:


  3. After you enter the formula, left-click on an empty area of ​​the page.

    If necessary, align the position of the entry to the left by pressing the space bar or accessing the additional actions menu (drop-down list of the equation block).


    4. In comparison with the method of inserting template formulas discussed above, creating them yourself provides much wider opportunities. This is how you can add a record of any complexity and structure to a text document, although this procedure is not always carried out conveniently.

Method 3: Handwriting equations

If the set of mathematical symbols and structures presented in the tab "Constructor" and intended for creating records yourself, for some reason you are not satisfied, you can add a formula or equation the good old way - by writing it by hand, or rather, using a mouse (or a stylus on devices with a touch screen). This is done as follows:

  1. In the menu for inserting a new equation, select the penultimate item "Handwritten Equation".

  2. A window will open , the top part of which is the preview area, the bottom part is the toolbar, and the largest part is occupied by the input area located in the middle.


    Just in it using a mouse (or a stylus, if supported by the screen) and a tool "Write" and the formula should be written by hand. Try to do this carefully, since the handwriting recognition algorithm is by no means perfect.

    Note: As you write the formula, the field for entering it will automatically expand.


    If you make a mistake, use the tool "Erase", which deletes the entire selected character at once.

    In addition to removal, error correction is also available, which is done by the tool "Select and fix". Use it to select a symbol by circling it, and then select from the drop-down menu what you want to replace it with.

    You can also select more than one character, for example, a letter and a degree, and in this case even more correction options will be available. All this is clearly useful in cases where the program algorithm confuses one character with another, for example, the number “2” and the Latin letter “Z,” or simply does not recognize it correctly.

    If necessary, you can also clear the handwriting field and start writing the formula again.

  3. To add a manually created entry to the page, click the button "Insert" located at the bottom of the window "Entering a Mathematical Formula".

    4. Further interaction with the formula is no different from template ones and those created using symbols and structures built into Word.

Saving your own formulas as a template

If you often need to write down the same formulas while working with documents, it would be wise to add them to the list of frequently used ones. This way you will create a ready-made template that will be available from the insert menu in just a couple of mouse clicks.

  1. Create a formula that you want to add to the list of templates, and then select it by clicking LMB on the “frame”.

  2. Click on the button "The equation" located in the group "Service"(tab "Constructor") and in the menu that appears, select “Save the selected fragment to the collection of equations...”.

  3. In the dialog box that appears, create a name for the formula to save. In the dropdown list "Collection" select item "Equations" and, if desired, define a category or leave the one that the program will automatically “select”.

  4. If necessary, define other parameters (add a description and select where the saved equation will be added), then click "OK".

  5. The formula saved as a template will appear in the Word quick access list, which opens immediately after clicking the button "The equation" ("Formula") in Group "Service".

Inserting a formula into a table cell

Despite the fact that in the Microsoft Office package Excel is responsible for working with tables, Word also allows you to create and process elements of this type. Yes, the capabilities of a text editor in this regard are much more modest than those of its brother, but the built-in functionality will be enough to solve basic problems.


Direct insertion of equations, templates or ones created independently, into the table is carried out using exactly the same algorithm as in all the cases we have considered, which can be understood from the screenshot presented above. However, in addition to this, the program has the ability to add a formula to any cell of a Word table, similar to how it is done in Excel. We'll talk about this further.


Sometimes users working in the WORD program begin to experience difficulties. It turns out that they really can’t figure out how they can start working with formulas in a text editor. The situation is constantly complicated by the fact that a large number of updates are released, and this serves as a decisive factor. Due to the update of the program interface, people cannot figure out what they need to do to start working with these formulas. For example, having previously worked in the WORD 2003 version, and then having installed the 2013 version, the first difficulties with understanding begin to appear.

Working with basic formulas in the 2003 version of WORD.

The 2003 version is the final version of the text editor capable of saving documents in DOC format. It was in this version that a person got the opportunity to work with formulas as standard. This is an effective solution. To start working with the formula form, you need to go to the tab called “Insert” and find the “Object” menu there. By clicking on it, a drop-down list will appear.

Microsoft Equations 3.0 – this is the item you need to select when the insertion object selection appears.

