The best fonts for mathematical typesetting are the ones that ship with an OpenType MATH table: Latin Modern Math for the classic TeX look, STIX Two Math for Times-style documents, Libertinus Math for a book feel, and Noto Sans Math or Fira Math when you want a sans serif. In Microsoft Word the default is Cambria Math. Pick the math font that matches your body text and your results will look consistent.
Math is harder than ordinary text because a font needs more than letters. It needs italic variables, Greek, blackboard bold such as ℝ and ℕ, stretchy brackets, big sum and integral signs, and rules for placing superscripts. Below we list the fonts that handle this, what each one is best for, and how to use them in LaTeX, Word and the web.
What makes a font a math font
A normal font only maps characters to shapes. A math font also carries an OpenType MATH table, which stores layout data: how high to raise a superscript, how large operators grow in display style, and how brackets are assembled from pieces to stretch around tall expressions. Software such as LuaLaTeX, XeLaTeX, Microsoft Word and modern browsers read that table to lay out equations.
It also needs wide Unicode coverage. Math letters such as 𝑥 and 𝒜 live in the Mathematical Alphanumeric Symbols block, and operators such as ∑ and ∈ sit in separate math blocks. If a font lacks them, your software silently substitutes another font and the equation looks patchy.
Math fonts compared
| Font | Look | Licence | Where to get it |
|---|---|---|---|
| Latin Modern Math | Computer Modern style, the classic TeX look | GUST Font License | CTAN, included in TeX distributions |
| STIX Two Math | Times-like serif | SIL OFL | Google Fonts, CTAN |
| Libertinus Math | Humanist book serif | SIL OFL | Google Fonts, CTAN |
| TeX Gyre Pagella, Termes, Bonum and Schola Math | Palatino-, Times-, Bookman- and Century Schoolbook-style | GUST Font License | CTAN |
| Asana Math | Palatino-style serif | SIL OFL | CTAN (still marked beta) |
| Fira Math | Sans serif, based on Fira Sans | SIL OFL | GitHub, CTAN |
| Noto Sans Math | Sans serif | SIL OFL | Google Fonts |
| Cambria Math | Serif, Microsoft’s equation font | Proprietary | Installed with Windows and Office |
The licence column comes from each project’s Google Fonts or CTAN record. “Free” is not the same as OFL: the GUST Font License is also free to use and distribute, but it has its own conditions, so read it if you plan to redistribute modified versions. Cambria Math is not free to redistribute, so do not bundle it.
The main choices explained
Latin Modern Math: the default look of TeX
Computer Modern was created by Donald Knuth for TeX, and Latin Modern is its refined, extended descendant maintained by the GUST user group. Latin Modern Math is its math companion in OpenType form for LuaLaTeX and XeLaTeX. If you want your document to look like a typical textbook or arXiv paper, this is the one. It is thin and pale on screens at small sizes, so projected slides often look better with a sturdier font.
STIX Two Math: the safe Times-style option
STIX Two is designed for scientific publishing, and its text and math versions work together. STIX Two Text and STIX Two Math are both on Google Fonts, and the MDN browser documentation notes that macOS Ventura (13) and later ship STIX Two Math. It is a good match when a journal or thesis template asks for Times. Our post on which font Apple uses covers other fonts built into macOS.
Libertinus Math: a warmer book serif
Libertinus is a fork of the Linux Libertine fonts and Libertinus Math is its math companion. Pair it with Libertinus Serif for an attractive, readable page that looks less stiff than Times. Google Fonts lists Libertinus Math, Libertinus Serif and Libertinus Sans.
TeX Gyre and Asana: Palatino, Times and Bookman looks
The TeX Gyre math fonts match TeX Gyre text fonts of the same name, such as Pagella and Termes, and are distributed only in OpenType form. Asana Math is a Palatino-style math font that its maintainer still labels beta, so test it before committing. Both are good when you want a text-and-math pairing that is not Computer Modern.
