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The Microsoft Office Equation Editor can be used to create equations in a format compatible with many screen readers. The content of the Equation Editor can also be exported to MathML or LaTeX as needed.

Screen Reader Support

The following screen readers are able to parse equations embedded within a Microsoft Word document:

Equation Editor Basics

The Equation Editor in Word includes a ribbon which contains multiple equation templates and buttons for symbols. You can use these to build complex equations.

See the following support videos and documents for details.

Word Equation ribbon filled with settings, math symbol icons and formula templates.
The Equation Tab as seen in Microsoft Word.

Equation Editor Videos

How-to Documentation

LaTeX Entry

If you are familiar with LaTeX, you can also insert LaTeX into directly into the Equation Editor, and it will be converted to a visual format. A summary of the instructions are given below:

  1. To open a new equation editor window, press Control+= (Control with the equals sign). An Equation tab filled with math symbols opens.
  2. Click the {} LaTeX option In the upper left.
  3. In the new equation window, type or paste a piece of LaTeX such as \frac{x^2}{\sqrt{x}}, then press Enter/Return. The LaTeX will be converted to a visual equation such as the one below.

Test LaTeX Code

\frac{x^2}{\sqrt{x}}

Visual Output

x 2 x

Troubleshooting

If there are issues with the rendering, check for the following:

  • There should be no line breaks, tabs or other hidden characters.
  • Do not add formatting such as bolding or color changes. These can add hidden characters to the file.
  • Check your syntax for errors.
  • Try building small chunks first, then use copy and paste to join elements together in an equation.

MathML Entry

The process above also works with MathML Code.

Test MathML Code

<math xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1998/Math/MathML" display="block">
<mfrac>
<msup>
<mi>x</mi>
<mn>2</mn>
</msup>
<msqrt>
<mi>x</mi>
</msqrt>
</mfrac>
</math>

Visual Output

x 2 x

 

Import from Equatio

Equatio can be used to extract LaTeX or MathML from an equation image. The code can then be pasted into the Word equation editor.

Export Options

MathML and LaTex can be inputted into the Word Equation editor, but it can also be extracted from it as well.

Extract LaTeX

  1. Place your cursor inside an equation to open the Equation tab.
  2. Click the {} LaTeX option In the upper left.
  3. Copy all or part of an equation.
  4. Move your cursor outside the equation.
  5. In the Edit menu, choose Paste Special to open the Paste Special window.
  6. In the Paste Special Window, select the option for Unformatted Text. The raw LaTeX code will be extracted and inserted into the document.

Extract MathML via Equatio

Although the Word Equation Editor can accept raw MathML code, it can be tricky to retrieve it. One method is to use Equatio as an intermediate conversion tool.

  1. Place your cursor inside an equation to open the Equation tab.
  2. Click the {} LaTeX icon option In the upper left.
  3. Copy all or part of an equation.
  4. Open the Equatio application, then select the LaTeX icon.
  5. Paste the equation. It will be shown as LaTeX code on the left and a visual equation on the right.
  6. If the equation is correct, click the Copy Math As (double document icon) on the lower right and select the option for MathML.
  7. Open a plain text editor such as Notebook (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac) and paste the equation. It will be pasted as MathML.
  8. To insert MathML as a code snippet into word, remove part of the code before pasting it – then retype the missing part in word.

Pandoc Batch Conversion

You can use Pandoc to convert a Word file with equations to HTML with MathML or a similar format.

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