How to Type Letters With Accents on a Keyboard (Windows, Mac, Phone) + Alt Codes
Accented letters are normal letters with a small mark added above or below them. You’ll see them in names and words like café (é), niño (ñ), über (ü), and façade (ç). People need them for school work, foreign languages, correct spelling, and typing names properly.
This guide is a hub: it teaches the main methods on every device/app, then helps you jump to more specific pages (like “A with accent”, “ñ”, “umlaut letters”, etc.).
1-Minute Answer (fastest ways)
Windows (fastest)
- Alt codes (best when you have a number pad): Hold Alt and type the code on the numeric keypad → release Alt.
- Emoji/Symbol panel (quick + easy): Press Win + . (or Win + ;) → look for accented letters (or paste/search if available).
Mac (fastest)
- Option “dead keys” (most powerful): Press Option + the accent key, release, then type the letter.
- Press-and-hold (super easy): Hold the letter key (like e) → choose é / è / ê / ë.
- Character Viewer: Press Control + Command + Space → search the character.
Microsoft Word (fastest)
- Word’s accent shortcuts: Press the Ctrl combo, then the letter (examples below).
- Or use Insert → Symbol if you prefer clicking.
Google Docs (fastest)
iPhone / Android (fastest)
- Press and hold the base letter (like a, e, n, u) → pick the accented version.
Quick Reference (the pattern that works for most accents)
Use this small table to remember the main patterns (instead of memorizing hundreds of codes).
| Accent | Looks like | Mac pattern | Word shortcut pattern | Google Docs search words |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acute | é | Option + E, then letter | Ctrl + ‘ then letter | “e acute”, “a acute” |
| Grave | è | Option + `, then letter | Ctrl + ` then letter | “e grave”, “a grave” |
| Circumflex | ê | Option + I, then letter | Ctrl + Shift + ^ then letter | “e circumflex” |
| Tilde | ñ | Option + N, then letter | Ctrl + Shift + ~ then letter | “n tilde” |
| Umlaut / Diaeresis | ü | Option + U, then letter | Ctrl + Shift + : then letter | “u umlaut”, “e diaeresis” |
Copy/Paste Accented Letters
Windows: How to type accented letters
A) Use Alt codes (most common Windows method)
Best if your keyboard has a numeric keypad.
- Turn Num Lock ON.
- Click where you want the letter.
- Hold Alt.
- Type the code on the numeric keypad.
- Release Alt.
Important notes (so it actually works):
- The number row above your letters usually won’t work. You need the numpad.
- On some laptops, you may need Fn + NumLock (or “embedded numpad” keys).
- If you don’t have a numpad at all, use the next two methods (Win + . panel or Character Map).
Popular Alt Codes for Accented Letters (Windows)
These Alt codes work best when you have a numeric keypad (and Num Lock is ON).
Hold Alt, type the code on the numpad, then release Alt.
Acute (á é í ó ú)
| Character | Alt code |
|---|---|
| á | Alt + 0225 |
| Á | Alt + 0193 |
| é | Alt + 0233 |
| É | Alt + 0201 |
| í | Alt + 0237 |
| Í | Alt + 0205 |
| ó | Alt + 0243 |
| Ó | Alt + 0211 |
| ú | Alt + 0250 |
| Ú | Alt + 0218 |
Grave (à è ì ò ù)
| Character | Alt code |
|---|---|
| à | Alt + 0224 |
| À | Alt + 0192 |
| è | Alt + 0232 |
| È | Alt + 0200 |
| ì | Alt + 0236 |
| Ì | Alt + 0204 |
| ò | Alt + 0242 |
| Ò | Alt + 0210 |
| ù | Alt + 0249 |
| Ù | Alt + 0217 |
Circumflex (â ê î ô û)
| Character | Alt code |
|---|---|
| â | Alt + 0226 |
| Â | Alt + 0194 |
| ê | Alt + 0234 |
| Ê | Alt + 0202 |
| î | Alt + 0238 |
| Î | Alt + 0206 |
| ô | Alt + 0244 |
| Ô | Alt + 0212 |
| û | Alt + 0251 |
| Û | Alt + 0219 |
Tilde (ñ ã õ)
| Character | Alt code |
|---|---|
| ñ | Alt + 0241 |
| Ñ | Alt + 0209 |
| ã | Alt + 0227 |
| Ã | Alt + 0195 |
| õ | Alt + 0245 |
| Õ | Alt + 0213 |
Umlaut / Diaeresis (ä ë ï ö ü ÿ)
| Character | Alt code |
|---|---|
| ä | Alt + 0228 |
| Ä | Alt + 0196 |
| ë | Alt + 0235 |
| Ë | Alt + 0203 |
| ï | Alt + 0239 |
| Ï | Alt + 0207 |
| ö | Alt + 0246 |
| Ö | Alt + 0214 |
| ü | Alt + 0252 |
| Ü | Alt + 0220 |
| ÿ | Alt + 0255 |
| Ÿ | (not common as an Alt code) |
Other common letters (ç å)
| Character | Alt code |
|---|---|
| ç | Alt + 0231 |
| Ç | Alt + 0199 |
| å | Alt + 0229 |
| Å | Alt + 0197 |
Tip: If an Alt code gives the wrong symbol in a specific app, use the Win + . panel, Character Map, or the click-to-copy widget.
B) Use the Windows symbol panel (Win + .)
- Press Win + . (or Win + ;)
- Browse/search for the accented letter
- Click it to insert
C) Use Character Map (works on any Windows PC)
- Open Start and search Character Map
- Find the letter (try fonts like Arial/Times New Roman)
- Select → Copy → paste where you need it
Mac: How to type accented letters
A) Option-based accents (the main “Mac shortcut” method)
This is the pattern: Option + accent key, release, then type the letter.
