Markdown to Word with math

Matrices, sums with limits, Greek letters, roots and accents: every math symbol and structure is mapped to the exact building block Word's equation editor uses.

Pro · preview is free

Linear algebra cheat sheet

A rotation by angle $θ$ in the plane:

$R (θ) = (\begin{matrix} \cos θ & - \sin θ \\ \sin θ & \cos θ \end{matrix})$

Sample variance of $n$ observations with mean $μ$ :

$σ^{2} = \frac{1}{n} \sum_{i = 1}^{n} {(x_{i} - μ)}^{2}$

Greek letters $α, β, γ, Δ, Ω$ , the vector $\vec{v}$ and the set $ℝ^{n}$ all map to Unicode in Cambria Math.

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Converted in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.

Paste Markdown with math

Matrices, operators with limits, Greek letters and accents in standard LaTeX notation between dollar signs.

Check every symbol

The preview typesets each structure as Word will. Unsupported commands are highlighted so nothing surprises you later.

Download editable equations

Open in Word, click into a matrix, add a row. It is the equation editor's own structure.

How math symbols and structures map to Word's equation editor

Word's equation editor is not a font trick. It is a small layout engine with a fixed vocabulary of structures: fraction, radical, n-ary operator, matrix, delimiter, accent, bar, box, function, limit, and script (subscript, superscript, or both). Every equation in a .docx is a tree built from those structures, expressed in OMML, and every symbol is a Unicode character rendered from the Cambria Math font. Converting math from Markdown therefore means answering two questions for each piece of LaTeX: which Word structure is it, and which Unicode code point does it use. This page documents those answers. The sibling pages cover LaTeX delimiters and the overall pipeline, inline formulas and line height, and block equations with numbering.

Symbols: LaTeX commands to Unicode

Greek letters are the most common case. \alpha becomes U+03B1 α, \Omega becomes U+03A9 Ω, and the variant forms \varepsilon and \varphi map to their own code points rather than being approximated. Word italicises lowercase Greek by default because it treats them as variables, which matches LaTeX behaviour. Blackboard bold \mathbb{R} becomes the double-struck character ℝ U+211D, and \mathcal{L} uses the Mathematical Script block, so both survive copy and paste into other programs. Relations and operators map one to one: \leq ≤, \neq ≠, \approx ≈, \times ×, \cdot ⋅, \infty ∞, \partial ∂, \nabla ∇, \in ∈, \subseteq ⊆, \rightarrow →, \Rightarrow ⇒, \forall ∀, \exists ∃. Spacing commands \, \; \quad become the Unicode thin, medium and em spaces Word expects.

Structures: LaTeX constructs to OMML elements

LaTeX	Word structure	OMML element
`\frac{a}{b}`, `\tfrac`, `\dfrac`	Stacked fraction	`m:f`
`a^2`, `a_i`, `a_i^2`	Superscript, subscript, both	`m:sSup`, `m:sSub`, `m:sSubSup`
`\sqrt{x}`, `\sqrt[3]{x}`	Radical with optional degree	`m:rad`
`\sum_{i=1}^{n}`, `\int_a^b`, `\prod`	N-ary operator with limits	`m:nary`
`\lim_{x\to 0}`	Function with lower limit	`m:func` + `m:limLow`
`\begin{pmatrix}…\end{pmatrix}`	Matrix inside parentheses	`m:d` wrapping `m:m`
`bmatrix`, `vmatrix`, `Bmatrix`	Matrix with [ ], \| \|, { }	`m:d` with begChr/endChr
`\left( … \right)`, `\left\{ … \right.`	Stretchy delimiters, one side optional	`m:d`, empty endChr
`\vec{v}`, `\hat{x}`, `\dot{y}`, `\tilde{n}`	Accent	`m:acc`
`\bar{x}`, `\overline{AB}`, `\underline{y}`	Bar above or below	`m:bar`
`\binom{n}{k}`	Fraction with no bar inside parentheses	`m:d` + `m:f` type noBar
`\text{if } x>0`	Upright normal text run	`m:r` with `m:nor`
`\mathbf{x}`, `\mathrm{d}`	Bold or upright run style	`m:sty` b / p
`\begin{cases}`	Left brace with equation array	`m:d` + `m:eqArr`
`\sin`, `\log`, `\max`	Recognised function name, upright	`m:func`

Why the structure matters after export

Because a matrix is written as an m:m element with rows and columns, Word's right-click menu offers Insert Row and Insert Column on it. Because a sum is an m:nary, you can toggle its limits between above-below and subscript-superscript placement. Because \frac is an m:f, you can switch it between stacked, skewed and linear form. None of that is possible with an image or with a pasted string of Unicode characters. The preview typesets the same structures, so what you see is what the equation editor will build.

Coverage and gaps

The mapping covers the amsmath set used in practice, roughly 400 commands. Commands with no Word equivalent, such as \xleftarrow with a label, \cancel, and the chemistry package \ce, are shown in the preview with a highlight and exported as upright text so they remain readable. User macros from \newcommand are expanded when defined in the same document. Math is exported as native Word equation objects; free users get the preview and the LaTeX source in the file, while Pro unlocks the OMML download. The same symbol table drives Markdown to PDF with math.

Math symbols in Word: MDtoDOCX vs Pandoc vs copy-paste

Symbol handling	MDtoDOCX	Pandoc	Copy into Word
Greek letters and operators	Unicode in Cambria Math	Unicode in Cambria Math	Backslash commands as text
Matrices	Editable m:m with rows and columns	Editable	Lost
Sum and integral limits	n-ary with limits, toggleable	n-ary	Lost
Accents and bars	m:acc, m:bar	Supported	Lost
Blackboard and script fonts	Proper Unicode blocks	Proper Unicode blocks	Plain letters
Unsupported command	Highlighted, kept as upright text	Error or dropped	n/a
Preview of each symbol	Yes, before download	No	n/a
Install	None	Pandoc	None

Frequently asked questions

Are Greek letters real characters or images?

Real Unicode characters set in Cambria Math. You can select, copy and search for them, and change one letter without touching the rest of the equation.

Can I add a row to a matrix in Word?

Yes. Matrices are exported as Word matrix structures, so right-click inside one and the Insert Row and Insert Column commands are available.

Do sum and integral limits appear above and below?

In display equations, yes. In inline equations they move to subscript and superscript position so the line height stays even. Word lets you toggle this per operator.

What happens to commands Word cannot represent?

They are highlighted in the preview and exported as upright text inside the equation, so the meaning is preserved and you can fix it in Word if needed.

Is blackboard bold supported?

Yes. mathbb letters map to the Unicode double-struck block and mathcal to the script block, so they render correctly and survive copying into other applications.

How is this page different from the formulas and equations pages?

This page covers symbols and structures. The formulas page covers inline math flowing inside sentences, and the equations page covers block equations with numbering and cross-references.

Does math conversion require Pro?

The typeset preview is free. Downloading native Word equations requires Pro. Free downloads include the LaTeX source in a monospace paragraph.

Is anything uploaded?

No. The parser and the OMML writer run in your browser. Your document never leaves your device.