I With Accent Marks on Keyboard: ì í î ï (and Ì Í Î Ï)
“I with accents” are the letter i with small marks added on top. These marks change how the letter is pronounced in many languages and names.
You’ll most commonly see these i-accent letters in French, Spanish, Italian, Icelandic, Hungarian, and in people’s names (for example: naïve → ï, í in Spanish names, and more).
This guide shows the fastest ways to type:
ì í î ï and Ì Í Î Ï on Windows, Mac, Word, Excel, Google Docs, iPhone, and Android.
1-Minute Answer (fastest ways)
Windows (fastest)
- Alt codes (best if you have a numeric keypad): Hold Alt and type the code on the numpad.
- Emoji/Symbol panel: Press Win + . (Windows key + period) → go to Symbols → search or browse.
Mac (fastest)
- Option “dead keys” (most reliable): Press Option + accent key, release, then press i.
- Press-and-hold: Press and hold i → pick the accented i from the popup.
- Character Viewer: Press Control + Command + Space → search the letter name.
Microsoft Word (fastest)
- Word accent shortcuts: Press the accent shortcut first, then type i.
- Insert Symbol: Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.
Google Docs (fastest)
- Insert → Special characters → search (example: “i acute”, “i grave”).
iPhone / Android (fastest)
- Press and hold i → choose ì í î ï.
Quick reference table (ì í î ï + Ì Í Î Ï)
| Letter | Name | Unicode | Windows Alt code | Mac (Option method) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ì / Ì | i grave | U+00EC / U+00CC | Alt+0236 / Alt+0204 | Option+` then i (Shift+i for Ì) |
| í / Í | i acute | U+00ED / U+00CD | Alt+0237 / Alt+0205 | Option+E then i (Shift+i for Í) |
| î / Î | i circumflex | U+00EE / U+00CE | Alt+0238 / Alt+0206 | Option+I then i (Shift+i for Î) |
| ï / Ï | i diaeresis (umlaut) | U+00EF / U+00CF | Alt+0239 / Alt+0207 | Option+U then i (Shift+i for Ï) |
How to type i with accents (step-by-step)
A) Copy/paste (fastest)
- Copy the letter you want (from the tool above).
- Paste it where you need it:
- Windows: Ctrl + V
- Mac: Command + V
B) Windows
Method 1: Alt codes (Windows)
Works best on a full keyboard with a numeric keypad.
- Turn Num Lock ON.
- Hold Alt.
- Type the code on the numeric keypad (not the number row above letters).
- Release Alt.
Lowercase
- ì = Alt+0236
- í = Alt+0237
- î = Alt+0238
- ï = Alt+0239
Uppercase
- Ì = Alt+0204
- Í = Alt+0205
- Î = Alt+0206
- Ï = Alt+0207
Laptop without a numpad? Try one of these:
- If your laptop has an Fn numpad (numbers on keys like J K L U I O), turn on Num Lock and use those keys.
- Or skip Alt codes and use Win + . (next method) or Character Map.
Method 2: Windows symbol panel (Win + .)
- Click where you want the letter.
- Press Win + . (Windows key + period).
- Go to Symbols (and sometimes Kaomoji/Symbols, depending on Windows version).
- Search or browse for the accented i letters.
- Click to insert.
Tip: If search doesn’t find it, use Character Map (next method) or just copy/paste from the widget.
Method 3: Character Map (Windows)
- Press Start and search Character Map.
- Open it.
- Choose a common font like Arial or Times New Roman.
- Find ì í î ï (and the uppercase versions).
- Click the character → Select → Copy → paste anywhere.
Method 4 (optional): Add a language keyboard / US-International
If you type accents often, adding a keyboard layout (like US-International) can make accents easier long-term.
(Place a short link here to your “letters with accents” hub or your keyboard-layout guide.)
C) Mac
Method 1: Mac “dead key” Option shortcuts (most reliable)
This is the pattern: Option + accent key, release, then type i.
- ì: Option + `, then i
- í: Option + E, then i
- î: Option + I, then i
- ï: Option + U, then i
Uppercase on Mac
Do the same shortcut, then type Shift + I (or turn on Caps Lock):
- Option + E, then Shift + I → Í
- Option + U, then Shift + I → Ï
…and so on.
Method 2: Press-and-hold i
- Press and hold the i key.
- A small menu appears with options like í, ì, î, ï (depends on your language/input settings).
- Click the one you want, or press the number shown.
Method 3: Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space)
- Press Control + Command + Space.
- In the search box, type:
- i grave
- i acute
- i circumflex
- i diaeresis
- Double-click the character to insert it.