Examples:
- Option + E, then e → é
- Option + `, then e → è
- Option + N, then n → ñ
- Option + U, then u → ü
Uppercase tip: after the Option combo, type Shift + letter (or turn on Caps Lock).
B) Press-and-hold (fastest for beginners)
- Press and hold a letter key (like e)
- A small menu appears with options like é è ê ë
- Pick the one you want
C) Character Viewer (best if you can’t remember shortcuts)
- Press Control + Command + Space
- Search the letter (example: “e acute”, “n tilde”)
- Double-click to insert
Microsoft Word: Type accents quickly
A) Word accent shortcuts (super fast once you know the pattern)
Type the shortcut, then type the letter.
| What you want | Shortcut in Word |
|---|---|
| à è ì ò ù (grave) | Ctrl + `, then letter |
| á é í ó ú ý (acute) | Ctrl + ‘, then letter |
| â ê î ô û (circumflex) | Ctrl + Shift + ^, then letter |
| ã ñ õ (tilde) | Ctrl + Shift + ~, then letter |
| ä ë ï ö ü ÿ (umlaut) | Ctrl + Shift + :, then letter |
| å | Ctrl + Shift + @, then a |
B) Insert → Symbol (easy “click to insert” method)
- Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols
- Choose a common subset like Latin-1 Supplement
- Double-click the letter to insert
C) AutoCorrect tip (make your own shortcuts)
If you type the same accented letters often, you can create a shortcut like:
n~→ ñe'→ é
In Word: File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options → add your rule.
D) Advanced: Unicode + Alt+X (Word-only)
If you know the Unicode hex value, you can type it and press Alt + X to convert it.
- Example: type
00F1then Alt + X → ñ
Excel / Google Sheets: Type accents in cells
A) Windows Alt codes (Excel on Windows)
If you have a numpad, Alt codes work inside cells the same way they do elsewhere.
B) UNICHAR() formulas (great for repeatable results)
These are handy if you need the same accented letter many times.
Examples (work in Excel and Google Sheets):
=UNICHAR(225)→ á=UNICHAR(233)→ é=UNICHAR(241)→ ñ=UNICHAR(252)→ ü=UNICHAR(231)→ ç=UNICHAR(229)→ å
C) Insert Symbol (Excel)
- Insert → Symbol → find the letter → Insert
Google Docs: Insert accented letters
- Go to Insert → Special characters
- In the search box, type what you want, like:
- e acute
- n tilde
- u umlaut
- c cedilla
- a ring
- Click the character to insert it
iPhone / Android: Type accents fast
- Open any app (Messages, Notes, Word, Docs, etc.)
- Press and hold the base letter (like a, e, n, u)
- Slide to the accented letter you want and release
Popular accented letters people search for (quick list)
Common sets:
- Acute: á é í ó ú
- Grave: à è ì ò ù
- Circumflex: â ê î ô û
- Tilde: ã ñ õ
- Umlaut: ä ë ï ö ü ÿ
- Other: ç å
If you want a full “copy and paste” area, use the widget/tool placeholders above.
Best long-term solution: add a language keyboard
If you type accents often, switching keyboards is usually the easiest.
Windows
- Add a language keyboard in Settings → Time & language → Language & region
- Switch quickly with Win + Space
Mac
- Add it in System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources
- Switch quickly with Control + Space (or the Globe key on some Macs)
iPhone / Android
- Add a language keyboard in Keyboard settings
- Switch with the globe icon on the keyboard
Good starter keyboards:
- Spanish (ñ, á, é, í, ó, ú, ü, ¡, ¿)
- French (é, è, ê, ë, ç, à, â, ô, ù)
- German (ä, ö, ü, ß)
Troubleshooting (when it doesn’t work)
Alt codes not working (Windows)
- Num Lock is off (turn it on)
- You typed the code using the top number row (use the numpad)
- Your laptop has no numpad (use Win + . or Character Map instead)
Mac dead-key confusion
- If you typed Option + accent and nothing happened, that’s normal.
- Now type the letter to apply it.
- If you want the accent mark by itself, press Space after the Option combo.
Google Docs can’t find the character
Try different search words:
- “acute”, “grave”, “tilde”, “umlaut”, “cedilla”, “ring”
Or search by name: - “latin small letter e with acute” (long, but it works)
Double accents (Vietnamese and some other languages)
Some languages stack marks (example: Vietnamese). The easiest fix is:
- Use the proper Vietnamese keyboard / IME
- Or use an accent tool that supports combining marks
FAQ (quick answers)
What’s the easiest way to type accents?
- Phone: press-and-hold the letter
- Mac: press-and-hold or Option method
- Windows: Win + . panel, or Alt codes if you have a numpad
How do I type é on Windows?
Use an Alt code (with numpad) or use Win + . and select é.
How do I type ñ on Mac?
Press Option + N, release, then type n.
Why do Alt codes work in Word but not everywhere else?
Some Alt codes behave differently depending on app and font. If an Alt code gives the wrong symbol, use Win + ., Character Map, or copy/paste from the widget.
Can I type accents in Google Docs without installing anything?
Yes: Insert → Special characters.
Quick recap
- Fastest for beginners: copy/paste + press-and-hold (phone/Mac)
- Best for Windows power users: Alt codes (with numpad) + Win + .
- Best for Word writers: Word’s Ctrl accent shortcuts
- Best long-term: add the language keyboard you actually type in