The á — an a with an acute accent — is one of the most common accented characters in European languages. You’ll find it in Spanish (está, también, más), Portuguese (está, lá, já), French (à is more common, but á appears in some words), and Irish (grá, bán, lá). Here’s every method for typing it, organized by platform.
Windows
Method 1: Alt Code
Hold the left Alt key, type the four-digit code on a recognized numeric keypad—not the top number row—and then release Alt. Make sure Num Lock is on if your keypad requires it. These are traditional leading-zero Windows Alt codes, not universal Unicode input commands; results can depend on the application and active code page.
- Alt + 0225 → á (lowercase)
- Alt + 0193 → Á (uppercase)
Note: A compatible embedded laptop keypad or external numeric keypad may work. If your laptop has no recognized numeric-keypad input, Method 2 is your best option.
Method 2: United States-International Keyboard Layout
If you have the United States-International keyboard layout enabled:
- Press ‘ (apostrophe) then a → á
- Press ‘ then Shift + A → Á
This works in most standard Windows applications and text fields and is the fastest method for regular use. No numeric keypad is needed.
Method 3: Copy and Paste
Need á right now without any setup? Copy it directly:
á Á
Paste it wherever you need it.
You can also use our interactive Accent Character Finder to copy any accented character instantly and see keyboard shortcuts for every device.
Mac
Method 1: Option Key Shortcut
- Press Option + e, then press a → á
- Press Option + e, then press Shift + A → Á
This works in most Mac applications with a compatible input source, including Pages, Word, Google Docs, and Messages.
Method 2: Hold-Key Popup
Hold down the a key and a small popup will appear showing accented versions of that letter. Slide to á and release. Clean and simple, though slightly slower than the Option shortcut for fast typists.
Method 3: ABC Extended Keyboard
If you use the ABC – Extended keyboard layout, the same Option + e combination applies. This is a Mac input source comparable to the Windows United States-International layout and provides broad support for Latin-script accent combinations.
iPhone and Android
iPhone and iPad
Tap and hold the a key. A popup will appear with all accented versions — á, à, â, ä, æ, ã, å. Slide to á and release. Works in every app with no setup required.
Android
Same method: tap and hold a and select á from the popup menu. If your keyboard doesn’t show accented options, switch to Gboard (Google’s keyboard), which supports accented characters for all major languages.
Chromebook
Method 1: English (US) with International Keyboard
With the English (US) with International keyboard enabled:
- Press ‘ then a → á
- Press ‘ then Shift + A → Á
To enable it, go to Settings → Device → Keyboard → Change input settings. Under Input methods, select Add, then choose English (US) with International. ChromeOS may also offer a separately named US International (PC) layout.
Method 2: Unicode Input
Enter á by Unicode without changing your keyboard layout:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U
- Type 00e1 (the hexadecimal input for Unicode code point U+00E1)
- Press Enter
This can work as a one-off method in many ChromeOS text fields, though it is not supported in every application or field and is slower for regular use.
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Quick Reference
| Platform | Method | Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Windows | Alt code | Alt + 0225 |
| Windows | United States-International | ‘ then a |
| Mac | Option shortcut | Option + e, a |
| Mac | Hold key | Hold a → select á |
| iPhone | Hold key | Hold a → select á |
| Android | Hold key | Hold a → select á |
| Chromebook | English (US) with International | ‘ then a |
| Chromebook | Unicode | Ctrl+Shift+U, 00e1 |
When Do You Need á?
Here are some of the most common words where á appears:
Spanish: está (is/are), más (more), también (also), allá (over there), mamá (mom), papá (dad), fácil (easy)
Portuguese: está (is/are), lá (there), já (already), amanhã uses ã but á appears in está and others
Irish: grá (love), bán (white), lá (day), brá (arm)
Catalan and Italian: á appears in some regional and formal contexts
If you’re typing in Spanish regularly, our Spanish Accents guide covers every character you’ll need — á, é, í, ó, ú, ñ, and more — in one place. For Portuguese, see our Portuguese Accents guide.
á vs. à — What’s the Difference?
Worth knowing: á (acute accent, slanting right) and à (grave accent, slanting left) are different characters that appear in different languages and contexts.
- á is common in Spanish, Portuguese, and Irish
- à is more common in French and Italian
On Windows, à is Alt + 0224. On Mac, it’s Option + ` then a. On mobile, both appear in the hold-key popup.
Need other accented characters? See our guides on how to type é, how to type í, how to type ó, how to type ñ, and how to type ü.
