How to Type á (a with Acute Accent) on Any Device

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 number on your numeric keypad (Num Lock must be on), then release:

• Alt + 0225 → á (lowercase)
• Alt + 0193 → Á (uppercase)

Note: This requires a dedicated numeric keypad. Most laptops don’t have one — if yours doesn’t, Method 2 is your best option.

Method 2: US International Keyboard Layout

If you have the US International keyboard layout enabled:

• Press ‘ (apostrophe) then a → á
• Press ‘ then Shift + A → Á

This works in every Windows app and is the fastest method for regular use. No numeric keypad needed.

Method 3: Copy and Paste

Need á right now without any setup? Copy it directly:

á Á

Paste it wherever you need it.

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Mac

Method 1: Option Key Shortcut

• Press Option + e, then press a → á
• Press Option + e, then press Shift + A → Á

This works across every Mac app — Pages, Word, Google Docs, Messages, and everywhere else.

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 the Mac equivalent of the US International layout and gives you full access to all accent combinations.

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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.

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Chromebook

Method 1: US International Keyboard

With the US International keyboard enabled:

• Press ‘ then a → á
• Press ‘ then Shift + A → Á

To enable it: Settings → Device → Keyboard → Change input methods → Add US International.

Method 2: Unicode Input

Enter á by Unicode without changing your keyboard layout:

• Press Ctrl + Shift + U
• Type e1 (the Unicode code for á)
• Press Enter

Reliable as a one-off method, though slower for regular use.

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Takes 10 seconds. No spam.

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Quick Reference

Platform	Method	Shortcut
Windows	Alt code	Alt + 0225
Windows	US 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	US International	‘ then a
Chromebook	Unicode	Ctrl+Shift+U, e1

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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.

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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.

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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.

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