How to Type A with a Line Over It (Ā, ā) on Keyboard (A with a Macron)

If you’re searching for “A with line over it”, you usually mean A with a macron:

Lowercase: ā
Uppercase: Ā

This macron (the flat line) is used in languages and writing systems such as Latvian, Lithuanian, Māori, and in transliteration (for example, showing a long “a” sound in names and academic writing).

Quick note (important):
Some people confuse ā with an overline made using a “combining” mark (like ā). They look similar, but they are not the same thing. I’ll explain the difference later.

Table of Contents

1-Minute Answer (fastest ways)

Copy/paste (fastest)

ā Ā

Windows (fastest reliable methods)

Use Character Map (works in any app), or
Insert Symbol in Word/Office (fast and easy)

Note: Most Windows apps do not have a reliable Alt code for ā/Ā like they do for common symbols. If Alt codes aren’t working for you, that’s normal.

Mac (fastest)

Press and hold a → select ā (if it appears), or
Character Viewer (works everywhere): Control + Command + Space → search “a macron”

Microsoft Word (Windows/Mac)

Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → find ā / Ā
Unicode + Alt+X (Windows Word):
- Type 0101 then press Alt + X → ā
- Type 0100 then press Alt + X → Ā

Google Docs

Insert → Special characters → search “a macron” or “latin a macron”

iPhone / Android

Press and hold a → choose ā
For Ā, use Shift (uppercase) and then press-and-hold A (or type ā and then switch to uppercase if your keyboard makes it easier)

Quick Reference (ā / Ā codes and methods)

Character	Name	Unicode	Mac	Word
ā	Latin small letter a with macron	U+0101	Press-and-hold `a` or Character Viewer	0101 + Alt+X (Windows Word) / Insert Symbol
Ā	Latin capital letter A with macron	U+0100	Press-and-hold `A` or Character Viewer	0100 + Alt+X (Windows Word) / Insert Symbol

Unicode references: Ā = U+0100 and ā = U+0101.

Copy and Paste (quickest)

Copy what you need:

ā Ā

Or use the tool above.

Windows: How to type ā / Ā

Method 1: Character Map (works in any app)

Click Start and search for Character Map.
Open Character Map.
In the font box, choose a common font like Arial, Calibri, or Times New Roman.
In the search (if available), search macron or scroll to Latin Extended-A characters.
Click ā or Ā.
Click Select → Copy.
Paste it where you want (Ctrl + V).

Tip: If you can’t find it in one font, switch fonts and try again.

Method 2: Windows emoji/symbol panel (Win + .)

This panel is great for emoji and common symbols, but accented letters like ā/Ā may not show for everyone.

Press Windows + . (or Windows + ;).
Click the Symbols area (if available).
Try searching for macron or paste ā into the search box (if it allows search).

If you don’t see it, use Character Map or Insert Symbol instead.

Method 3: Insert Symbol (Word/Office on Windows)

If you’re working in Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, this is often the easiest.

Click where you want the letter.
Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.
Set Subset to something like Latin Extended-A.
Find ā or Ā, then click Insert.
Close the box when you’re done.

insert letter a with line over it in Word

Microsoft’s official steps for inserting symbols in Word:

Method 4 (advanced): Type the combining macron (ā)

Use this only if you specifically need the “a + combining macron” version.

In Microsoft Word (Windows):

Type a
Type 0304
Press Alt + X
→ Word turns 0304 into a combining macron, giving ā.

Repeat with uppercase:

Type A 0304 Alt+X → Ā

Mac: How to type ā / Ā

Method 1: Press-and-hold a

Press and hold a on your keyboard.
If you see ā, select it (by clicking it or pressing its number).
For uppercase Ā, use Shift (or Caps Lock) and press-and-hold A.

Note: This can vary depending on your keyboard/input settings. If it doesn’t show, use Character Viewer.

Method 2: Character Viewer (most reliable)

Press Control + Command + Space to open Character Viewer.
Search for a macron or macron.
Double-click ā or Ā to insert it.

