Microsoft Word is a multifunctional text editor with which you can create documents containing not only letter information, but also various numbers and formulas. In this article we will look at several options for adding fractions in Word.
Method No. 1: through the “Symbols” tab
In order to insert the most common values of non-integer numbers into a Word document, you can use the “Insert” - “Symbol” item.
Here you need to go to the “additional Latin-1” or “currency units” set and select the fraction you need from the list.
This option is suitable only for those who do not need complex, non-standard non-integer numbers, since the selected character cannot be edited in Word. If you need fractions with other, editable values, use method No. 2.
Method number 2: using the formula
In the same section of Word - “Insert”, select “Formula”.
“Constructor” will appear in front of you and different kinds formulas: integrals, square roots, etc. Among them, you need to select a fraction by clicking on it, and in the list that appears, the required type.
A form and fields for entering fraction values will appear in the selected location on the sheet. Here we enter the necessary numbers and - done!
It is worth noting that the algorithm for adding fractions described above is the same in all editions of Word, and the location of the necessary menu items changes depending on the application interface, but their names are the same.
Show video instructionsQuite often there is a need to write fractions while working in Word.
Let's first consider how to write a fraction in Words 2010 and 2007. It’s very simple: you need to click on the “Insert” › “Formula” button and select the necessary formulas.
How to write a fraction in Word 2003
You need to find the arrow in the top panel, when you move to it the “Toolbar Options” tab will be highlighted. Click on it and select “Add or remove buttons” › “Settings” (see screenshot).
After that, go to the “Teams” tab. Select “Insert” in the column on the left, find “Formula Editor” in the column on the right.
Click on the words “Formula Editor” with the left mouse button and, while continuing to hold down the button, drag it to a convenient place in the top panel.
Now you should click on the icon that appears (formula editor). In the window that opens, you need to select the required type of fraction from the “Fraction and Radical Templates”. In the presented layout, which is in a hatched frame, the required numbers are filled in. Now all you have to do is click on an empty space and the fraction is ready.
This question is especially relevant for students of technical universities and those who work in the technical industry. Although, for schoolchildren, the answer to this question is also necessary. In our article we will tell you options on how to make a fraction in Word. Naturally, we will talk about the type of fraction that is written through a horizontal line.
You can make a fraction in Word by inserting a special character. However, the question immediately arises: where to find it, because it is not displayed on the keyboard. This is exactly what we will talk about below.
Making a fraction in a document using symbols
In the Word text editor, there is a set of characters where you can find unusual characters. How to use them to make a fraction in Word?
Inserting a fraction into a document: another way
In a Word document, some fractions (for example, 1/4, 1/2 and 3/4) are automatically replaced by other symbols (?, ?, ?) when entered. But sometimes they remain unchanged. In order for the user to insert a fraction symbol, he must go to the “Insert” tab, then click “Symbol”, and then select the item called “Other Symbols”. Next, the user needs to select the “Set” item, and immediately after select the required fraction. The last step is to click the “Insert” button and then the “Close” button.
How to make a fraction in Word 2007?
This section is for those who prefer to use the 2007 version of the program. So, how can you insert a fraction into a Word document in this case?
Go to the “Insert” tab, which is located on the toolbar at the top of the page. Next, click on the “Formula” button. Immediately after this, a tab called “Designer” should appear on the screen. This is where many formulas are presented, and here you can find the fraction we need.
As you can see, there is nothing complicated about this. Even a novice user of the Word text editor can cope with this task.
Writing a fraction in Word 2010
There is nothing complicated about this either, the main thing is to follow all our instructions. So, first, the user must go to the “Insert” tab, then go to the “Formula” item, select the option you need.
How to add fractions to a document: Word 2003
In order to add a fraction symbol in this version of the program, the user must find an arrow in the menu. It is when you run it that a tab called “Toolbar Options” is displayed. Next, the user clicks on it, and then selects the item that says about adding a button. Next, the user must go to the “Teams” tab. After that, select and look for the “Formula Editor” item. It looks something like this:
Putting a fraction: method No. 2
If the user needs to place a number on top of another character, separating them with a horizontal line, then the functions of the Word text editor can easily do this. What needs to be done for this? The user needs to place the cursor at the place where the fraction is planned to be placed. Next, go to the text editor menu, to the “Insert” section. Then in the “Symbol” section, which allows you to insert into a text document symbols that are not on the keyboard (for example, trademark, citation mark, etc.) After that, find the “Fraction” item and select the simple fraction format we need.
If you are busy writing a term paper or a document with a calculation part, you may need a graphic symbol that is not available on the keyboard. This could be a foreign currency symbol, a function symbol, or a mathematical fraction. Let's consider the last case. There are several ways to write fractions on the keyboard.
Type No. 1: vertical shot
Let's say you want to represent a fraction with a horizontal line called a vinculum. Perhaps this is the most familiar option for many of us, because this is how school mathematics teachers teach how to write fractions, and this is the expression that is found in many technical, scientific and educational texts. For "multi-story" fractions, you need to resort to the endless possibilities of Word.
Method 1.
- Click the "Insert" tab;
- Find the “Formula” tab on the right and click on it;
- In the constructor that appears, find the “Fraction” column and select the option for writing a fraction that suits you: vertical simple or small, which is useful for depicting a mixed number consisting of an integer and a fractional part;
- An empty formula will appear at the specified location. Fill in the required numbers in the empty fraction boxes. Ready!
