How to Write a Matrix in Word

Updated 09/01/2026

A lot of people try to build a matrix by inserting a Table, or by typing brackets and lining up numbers with spaces — both fall apart the moment you change the font or add or remove a number. Word has a built-in matrix template that's mathematically correct and takes seconds to set up.

How to insert Word's built-in matrix

1. Open an equation (Alt + =), and place your cursor where the matrix should go.
2. On the Equation tab (which appears when your cursor is inside an equation), find the Structures group and click Matrix.
3. Pick a template with the number of rows/columns and the bracket style you need — round brackets, square brackets, or none.
4. An empty matrix appears with cells ready for input. Press Tab to move through the cells in order.

Adding or removing rows/columns after inserting it

No need to delete it and start over. Click into a cell in the matrix, and a small arrow button appears at the corner — click it to open a menu for inserting a row or column above, below, left, or right of the selected cell.

Changing the bracket style after inserting it

If you picked the wrong bracket style (square brackets instead of round, say), you don't need to start from scratch — select the whole matrix, go back to Structures > Matrix, and pick a different bracket template with the same row/column count; the numbers you already entered stay put.

Tip: shorthand for small matrices

For a 2x2 matrix or smaller, you can type it quickly with LaTeX-style AutoCorrect syntax right inside the equation box: \matrix(a&b@c&d) then hit space — Word builds a 2-row, 2-column matrix, with & separating columns and @ separating rows.

See also how to write a system of equations in Word — it uses the same Structures group and a very similar structure to a matrix.