The US International keyboard is an alternative input method built into Windows, Mac, and Chromebook operating systems. It keeps the standard QWERTY layout intact but reassigns certain keys as dead keys — keys that don’t produce a character on their own but modify the next key you press.
For example:
- Press ` then e → è
- Press ‘ then e → é
- Press “ then u → ü
- Press ~ then n → ñ
- Press ^ then o → ô
It also gives you direct shortcuts for common characters:
- Right Alt + c → ç
- Right Alt + ? → ¿
- Right Alt + ! → ¡
The result is a fast, intuitive system that feels natural once you’ve used it for a day or two — especially if you already know where those punctuation keys live.
The One Thing to Know Before You Start
The dead key system has one small quirk: when you want to type an apostrophe, quotation mark, backtick, tilde, or caret without an accent, you need to press the key and then press spacebar. So a plain apostrophe becomes ‘ + space.
This trips people up at first but becomes second nature quickly. If you type a lot of contractions in English, you may find it slightly annoying — in which case the US International layout is still worth using for foreign language work, but you might want to switch back to standard US for English-only writing.
Setting Up on Windows
Windows 11
- Go to Settings → Time & Language → Language & Region
- Under “Preferred languages,” click the three dots next to English (United States) and select Language options
- Under “Keyboards,” click Add a keyboard
- Select United States-International
- Click Save
Windows 10
- Go to Settings → Time & Language → Language
- Click English (United States), then Options
- Under “Keyboards,” click Add a keyboard
- Select United States-International
Switching Between Layouts on Windows
Once installed, you can switch between your standard US layout and US International using the language bar in the taskbar (bottom right), or with the keyboard shortcut Windows key + Spacebar.
This is handy if you want to keep standard US as your default and only switch to International when you need accents.
Setting Up on Mac
The Mac equivalent is called the ABC Extended keyboard (formerly called US Extended), and it works on the same dead key principle.
- Go to System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources
- Click the + button to add an input source
- Select English from the left column
- Choose ABC Extended from the right column
- Click Add
Using Dead Keys on Mac
The Mac version uses the Option key as its modifier:
- Option + ` then e → è
- Option + e then e → é
- Option + u then u → ü
- Option + n then n → ñ
- Option + i then o → ô
It’s slightly different from the Windows version but follows the same logic. Once you learn the pattern — Option + the accent symbol, then the letter — it clicks quickly.
Switching Layouts on Mac
Go to System Settings → Keyboard and enable “Show Input menu in menu bar.” You’ll get a flag icon in the top-right corner of your screen that lets you switch layouts with one click.
Setting Up on Chromebook
- Go to Settings (gear icon in the bottom right)
- Click Device → Keyboard → Change input methods
- Click Add input methods
- Search for US International and enable it
Switching Layouts on Chromebook
Once enabled, a keyboard icon appears in the bottom-right corner of your screen. Click it to switch between layouts, or use Ctrl + Shift + Spacebar to cycle through your active input methods.
Using Dead Keys on Chromebook
The Chromebook implementation mirrors the Windows version closely:
- ‘ then e → é
- ~ then n → ñ
- “ then u → ü
The same spacebar rule applies for plain punctuation — press the dead key followed by space to get the punctuation mark without an accent.
Takes 10 seconds. No spam.
Quick Reference: Key Combinations
| Accent | Windows / Chromebook | Mac (ABC Extended) |
|---|---|---|
| é | ‘ + e | Option + e, e |
| è | ` + e | Option + `, e |
| ê | ^ + e | Option + i, e |
| ë | ” + e | Option + u, e |
| ñ | ~ + n | Option + n, n |
| ü | ” + u | Option + u, u |
| ç | Right Alt + c | Option + c |
| ¿ | Right Alt + ? | Option + Shift + ? |
| ¡ | Right Alt + ! | Option + 1 |
Is the US International Layout Right for You?
It’s a great fit if you:
- Regularly type in one or more European languages
- Want a method that works in every app without plugins or extra software
- Are comfortable with a small adjustment period for the dead key punctuation quirk
It’s less ideal if you:
- Only need an accent occasionally — for those cases, copy-paste or a character picker is probably easier
- Type heavily in English and find the dead key apostrophe disruptive
Other Ways to Type Accents
The US International keyboard is one of the most reliable long-term solutions, but it’s not the only one. Depending on your situation, you might also consider:
- AutoCorrect shortcuts — set up text replacements so typing
e'automatically becomesé - Character map / Special characters panel — built into every OS, good for occasional use
- Browser extensions — useful if most of your accent typing happens in a browser
Each of these is covered in detail elsewhere on this site.
Need accents for a specific language? Check out our guides on Spanish accents, French accents, German accents, Portuguese accents, and more.
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