Method 2.
- Place the cursor in the place where you want to insert the fraction;
- Click the "Insert" tab;
- Find the “Object” tab on the right and click on it;
- Select the line “Microsoft Equation 3.0” and click OK;
- In the field that appears with various symbols, select “Patterns of fractions and radicals” and click on the fraction symbol;
- Insert the required numbers in the empty formula boxes.
It is worth considering that writing fractions in vertical form is not displayed everywhere. For example, if you copy a vertical fraction from Word into a chat social networks or Skype dialog box, it will appear horizontally.
Type No. 2: solidus
Option often found in scientific works Ah, articles and textbooks, these are fractions with a slash, which in the mathematical world is called “solidus”. This fractional line is inclined to the right by approximately 45°, and there is a special spacing (kerning) between the numbers. Don't confuse a solidus with a regular slash - they look different! 
You can represent a fraction in this form using Word. Use the principle of action specified in paragraph “View No. 1”, only in the “Fraction” tab select the “diagonal simple fraction” option. 
You can also enter a fraction in this form using Microsoft Equation 3.0. 
Type No. 3: horizontal shot
A more familiar option for us, which is often found in journalistic and popular science articles, is a horizontal fraction. 
A horizontal fraction can be entered in four ways:
- Insert->Formula->Fraction->Horizontal simple fraction;
- Insert->Symbol->Numeric Forms;
In this case, it is convenient to re-enter fractions using the “Previously Used Symbols” panel. If the above fractions are used frequently, you can configure hotkey combinations or autocorrect options. - Insert->Object->Microsoft Equation 3.0->Fraction and Radical Patterns.
The simplest and quick way to represent fractions without resorting to inserts - use “slash” (or a forward slash) on the keyboard. This is exactly what most Internet users do, who do not want to waste time searching for the necessary characters. Of course, for those who are busy writing serious scientific papers, it is better to choose special images of fractions.
The slash is located on the keyboard in the following places:
- Next to the right Shift button on the English layout;
- In the number pad;
- Above and to the left of Enter (must be pressed simultaneously with Shift).
You can also type slash like this:
Instructions for inserting fractions in Word
To work with text documents, tables and formulas, a program such as Word is used. This is a multifunctional program that allows you to perform many manipulations with text, as well as add many icons and images to it. To compose text documents of a mathematical nature, it is often necessary to insert fractions into the text, and fill them out correctly. But many users have no idea how to do this and ask the question of how to write a fraction in Word. To understand this issue, it is necessary to consider the entire algorithm for carrying out this manipulation:
The most in a simple way To implement this insertion is to simply write the numerator, and after the underline write the denominator in the next line. To do this more conveniently, you need to go to the “Insert” tab and select the “Inscription” function there. The convenience of this manipulation lies in the fact that in this way you can set the spacing between lines; to do this, go to the “Format” menu and select the “Paragraph” option there; this measure will allow you to present the fraction naturally and visually.
The next way to create a fraction in a Word document of the seventh or tenth edition is the following algorithm:
- you need to open the document in which the changes will take place
- then place the cursor where the fraction will be
- go to the "Insert" menu and select the "Formula" option there
- In this tab, select the required type of formula
If you need to insert a fraction into a document created in Word version 3, you should proceed according to this principle:
- you need to find a special arrow in the dashboard, when you click on it, the active “Toolbar Options” window will open
- you need to left-click on it and select “Add or remove buttons” there
- then select the "Settings" tab:
- after that you need to go to the active “Commands” window
- Select the "Insert" option in the left column
- find the "Formula Editor" function there:
- In the “Formula Editor”, left-click the inscription and drag it to the desired location in the control panel:
- At the final stage, it’s tedious to click on the “Formula Editor” icon that appears.
- in the active window that opens, select “Pattern of fractions and radicals” and select the required one appearance fractions
- you need to insert your numbers into the shaded frame
- After that, click in an empty space on the screen and the fraction is ready.
You should consider a similar situation in Word version seven, it is slightly different from the one described above.
- So, first you need to open the document in which you are going to work and hover your mouse over the place where the fraction will appear.
- After this, you need to go to the “Insert” tab and select the “Formula” option there:
- A new active “Designer” window will open and it contains a large number of mathematical symbols and formulas into which values can be substituted. There you need to find “Fraction” and click on it with the left mouse button:
- Windows with different signs will appear and there we select the fraction we need:
- After you do this in the document, a fraction will appear in the place where the cursor was.
- Now you need to fill it with values, that is, enter the numerator and denominator. In addition, you can add one more fraction to both the denominator and numerator:
Word provides a wide range of functionality for working with mathematical documents and, if desired, you can complete a task of any complexity. So Word suggests not only entering fractions into the text, but also entire ready-made formulas, where you just need to substitute the values. Therefore, you should not neglect these functions and add fractions manually in the finished work; you just need to study the program’s operation a little more carefully.
In general, we can say that there is nothing complicated about this issue. You just need to pay attention and take your time. It should be noted that the Word program, with each new version is filled with various much-needed features that its popularity has not waned for many years. Therefore, if you have difficulties working in documents, do not despair, you just need to carefully study the functionality of this wonderful program.