D) Microsoft Word (Windows + Mac)
Method 1: Word accent shortcuts (fastest in Word)
Important: press the accent shortcut first, then type i.
- ì: Ctrl + `, then i
- í: Ctrl + ‘, then i
- î: Ctrl + Shift + ^, then i
- ï: Ctrl + Shift + :, then i
Uppercase in Word
Do the shortcut, then type Shift + I (or turn on Caps Lock):
- Ctrl + ‘ then Shift + I → Í
- Ctrl + Shift + : then Shift + I → Ï
Method 2: Insert Symbol (Word)
- Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.
- Find ì í î ï (and uppercase).
- Click Insert → Close.
Tip: Look in subsets like Latin-1 Supplement.
Method 3 (optional): AutoCorrect
If you type these often, you can set Word to replace something like:
- iiacute → í
- iiumlaut → ï
(Only do this if it won’t interfere with your normal typing.)
Method 4 (advanced, brief): Unicode + Alt+X (Word)
In Word, you can type a Unicode value, then press Alt + X:
- Type 00ED then Alt+X → í
- Type 00CF then Alt+X → Ï
E) Excel / Google Sheets
Excel (Windows)
Option 1: Alt codes
Use the same Windows Alt codes from the Windows section (best on a keyboard with a numpad).
Option 2: CHAR() formulas (2–4 examples)
In Excel on Windows, you can use CHAR to insert these letters:
=CHAR(237)→ í=CHAR(239)→ ï=CHAR(205)→ Í=CHAR(207)→ Ï
Option 3: Insert Symbol (Excel)
- Insert → Symbol → choose the accented i.
Option 4: Copy/paste
Use the widget on this page and paste into your cell.
Google Sheets
Google Sheets does not support Windows Alt codes the same way for everyone, so the easiest options are:
- Copy/paste from the widget
- Or use your device method (Mac Option shortcuts, phone press-and-hold)
F) Google Docs
Insert → Special characters
- In Google Docs, go to Insert → Special characters.
- In the search box, type:
- i acute
- i grave
- i circumflex
- i diaeresis
- Click the character to insert it.
Tip: If you’re on a Mac, the Option shortcuts also work inside Google Docs.
G) iPhone / Android
Press-and-hold i
- Open your keyboard.
- Press and hold i.
- Slide to select ì í î ï.
Tip: If you don’t see the one you want, switching to a different language keyboard can show more accent options.
Which accent is which? (quick and simple)
- ì = i with grave (leans left: ` )
- í = i with acute (leans right: ´ )
- î = i with circumflex (little “hat”: ˆ )
- ï = i with diaeresis/umlaut (two dots: ¨ )
Troubleshooting (common problems)
Alt codes not working on Windows
- You must use the numeric keypad (the top number row won’t work).
- Turn Num Lock ON.
- Try the 4-digit codes shown above (like 0237).
- If you’re on a laptop with no numpad, use Win + ., Character Map, or copy/paste from the widget.
Mac Option method not working
- Your keyboard layout/input source may be different.
- Try Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space) and search the letter name.
Word shortcuts not working
- You must press the accent shortcut first, release, then type i.
- Example: Ctrl + ‘, then i (don’t press them all at once).
Uppercase not working
- For Windows Alt codes: use the uppercase Alt code (example: Alt+0205 for Í).
- For Mac/Word shortcuts: do the accent shortcut, then type Shift + I (or use Caps Lock).
You see a box □ or a blank symbol
- The font you’re using may not support the character.
- Switch to a common font like Arial, Times New Roman, or Calibri.
FAQ (quick answers)
How do I type í on Windows?
Use Alt+0237 (numpad), or copy/paste í, or use Win + . and insert it from symbols.
How do I type í on Mac?
Press Option + E, release, then press i.
What is the Alt code for ì / í / î / ï?
- ì = Alt+0236
- í = Alt+0237
- î = Alt+0238
- ï = Alt+0239
How do I type ï in Word or Google Docs?
- Word: Ctrl + Shift + :, then i
- Google Docs: Insert → Special characters → search i diaeresis
Why isn’t my Alt code working?
Most common reasons: Num Lock is off, you’re using the top number row, or your laptop has no numeric keypad.
How do I type uppercase Í / Ï?
- Windows: Alt+0205 = Í, Alt+0207 = Ï
- Mac: Option shortcut, then Shift + I
- Word: shortcut, then Shift + I
Quick recap
- Fastest anywhere: copy/paste (or use the widget).
- Windows: Alt codes (best with a numpad) + Win + . symbol panel.
- Mac: Option + accent, then i (or press-and-hold i).
- Word: Ctrl + accent, then i.