Apple’s guide to using Character Viewer (Emoji & Symbols):

Microsoft Word (Windows + Mac)

Method 1: Insert Symbol (easy, visual)

Click where you want the letter.
Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.
Look under Latin Extended-A.
Click ā or Ā, then Insert.

(Official Microsoft guide)

Method 2: Unicode then Alt+X (Windows Word)

This is one of the fastest once you remember the codes:

ā: type 0101 then press Alt + X
Ā: type 0100 then press Alt + X

Method 3: AutoCorrect shortcut (optional)

If you type ā a lot, set a shortcut once:

In Word, go to File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options.
In “Replace,” type something easy like: a-
In “With,” paste: ā
Click Add, then OK.

You can do the same for Ā (example: A- → Ā).

Excel / Google Sheets

Excel (Windows/Mac)

Fastest: copy/paste ā Ā (or use the widget)
Or use Insert → Symbol (same idea as Word)

Google Sheets

Fastest: copy/paste (or widget)
On Mac, Character Viewer is usually the easiest way to insert ā/Ā anywhere.

Google Docs

Insert special characters

Go to Insert → Special characters.
In the search box, type:
- a macron
- macron
- latin a macron
Click ā or Ā to insert it.

Tip: If you already have ā, you can also paste it directly into Docs.

iPhone / Android

iPhone

Press and hold a.
Slide to ā and release.

For Ā:

Tap Shift first (to uppercase), then press-and-hold A and choose Ā.

Android

Press and hold a.
Choose ā.

For Ā:

Use Shift and then press-and-hold A, or paste Ā from this page.

Macron vs Overline (ā vs ā)

ā (single character) — preferred

ā is one letter stored as a single character (Unicode U+0101).
This is the version you should use in most cases.

ā (combining macron) — advanced

ā is actually two characters:
- a + combining macron (U+0304)
It’s useful if your app/font can’t produce ā directly, or if you’re building special text.

Copy (combining version):

ā Ā

Note: Combining marks can look misaligned in some fonts or apps.

Troubleshooting

“I can’t find ā on my keyboard”

Use one of these:

Copy/paste ā Ā
Mac: Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space)
Windows: Character Map
Word/Office: Insert → Symbol

“It shows as a box (▯) or weird symbol”

That usually means your font doesn’t support the character.

Switch to a font like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, or another modern font.

“Uppercase Ā is hard to type”

Copy/paste Ā
Use Character Viewer on Mac
Use Insert Symbol in Word/Office

“Alt codes aren’t working”

That’s common. Not every accented letter has a reliable Windows Alt code across apps—especially letters outside the basic 0–255 range.

Use Character Map or Insert Symbol instead.

FAQ

What is the letter ā called?

It’s called “a with macron” (or Latin small letter a with macron).

How do I type ā on Windows?

Fastest reliable methods:

Character Map, or
Insert Symbol in Word/Office

How do I type ā on Mac?

Press-and-hold a (if it shows ā), or
Use Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space)

How do I type Ā uppercase?

Copy/paste Ā
On Mac: press-and-hold A (with Shift/Caps Lock), or Character Viewer
In Word (Windows): type 0100 then Alt+X

How do I type ā in Word / Google Docs?

Word: Insert → Symbol, or 0101 + Alt+X (Windows Word)
Google Docs: Insert → Special characters → search a macron

Why doesn’t ā have an Alt code on my laptop?

Because many laptops don’t have a full numeric keypad, and also because Windows Alt codes are limited and inconsistent for extended accented letters across different apps. Copy/paste, Character Map, and Insert Symbol are the most reliable.

Quick recap

Fastest: copy/paste ā Ā
Windows: Character Map or Insert Symbol
Mac: press-and-hold a or Character Viewer
Word (Windows): 0101 Alt+X → ā, 0100 Alt+X → Ā
Advanced option: a + combining macron (ā) if needed