Sans serif choices: Fira Math and Noto Sans Math
Slides, posters and on-screen teaching material often read better in sans serif. Fira Math is a sans serif math font based on Fira Sans and Fira GO. Noto Sans Math covers the math symbols for the Noto Sans family. If you use either, keep the surrounding text in the matching sans family so letter shapes stay consistent.
Cambria Math: Word’s equation font
Cambria Math is the font Microsoft Word uses by default for equations, and it is installed with Windows and Office. MDN also notes that it renders MathML reasonably well in browsers on Windows. It works well for office documents, but you cannot redistribute it with open projects.
How to use them
LaTeX with pdfLaTeX
The classic engine uses font packages, not OpenType files. The simplest improvement is the Latin Modern package, which gives a cleaner, scalable version of the default look. Other packages swap the whole text-and-math pairing, such as mathpazo for Palatino style or newtxtext and newtxmath for Times style. Load fonts with the package’s own options and check the compile log if a symbol is missing.
usepackage[T1]{fontenc}
usepackage{lmodern}LaTeX with LuaLaTeX or XeLaTeX
Use these engines when you want to choose an installed OpenType math font. Load the unicode-math package, pick a text font, then pick the matching math font:
usepackage{unicode-math}
setmainfont{STIX Two Text}
setmathfont{STIX Two Math}Replace the names with the family names installed on your computer, such as Libertinus Serif and Libertinus Math, or Latin Modern Roman and Latin Modern Math. On a hosted editor, check which fonts are installed or upload the font files to your project. The unicode-math package page on CTAN has the documentation.
Microsoft Word
Press Alt and = on Windows, or use Insert, then Equation, to start an equation. Word uses Cambria Math for it. You can also type linear-format input using UnicodeMath or LaTeX-style syntax, described on Microsoft’s support page. Fira Math and Asana Math both state that they work with Word, but results vary by version, so preview the equation and print a test page before you rely on a third-party math font.
Google Docs and Slides
Docs has an equation tool under Insert, Equation. It renders equations with its own math layout and gives you little control over the font, so if the typeface matters, produce the equation in LaTeX or Word and insert it as an image or PDF.
Web pages
Current browsers render MathML directly, and MDN’s guidance is to install Latin Modern Math and STIX Two Math if equations look wrong on a device. For web projects you can also self-host a math font in your site CSS. Because Google Fonts lists STIX Two Math, Libertinus Math and Noto Sans Math, they are easy options for developers who already use that service.
How to choose
- Match your body text. Use the same family for text and math whenever it exists: STIX Two Text with STIX Two Math, Libertinus Serif with Libertinus Math, Latin Modern with Latin Modern Math.
- Check the symbols you need. Type a test line with your hardest symbols, such as blackboard bold, script letters, set operators and arrows.
- Think about the medium. Print can use light, delicate fonts; slides need sturdier or sans serif designs.
- Check the licence. For commercial publishing, OFL fonts are the easiest to reason about. If you are unsure, read the licence on the download page.
- Follow the template. Journals and universities often require a specific font. Ask before changing it.
For more serif options for the text side of your document, see our guide to serif fonts and the serif fonts collection. If you are writing documents with a tight layout, the monospace fonts are useful for code listings beside equations.
Frequently asked questions
What is the best font for math equations?
For TeX documents, Latin Modern Math is the classic and STIX Two Math is the safest Times-style alternative. In Word, Cambria Math is the default and is hard to beat for compatibility.
Is Computer Modern the same as Latin Modern?
Latin Modern is based on Computer Modern, the font family Donald Knuth created for TeX. It extends it with more characters and ships in modern font formats, so it is the version most people actually use today.
Are math fonts free for commercial use?
STIX Two Math, Libertinus Math, Noto Sans Math, Asana Math and Fira Math are released under the SIL Open Font License. Latin Modern Math and the TeX Gyre math fonts use the GUST Font License, which is also free but has its own conditions. Cambria Math is proprietary.
Can I use any font for equations in Word?
Word is built around Cambria Math. Some third-party OpenType math fonts claim Word support, but you should test them, because layout and symbol coverage can differ from Cambria Math.
