Use the copy library for one character, or choose your device below for a faster way to type complete words and sentences.
Accented letters to copy and paste
A with accents
à á â ã ä å ā ă ą ǎ ǟ ǡ ǻ — À Á Â Ã Ä Å Ā Ă Ą Ǎ Ǟ Ǡ Ǻ
C and D with accents
ç ć ĉ ċ č ď đ — Ç Ć Ĉ Ċ Č Ď Đ
E with accents
è é ê ë ē ĕ ė ę ě ȅ ȇ — È É Ê Ë Ē Ĕ Ė Ę Ě Ȅ Ȇ
G, H, and J with accents
ĝ ğ ġ ģ ǧ ĥ ħ ĵ — Ĝ Ğ Ġ Ģ Ǧ Ĥ Ħ Ĵ
I with accents
ì í î ï ĩ ī ĭ į ı ǐ ȉ ȋ — Ì Í Î Ï Ĩ Ī Ĭ Į İ Ǐ Ȉ Ȋ
K, L, and N with accents
ķ ĺ ļ ľ ł ñ ń ņ ň ǹ ṅ ṇ — Ķ Ĺ Ļ Ľ Ł Ñ Ń Ņ Ň Ǹ Ṅ Ṇ
O with accents
ò ó ô õ ö ø ō ŏ ő ǒ ǿ œ — Ò Ó Ô Õ Ö Ø Ō Ŏ Ő Ǒ Ǿ Œ
R, S, T, and Z with accents
ŕ ŗ ř ś ŝ ş š ţ ť ź ż ž — Ŕ Ŗ Ř Ś Ŝ Ş Š Ţ Ť Ź Ż Ž
U with accents
ù ú û ü ũ ū ŭ ů ű ų ǔ ǖ ǘ ǚ ǜ — Ù Ú Û Ü Ũ Ū Ŭ Ů Ű Ų Ǔ Ǖ Ǘ Ǚ Ǜ
Y with accents
ý ÿ ŷ ȳ — Ý Ÿ Ŷ Ȳ
Copy the complete letter rather than copying only the mark. Unicode distinguishes a precomposed á from a plain a followed by unrelated punctuation, even if the screen makes them look similar.
The quickest method for each device
| Device or app | Best occasional method | Best frequent-use method |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Character Map, supported Alt code, or copy/paste | Add United States-International or a language keyboard |
| Mac | Hold the letter or use an Option dead key | Add the language input source |
| Microsoft Word | Ctrl accent shortcut or Unicode Alt+X | Use the operating-system language layout |
| Google Docs | Insert → Special characters | Use the device keyboard layout |
| Chromebook | Hold a letter where supported | Add US International or a language input method |
| iPhone / iPad | Press and hold the letter | Add the language keyboard |
| Android | Press and hold in Gboard | Add the language in Gboard settings |
How accent marks work
“Accent” is a convenient search term for several different marks. An acute accent rises to the right (é), a grave falls to the right (è), a circumflex forms a roof (ê), a caron points downward (ě), and a macron is a horizontal bar (ē).
Other marks include the tilde (ñ), diaeresis or umlaut (ë/ö), ring (å), cedilla (ç), ogonek (ą), and dots placed above or below a letter. The mark can indicate stress, pronunciation, tone, a historical sound change, or a separate alphabet letter.
That is why swapping marks based on appearance is risky. Polish ą, Romanian ă, Spanish á, and German ä are not stylistic alternatives for the same A.
Type accented letters on Windows
United States-International keyboard
For an English-speaking user who occasionally writes European-language names or phrases, United States-International is usually the most practical layout. Add it in Settings → Time & language → Language & region, then switch with Windows key+Spacebar.
The punctuation keys become dead keys:
- ‘ then a vowel makes á, é, í, ó, or ú.
- ` then a vowel makes à, è, ì, ò, or ù.
- Shift+6 then a vowel makes â, ê, î, ô, or û.