After a person has completed this manipulation, a window opens in front of him in which he needs to enter the appropriate formulas. This is a full-fledged formula editor, in it a person can enter the necessary construction, the main thing is not to make mistakes, otherwise the system will start cursing and display information that some values ​​were entered incorrectly.

The program has a laconic interface and is designed in the design style of similar products from Microsoft. The upper part includes buttons responsible for the control panel; it is on this panel that functions intended for general use are located. After it there is a line with mathematical symbols. To select the required symbol, you need to click on it with the left mouse button. Due to the fact that some people do not understand mathematical values, the program has created intuitive icons with hints.

In addition, there is a function called “Style”, it is in it that you can determine what style some characters will be displayed and what they will represent. The program allows you to set your own settings.

The next item is “Size”. Here the user enters the dimensions of the elements necessary to display certain formulas. Size - Define helps you automatically set the correct size for these formulas.

It is important to remember that you do not need to put a space between the characters in the formula, otherwise the elements will no longer be adjusted and the person will not be able to enter the required values. Now, the main thing to remember is that if you still need to set some kind of interval, then you need to go to a special section and set the appropriate values ​​there.

Formulas in WORD 2010 and 2007.

If you are using the 2007 or 2010 version, then you need to remember that the mathematical formulas here are in a slightly different window, and their location should not be confused with the 2003 version. It turned out that now, in order to get to the section containing these formulas, a person must first go to the “Insert” tab, and there select a sub-item such as “Formulas”. After you click on it, you can activate the function , and thanks to it, choose the appropriate formula needed for your situation.

Although the functionality is not great, it is quite enough to carry out basic processes and not end up in a stupid position. For example, you may see three tabs named “Structures”, “Symbols” and “Service”. It is these tabs that open up certain opportunities for a person.

Service – a section in which a person must select standard expressions. It is in this section that you need to select custom forms. It turned out that a person can set settings by specifically customizing standard forms. There are different settings here that any user can use.

In the next category, people have access to many symbols that are important. It turned out that this category allows you to display symbols. Here you can see the infinity symbol, the equal symbol and much more. In order to access a group of symbols, you need to left-click on the arrow located below. It opens access to many collections.

An arrow below a scroll bar giving an overview of the entire group of symbols

In the last category you can see some new meanings of standard constructions. Such values ​​include trigonometric functions, fractions, limits, and so on. Everything in this menu is laid out intuitively.

In the finished form, without saving the result, you can see pictures, diagrams, and inserted elements. To continue writing text, you need to move the cursor to the required part of the document and continue typing.

Third-party editors for editing formulas.

One of the most relevant areas is an editor such as LaTex. It can be downloaded for free on the official website. It turned out that the developers were able not only to write the corresponding program, but a separate programming language.

But, there are people who do not want to understand the functionality of many utilities. And all because this is a difficult process, and not every user is able to figure it out. MathType is a great addition, although it is a third party software, it can easily interact with the WORD application. The operation of this utility is similar to the operation of software called Microsoft Equations 3.0." We can say that this software is a unique product, because it supports many functional applications. It often happens that unique updates help solve numerous problems. And people know very well that this is just the beginning, and there will be even more unique utilities in the future.

The Microsoft Word text editor is the undisputed leader among programs of this kind. Using this editor, you can work not only with text, but also add images, videos, geometric shapes from an extensive library, as well as graphs and diagrams.

In addition to all this, in Word you can work with numerical calculations using specialized formulas. In this article we will talk about how to create a formula in Word. This text editor has several versions, the interface of which, although slightly, differs from each other. We will demonstrate the process of using formulas in each version of MS Word.

Inserting a formula in MS Word versions 2007 and 2010

Select the place where you want to insert the formula and left-click on it. Then open the Insert tab.
Next, click on the “Formula” button.

As a result, a library of ready-made formulas will open, as well as an editor with which you can create your own design for calculation.

Inserting a formula in MS Word versions 2013 and 2016

In new versions of the Word text editor, inserting calculations occurs a little differently, but the principle remains the same. Just like the previous time, left-click in the place where you want to insert the formula. Then open the “Insert” tab, select “Symbols” and click on the “Equation” button.

As a result, a library with ready-made formulas will open, among which you need to find the required structure.
If you were unable to find a ready-made solution for your problem, then click on the “Insert new equation” line. As a result, a powerful editor will open in front of you, with which you can create absolutely any formula to solve any problem.