How To Type Fractions on a Keyboard

Fractions are commonly used across different fields, including science, engineering, cooking, photography, sports, mathematics, and medicine. Some of the best illustrations of when you can use fractions include financial reports, recipes, and mathematical solutions. However, the question of how to write fractions on the keyboard is something that most people find hard. 

But for a more in-depth look at how you can type fractions on your keyboard, look no further. This guide looks at how you can enter fractions on different word processors such as the simple Notepad or more advanced Microsoft Word. 

Method #1: Using the Forward Slash

The simplest way to type fractions using your keyboard is by pressing the forward slash button. Doing this will create a division line separating the denominator and the numerator. For example, enter the numerator you want, let’s say 2, and click on the forward slash key (/). After that, type in the denominator, for example, 5, and you’ll have 2/5. 

When writing simpler fractions, such as 1/4 or 4/9, everything will look crisp and tidy, but the same can’t be said for bigger fractions, such as 6627/9927.  

Method #2: Using the Insert Option

Another effective and straightforward way of typing fractions is through the “Insert Equation” method, which only works on MS Office. This method of entering fractions offers you various kinds of fraction templates. As a result, it’s a lot easier for you to key in the fraction into your MS Word document.  

Here are the steps you should follow when typing fractions using the “Insert Equation” method on Microsoft Word.

1. Launch Microsoft Word.
2. Go to the top of the window and tap on the “Insert” tab. 
3. Click on the “Symbols” button at the right end of the window to see the list of symbols available. 
4. Tap on the option “More Symbols” and choose the preferred fraction style. 
5. Filter through the list of symbols. 
6. Tap on the “Subset” drop-down button and select “Number Forms” from the list. MS Word will automatically filter the list of symbols, depending on your condition. 
7. Select your preferred fraction from the dialog box and tap on the “Insert” button. 

The fraction will consequently be inserted automatically on the precise spot of the mouse cursor. You can close the “Symbol” dialog box if you don’t want to add other symbols or fractions. 

Method #3: Using the “AutoFormat As You Type” Feature 

The “AutoFormat As You Type” on the MS Word program is a default configuration. With that said, the setting in certain instances might be disabled. If you wish to enable it and use it to type fractions on MS Word, here are the steps to follow.

1. Open the MS Word application. 
2. Tap “File” on the top-left part of the MS Word window. 
3. Click “Options” on the display’s bottom left corner to launch the “Word Options” dialog box.  
4. Go to the “Proofing” section and look for “AutoCorrect Options”. 
5. Tap on the “AutoCorrect” dialog box, which consists of features that can automatically format texts on MS Word as you’re typing. 
6. Tap the “AutoFormat As You Type” option on the “AutoCorrect” dialog box and go to the “Replace As You Type”. 
7. Tick the checkbox outlined “Fractions (1/2) With Fraction Character”.
8. Ignore other checkboxes, tap “OK” to save your autocorrect settings to apply the changes, and close the Windows Options dialog box.

With the Auto Formatting for Fractions switched on, you can start typing fractions on your MS Word document. All you need to do is enter the numerator and follow this up with the division symbol (/) and key in the denominator. You shouldn’t include spaces between these input characters; otherwise, the AutoCorrect feature won’t consider it a fraction. 

Once you’ve typed your fraction, click on the keyboard’s spacebar key, and data will be switched into a fraction format. 

Method #4: Using the Equation Tool 

This is another effective way of adding fractions on MS Office documents, and here are the steps.

1. Launch the MS Word document.  
2. Tap on the “Insert” tab. 
3. Click on the “Equation” drop-down button from the “Symbols” group. 
4. Tap on “Insert New Equation”, and an equation input box will show on your computer screen.  
5. Tap on “Fraction”, and four options will appear: “Stacked”, “Skewed”, “Linear”, and “Small Fraction”. Select the one you want. 
6. Enter the numerator and denominator into the fraction box. 
7. Click on “Enter”.

Summary 

You’ll need to write fractions on a keyboard when solving a math problem, writing a recipe, or doing a presentation. The use of fractions is easier to read and looks more professional. For instance, it’s better to write 1/4 kg of tomatoes rather than half a kilo of tomatoes, right? 

This exhaustive article has outlined the different ways how you can properly type fractions on a keyboard. This knowledge is vital, especially if your word processor doesn’t automatically enter fractions into the neat pre-formatted version.