- Shift+’ then a vowel makes ä, ë, ï, ö, or ü.
- Shift+` then N, A, or O makes ñ, ã, or õ.
Press the dead key followed by Spacebar when you need the punctuation mark itself. Microsoft provides current setup instructions for Windows keyboard layouts and the US-International layout.
Alt codes and Character Map
Windows Alt codes work well for common Western European letters when a numeric keypad is available: Alt+0233 produces é, Alt+0241 produces ñ, and Alt+0252 produces ü.
They are not a complete Unicode input system. For ě, ő, ṇ, and many other extended letters, use Character Map, Word Alt+X, or the language’s own keyboard rather than trusting an unverified decimal number.
Type accented letters on Mac
Hold a letter until the accent menu opens, then select the character with its displayed number. This is the simplest method for common forms.
Option dead keys are faster when memorized:
| Mark | US Mac sequence | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Acute | Option+E, then letter | é |
| Grave | Option+`, then letter | è |
| Circumflex | Option+I, then letter | ê |
| Tilde | Option+N, then letter | ñ |
| Umlaut/diaeresis | Option+U, then letter | ë |
Use Control+Command+Space to open Character Viewer for forms not present in the accent menu. Apple documents accent marks and dead keys on Mac.
Microsoft Word and Outlook
Word mirrors the common mark patterns with Ctrl shortcuts: Ctrl+’ for acute, Ctrl+` for grave, Ctrl+Shift+^ for circumflex, Ctrl+Shift+~ for tilde, and Ctrl+Shift+: for diaeresis.
For an extended letter, type its hexadecimal Unicode value and press Alt+X. For example, 0113 Alt+X makes ē, 0151 makes ő, and 1E47 makes ṇ. The value belongs to the letter itself, not merely its accent.
Microsoft’s accent-shortcut table for Word and Outlook is a useful reference for the common combinations.
Google Docs, Chromebook, and mobile
Google Docs offers Insert → Special characters. Search using the formal name—“e with caron” rather than “backwards hat”—or draw the mark if you do not know its name.
Chromebook users can hold common letters or add an international/language input method in Settings. Google’s Chromebook accent guide explains the available combinations.
On iPhone, iPad, and Android, touch and hold the base letter, then slide to the accented version. Add the appropriate language keyboard when the long-press strip omits a needed character or when you are writing more than an isolated word.
Use the right focused guide
This page is the cluster hub. For complete code tables and language notes, open N with an accent or E with an accent instead of scanning the entire alphabet.
The umlaut-letter guide distinguishes German umlaut from diaeresis. To see Spanish vocabulary in context, compare Spanish slang for friend with the different uses of chica in Spanish; for non-letter references, use arrow symbols.
Troubleshooting
The accent appears before the letter
The keyboard is treating punctuation as a dead key, but the combination was interrupted. Press the accent key once, release it, and type the supported letter immediately afterward.
The letter is missing from the phone menu
Add the language that uses it. Mobile keyboards deliberately show a smaller set of likely variants instead of the entire Latin Unicode range.
A square box appears after pasting
The destination font lacks that character. Choose a broad Unicode font. Retyping the same code will not repair missing font coverage.
Search treats two identical-looking words differently
One version may use a combining sequence or a lookalike mark. Copy the precomposed letter from this page and avoid assembling accents from punctuation.
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to type accents regularly?
Add United States-International for occasional multilingual typing, or add the actual language keyboard when writing full sentences.
Do capital letters keep accent marks?
Yes. Capitalization does not remove a required accent: É, Ñ, Ä, and Č remain accented.
Are all accented characters available through Windows Alt codes?
No. Decimal Alt codes cover a useful subset. Character Map, Word Alt+X, and language keyboards provide wider Unicode access.
Why do some marks have different names?
The visible shape and linguistic function are separate. The two dots may be called umlaut in German but diaeresis when they signal separate vowel pronunciation.