How to Type the OE Symbol (œ/Œ) on Keyboard (Windows, Mac, Word, Docs)

The OE symbol is written as œ (lowercase) or Œ (uppercase). It’s also called the OE ligature.

You’ll see it in:

• French words and names (common)
• Older/“classic” spellings in English (less common)
• Some names, academic writing, and borrowed words

Quick note: you can type oe as normal letters, but œ/Œ is the correct character when it’s required.

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1-Minute Answer (fastest ways)

• Windows (Alt code):
  • œ → Hold Alt and type 0156 on the numeric keypad
  • Œ → Hold Alt and type 0140 on the numeric keypad
    (This needs a real numpad. The number row above letters usually won’t work.)
• Mac (keyboard shortcut):
  • œ → Option + Q
  • Œ → Option + Shift + Q
• Word (fast method):
  Type 0153 then press Alt + X → œ
  Type 0152 then press Alt + X → Œ
• iPhone / Android:
  Press and hold O (or o) and look for œ. If you don’t see it, use copy/paste or add a French keyboard.
• Google Docs:
  Insert → Special characters, then search oe, oelig, or ligature.
• Copy and paste this symbol using the copy tool below:

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Quick Reference (OE symbol)

Item	Lowercase	Uppercase
Symbol	œ	Œ
Unicode name	Latin small ligature oe	Latin capital ligature oe
Unicode	U+0153	U+0152
Windows Alt code	Alt + 0156	Alt + 0140
HTML entity	œ	Œ
HTML numeric	œ / œ	Œ / Œ

A) How to type œ and Œ on Windows

Method 1: Alt code (works anywhere on Windows)

1. Click where you want to type the symbol.
2. Turn Num Lock ON.
3. Hold Alt.
4. On the numeric keypad, type:
   • 0156 for œ
   • 0140 for Œ
5. Release Alt.

Important: This usually requires a numeric keypad. On many laptops, you may need to enable the “embedded” numpad (often Fn + NmLk) or use one of the methods below.

Method 2: Character Map (always works)

1. Press the Windows key and search Character Map.
2. Open it.
3. (Optional) Tick Advanced view.
4. Search for oe or ligature.
5. Click œ or Œ, click Select, then Copy.
6. Paste with Ctrl + V.

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B) How to type œ and Œ on Mac

Method 1: Direct keyboard shortcut (fastest)

• œ → Option + Q
• Œ → Option + Shift + Q

Method 2: Character Viewer (works even if you forget shortcuts)

1. Press Control + Command + Space to open Character Viewer.
2. Search oe, oelig, or ligature.
3. Double-click œ or Œ to insert it.

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C) How to insert œ/Œ in Microsoft Word (Windows + Mac)

Method 1: Insert Symbol menu

1. Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols.
2. Find œ or Œ (often under Latin-extended sets).
3. Select it → Insert → Close.

Method 2: Word’s “Alt + X” trick (Windows)

1. Type 0153 then press Alt + X → œ
2. Type 0152 then press Alt + X → Œ

Optional: AutoCorrect shortcut (if you type this often)

You can tell Word to replace something like oee with œ automatically:

1. File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options
2. Add a replacement rule you’ll remember.

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D) How to use œ/Œ in Excel (and Google Sheets)

These are mostly used for text/display (names, words, labels). In formulas, it’s still just text.

Best method (most reliable): UNICHAR

• Excel (modern):
  • œ → =UNICHAR(339)
  • Œ → =UNICHAR(338)
• Google Sheets:
  • œ → =UNICHAR(339)
  • Œ → =UNICHAR(338)

Example (safe):
="c" & UNICHAR(339) & "ur" → cœur (as text)

Older Windows Excel (sometimes works): CHAR

Some Windows setups also support:

• œ → =CHAR(156)
• Œ → =CHAR(140)

If it doesn’t work on your computer, use UNICHAR instead.

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E) PowerPoint (short)

• Insert → Symbol, then choose œ or Œ, or
• Copy/paste from the widget, or
• On Mac, use Option + Q / Option + Shift + Q.

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F) Google Docs

1. Insert → Special characters
2. Search oe, oelig, ligature, or paste œ into the search box.
3. Click the symbol to insert it.

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G) iPhone + Android

Option 1: Press-and-hold

1. Tap and hold o or O on your keyboard.
2. If œ appears, slide to it and release.

Option 2: Add a language keyboard (best if you need it often)

Add French (or another language that uses œ more often), then switch keyboards when needed.

Option 3: Copy/paste

Use the copy widget and paste into your app.

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H) Chromebook (quick)

• Easiest: copy/paste from the widget.
• Or use Google Docs → Insert → Special characters and search oe / ligature.

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Best long-term solution (if you type œ a lot)

Add a French keyboard layout (or any layout you prefer that includes œ), then switch layouts when needed.

• On Windows/Mac, you can usually switch layouts using a keyboard shortcut (varies by system settings).
• On mobile, add the language keyboard and switch using the 🌐 / keyboard button.

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Troubleshooting

Alt codes not working on Windows

• You might not be using a numeric keypad.
• Num Lock may be off.
• The number row above letters usually won’t work for Alt codes.

Can’t find œ on your phone keyboard

• Try press-and-hold o.
• If it’s not there, add a French keyboard or just copy/paste.

The symbol shows as a blank box

• That usually means your font doesn’t support the character.
  Try a common font like Arial, Calibri, Times New Roman, or a modern web font.

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FAQ

How do I type the OE symbol on Windows?
Use Alt + 0156 for œ or Alt + 0140 for Œ on the numeric keypad.

How do I type œ on Mac?
Press Option + Q.

How do I type Πon Mac?
Press Option + Shift + Q.

How do I insert œ/Œ in Word?
Use Insert → Symbol, or type 0153 then Alt + X for œ, and 0152 then Alt + X for Œ.

What is the Unicode / HTML for œ and Œ?

• œ: U+0153, œ, œ
• Œ: U+0152, Œ, Œ

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Quick recap

• Fastest overall: copy/paste from the widget
• Windows: Alt + 0156 (œ) / Alt + 0140 (Œ) using numpad
• Mac: Option + Q (œ) / Option + Shift + Q (Œ)
• Word: 0153 Alt+X (œ) / 0152 Alt+X (Œ)
• Excel/Sheets: UNICHAR(339) (œ) / UNICHAR(338) (Œ)