W With Accent (ẃ, ẁ, ẇ, ŵ, ẅ, ẘ, ẉ, ⱳ…) — How to Type Accented W on Keyboard
Typing a W with an accent (like ẃ or ŵ) can feel confusing because these letters are not on most English keyboards. The good news is: you can still type them easily using Alt codes (Windows), Character Viewer (Mac), or built-in symbol tools in Word and Google Docs.
This guide is written for complete beginners and covers the simplest options first.
Accented W copy and paste (fastest)
If you just need the letter once, copying is the quickest method.
Refer to this accent keyboard for more accented letters.
Tip: Bookmark this page so you can return and copy in one click.
What does “W with accent” mean?
“W with accent” can mean different versions of W used in different contexts:
- ẃ / Ẃ = W with acute
- ẁ / Ẁ = W with grave
- ẇ / Ẇ = W with dot above
- ŵ / Ŵ = W with circumflex
- ẅ / Ẅ = W with diaeresis (two dots)
- ẘ = lowercase w with ring above
- ẉ / Ẉ = W with dot below
- ⱳ / Ⱳ = W with hook (often seen in linguistics/phonetics)
If you’re not sure which one you need, use the copy & paste section or the widget.
How to type W with accent on Windows
Windows gives you two beginner-friendly choices:
- Alt codes (fastest if you have a numeric keypad)
- Character Map (works on any Windows laptop/PC)
Method 1: Alt codes (Windows) — fastest with a number pad
What this method is
Alt codes are a Windows shortcut that lets you type special characters by holding Alt and typing a number.
Before you start (important)
- Turn Num Lock ON
- Use the numeric keypad (the number pad on the right side of your keyboard)
- The number row above your letters usually does not work for Alt codes
Steps (Alt codes)
- Click where you want to insert the letter
- Turn Num Lock ON
- Hold down Alt
- Type the Alt code using the numeric keypad
- Release Alt
Alt codes for W with accent
Lowercase:
- ẃ = Alt 7811 (w with acute)
- ẁ = Alt 7809 (w with grave)
- ẇ = Alt 7815 (w with dot above)
- ŵ = Alt 373 (w with circumflex)
- ẅ = Alt 7813 (w with diaeresis)
- ẘ = Alt 7832 (w with ring above)
- ẉ = Alt 7817 (w with dot below)
- ⱳ = Alt 11379 (w with hook)
Uppercase:
- Ẃ = Alt 7810 (W with acute)
- Ẁ = Alt 7808 (W with grave)
- Ẇ = Alt 7814 (W with dot above)
- Ŵ = Alt 372 (W with circumflex)
- Ẅ = Alt 7812 (W with diaeresis)
- Ẉ = Alt 7816 (W with dot below)
- Ⱳ = Alt 11378 (W with hook)
If you’re on a laptop with no number pad
Some laptops still allow Alt codes using a “hidden” number pad. Try turning it on with Fn + NumLk (the exact keys depend on your laptop).
If that’s frustrating, skip Alt codes and use Character Map (below).
Method 2: Character Map (Windows) — easiest when Alt codes fail
What this method is
Character Map is a built-in Windows tool that lets you find, copy, and paste special characters.
This is the best option when:
- you don’t have a numeric keypad
- Alt codes won’t work
- you want a method that works in any app
Steps (Character Map)
- Open the Start menu
- Type Character Map and open it
- Pick a font like Arial or Times New Roman
- Click the letter you want (example: ẅ)
- Click Select → Copy
- Paste it where you need it
Tip: If you can’t see a character, switch fonts. Some fonts show more symbols than others.
How to type W with accent on Mac
Mac users usually type special letters using Character Viewer.
Method 1: Character Viewer (Mac) — best Mac method
What this method is
Character Viewer is a built-in Mac tool that lets you search for special characters by name and insert them into almost any app.
Steps (Mac)
- Click where you want the letter
- Press Control + Command + Space
- Search for terms like:
- “w acute” (ẃ / Ẃ)
- “w grave” (ẁ / Ẁ)
- “w circumflex” (ŵ / Ŵ)
- “w diaeresis” (ẅ / Ẅ)
- “w dot above” (ẇ / Ẇ)
- “w dot below” (ẉ / Ẉ)
- “w hook” (ⱳ / Ⱳ)
- Double-click the character to insert it
How to type W with accent in Microsoft Word
Word has two simple approaches: a fast keyboard method (Windows) and a click method (Windows/Mac).