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X With Accent (ẋ, ẍ, Ẋ, Ẍ) — How to Type Accented X on Keyboard

Typing an accented X (like ẋ or Ẍ) is not something most people do every day — and that’s why it can feel confusing on an English keyboard.

The good news: you can type these letters easily using:

  • Copy & paste (fastest)
  • Alt codes (Windows)
  • Character Viewer (Mac)
  • Unicode + Alt+X (Microsoft Word on Windows)
  • Special characters tool (Google Docs)

This guide is written for beginners, with clear explanations before the steps.

Accented X copy and paste (fastest)

If you only need this once, copy and paste is the quickest option.

X with Accent — Click to Copy
Click any letter to copy it.
Lowercase
Uppercase
Tip: If a character shows as a □ box, change your font (try Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman).

Refer to this accent keyboard for more accented letters.

Tip: Bookmark this page so you can come back and copy these characters anytime.

What does “X with accent” mean?

“X with accent” usually refers to one of these:

  • ẋ / Ẋ = X with dot above
  • ẍ / Ẍ = X with diaeresis (two dots above)

You may see these in:

How to type X with accent on Windows

On Windows, the easiest beginner-friendly options are:

  1. Alt codes (fast when you have a numeric keypad)
  2. Character Map (works even without a keypad)

Method 1: Alt codes (Windows) — fastest with a number pad

What this method is

Alt codes are a Windows shortcut where you hold Alt and type a number. Windows then inserts the character.

This is great if you type these letters often because it’s quick once you know the code.

Before you start (important)

  • Turn Num Lock ON
  • Use the numeric keypad (number pad on the right side of your keyboard)
  • The top number row usually won’t work for Alt codes

Steps (Alt code method)

  1. Click where you want the accented X
  2. Turn Num Lock ON
  3. Hold down Alt
  4. Type the Alt code using the numeric keypad
  5. Release Alt

Windows Alt codes for accented X

  • ẋ (x with dot above) = Alt 7819
  • ẍ (x with diaeresis) = Alt 7821
  • Ẋ (X with dot above) = Alt 7818
  • Ẍ (X with diaeresis) = Alt 7820

If you’re on a laptop (no number pad)

Some laptops have a hidden number pad. You may be able to turn it on with Fn + NumLk (depends on your laptop).

If that’s not working, don’t worry — use Character Map (next method) or copy & paste.

Method 2: Character Map (Windows) — easiest “no-stress” option

What this method is

Character Map is a free tool built into Windows that lets you find special characters and copy them.

This is perfect when:

  • Alt codes won’t work
  • you don’t have a numeric keypad
  • you just want a simple click-and-copy method

Steps (Character Map)

  1. Open the Start menu
  2. Search Character Map and open it
  3. Pick a font like Arial or Times New Roman
  4. Find the character you need (ẋ, ẍ, Ẋ, Ẍ)
  5. Click Select → Copy
  6. Paste it into your document

Tip: If you can’t see the character, try a different font. Some fonts show more symbols.

How to type X with accent on Mac

Mac doesn’t use Alt codes the same way Windows does. The easiest method is the built-in Character Viewer.

Method 1: Character Viewer (Mac) — best Mac method

What this method is

Character Viewer lets you search for special characters by name and insert them into almost any app (Word, Docs, Pages, email, etc.).

Steps (Mac)

  1. Click where you want the letter
  2. Press Control + Command + Space
  3. Search for:
    • “x dot above” (ẋ / Ẋ)
    • “x diaeresis” (ẍ / Ẍ)
  4. Double-click the character to insert it

Tip: If nothing shows up, search just “diaeresis” or “dot above” and scroll.

How to type accented X in Microsoft Word

Word gives you two very beginner-friendly ways:

  • a fast “type code and convert it” method (Windows Word)
  • a click method that works on Windows and Mac

Method 1: Unicode + Alt+X (Word on Windows) — fastest Word trick

What this method is

In Word for Windows, you can type the Unicode code, then press Alt + X to convert it into the character.

This is great if:

  • you don’t have a numeric keypad
  • you’re working inside Word and want a quick method

Steps

  1. Type the Unicode code
  2. Press Alt + X

Use these:

  • ẋ: type 1E8B then Alt+X
  • ẍ: type 1E8D then Alt+X
  • Ẋ: type 1E8A then Alt+X
  • Ẍ: type 1E8C then Alt+X

Method 2: Insert Symbol (Word on Windows and Mac) — easiest for beginners

What this method is

Word has a built-in symbol list where you can insert letters without memorizing any codes.

Steps

  1. Go to Insert
  2. Click Symbol → More Symbols
  3. Choose a common font (Calibri, Arial, Times New Roman)
  4. Find the character and click Insert

Tip: