Need to type an accented character but not sure how? Whether you need é for “café,” á for “José,” ñ for “mañana,” or ü for “naïve,” this guide shows you exactly how to type the most common accent marks on any device.
From quick keyboard shortcuts to press-and-hold methods, we’ll cover the fastest ways to type accented characters on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, and Chromebook – no matter what language you’re writing in.
The Most Common Accented Characters
These are the accent marks you’ll encounter most frequently across Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, Italian, and other languages:
é – e with acute accent (café, résumé)
á – a with acute accent (José, papá)
í – i with acute accent (país, sí)
ó – o with acute accent (adiós, tú)
ú – u with acute accent (menú, Raúl)
è – e with grave accent (très, voilà)
à – a with grave accent (à, già)
ñ – n with tilde (mañana, español)
ü – u with umlaut (naïve, über)
ç – c with cedilla (français, façade)
ê – e with circumflex (être, crêpe)
ô – o with circumflex (hôtel, rôle)
Why Accent Marks Matter
Accent marks aren’t just decorative – they serve important purposes:
Correct pronunciation:
Accents tell you how to pronounce words properly. “Resume” and “résumé” are pronounced differently.
Different meanings:
Many words change meaning with accents:
- resume (to continue) vs. résumé (curriculum vitae)
- cafe (doesn’t exist) vs. café (coffee shop)
- Jose (incorrect) vs. José (the name)
- ano (anus) vs. año (year in Spanish)
Showing respect:
Using proper accents in names and foreign words shows cultural awareness and respect.
Professional appearance:
Correct accents look polished in business communications, academic writing, and professional documents.
How to Type é (e with acute accent)
The letter é is probably the single most typed accent mark in English-language contexts.
Common in:
- café (coffee shop)
- résumé (CV)
- fiancé/fiancée (engaged person)
- cliché (overused phrase)
- José (name)
- Beyoncé (name)
Windows
- Alt + 130 = é
- Alt + 144 = É (capital)
Mac
- Option + e, then e = é
- Option + e, then Shift + E = É
iPhone/iPad/Android
- Press and hold e, slide to é
Chromebook
- ‘e (apostrophe then e) using US International keyboard
How to Type á (a with acute accent)
The á is essential for Spanish and Portuguese names and words.
Common in:
- José (name)
- María (name)
- más (more in Spanish)
- mamá (mom in Spanish)
- papá (dad in Spanish)
Windows
- Alt + 160 = á
- Alt + 0193 = Á (capital)
Mac
- Option + e, then a = á
- Option + e, then Shift + A = Á
iPhone/iPad/Android
- Press and hold a, slide to á
Chromebook
- ‘a (apostrophe then a) using US International keyboard
How to Type ñ (n with tilde)
The ñ is uniquely Spanish and absolutely essential – you can’t write Spanish properly without it.
Common in:
- mañana (tomorrow/morning)
- señor (mister)
- español (Spanish)
- año (year)
- niño/niña (boy/girl)
Windows
- Alt + 164 = ñ
- Alt + 165 = Ñ (capital)
Mac
- Option + n, then n = ñ
- Option + n, then Shift + N = Ñ
iPhone/iPad/Android
- Press and hold n, slide to ñ
Chromebook
- ~n (tilde then n) using US International keyboard
How to Type ü (u with umlaut/dieresis)
The ü appears in German and occasionally in English words borrowed from other languages.
Common in:
- über (German: over/above, used in English)
- naïve (innocent/unsophisticated)
- Zürich (Swiss city)
- Müller (German name)
- coöperate (old-fashioned spelling of cooperate)
Windows
- Alt + 129 = ü
- Alt + 154 = Ü (capital)
Mac
- Option + u, then u = ü
- Option + u, then Shift + U = Ü
iPhone/iPad/Android
- Press and hold u, slide to ü
Chromebook
- “u (quotation mark then u) using US International keyboard
How to Type Other Common Accents
í (i with acute accent)
Common in: país (country), sí (yes), aquí (here)
- Windows: Alt + 161
- Mac: Option + e, then i
- Mobile: Press and hold i
- Chromebook: ‘i
ó (o with acute accent)
Common in: José, adiós (goodbye), córdoba
- Windows: Alt + 162
- Mac: Option + e, then o
- Mobile: Press and hold o
- Chromebook: ‘o
ú (u with acute accent)
Common in: menú (menu), Raúl, Perú
- Windows: Alt + 163
- Mac: Option + e, then u
- Mobile: Press and hold u
- Chromebook: ‘u
è (e with grave accent)
Common in: très (very), voilà, crème
- Windows: Alt + 138
- Mac: Option + `, then e
- Mobile: Press and hold e
- Chromebook: `e
à (a with grave accent)
Common in: à (to/at in French), voilà, là-bas
- Windows: Alt + 133
- Mac: Option + `, then a
- Mobile: Press and hold a
- Chromebook: `a
ç (c with cedilla)
Common in: français (French), façade, garçon
- Windows: Alt + 135 (lowercase), Alt + 128 (Ç)
- Mac: Option + c
- Mobile: Press and hold c
- Chromebook: ‘c
ê (e with circumflex)
Common in: être (to be), fête (party), crêpe
- Windows: Alt + 136
- Mac: Option + i, then e
- Mobile: Press and hold e
- Chromebook: ^e (Shift + 6, then e)
ô (o with circumflex)
Common in: hôtel, rôle, dépôt
- Windows: Alt + 147
- Mac: Option + i, then o
- Mobile: Press and hold o
- Chromebook: ^o
Quick Reference Table
| Character | Windows Alt Code | Mac Shortcut | Mobile | Chromebook |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| é | Alt + 130 | Option+e, e | Hold e | ‘e |
| á | Alt + 160 | Option+e, a | Hold a | ‘a |
| í | Alt + 161 | Option+e, i | Hold i | ‘i |
| ó | Alt + 162 | Option+e, o | Hold o | ‘o |
| ú | Alt + 163 | Option+e, u | Hold u | ‘u |
| ñ | Alt + 164 | Option+n, n | Hold n | ~n |
| ü | Alt + 129 | Option+u, u | Hold u | “u |
| ç | Alt + 135 | Option+c | Hold c | ‘c |
| è | Alt + 138 | Option+`, e | Hold e | `e |
| à | Alt + 133 | Option+`, a | Hold a | `a |
| ê | Alt + 136 | Option+i, e | Hold e | ^e |
| ô | Alt + 147 | Option+i, o | Hold o | ^o |
Platform-Specific Methods
Windows: Three Methods
Method 1: Alt Codes (Fastest once memorized)
- Hold Alt key
- Type the numeric code on number pad
- Release Alt
- Character appears
Method 2: US International Keyboard
- Enable in Settings → Time & Language → Language
- Type accent key, then letter
- Examples: ‘e = é, ~n = ñ, “u = ü
Method 3: Character Map
- Search “Character Map” in Windows
- Find character, copy, and paste
Mac: Option Key Shortcuts
Mac’s system is intuitive and consistent:
For acute accents (´):
Option + e, then the vowel
**For grave accents ():** Option + , then the vowel
For circumflex (^):
Option + i, then the vowel
For umlaut (¨):
Option + u, then the vowel
For tilde (~):
Option + n, then the letter
For cedilla:
Option + c
iPhone and iPad: Press and Hold
iOS makes accents incredibly simple:
- Tap and hold any letter
- Accent options appear
- Slide finger to the one you want
- Release
This works in any app – Messages, Mail, Notes, Safari, social media, etc.
Android: Press and Hold
Android uses the same method as iOS:
- Press and hold the letter
- Options popup appears
- Slide to accent you need
- Release
Works with Gboard and most keyboard apps.
Chromebook: US International Keyboard
- Settings → Languages → Input methods
- Add “US International Keyboard”
- Use these combinations:
- ‘ + vowel = acute (é, á)
- ` + vowel = grave (è, à)
- ~ + letter = tilde (ñ)
- “ + vowel = umlaut (ü)
- ^ + vowel = circumflex (ê)
Typing Accents in Specific Applications
Microsoft Word
AutoCorrect method:
- Tools → AutoCorrect
- Set up replacements
- Example: “cafe” → “café”
Insert Symbol:
- Insert → Symbol
- Find character
- Click Insert
Keyboard shortcuts:
- Ctrl + ‘ (apostrophe), then letter = acute
- Ctrl + ` (backtick), then letter = grave
- Ctrl + Shift + ~ (tilde), then n = ñ
- Ctrl + Shift + : (colon), then letter = umlaut
Google Docs
Input tools:
- Tools → Preferences
- Enable “Automatic substitution”
- Set up your own shortcuts
Insert special characters:
- Insert → Special characters
- Search for character
- Click to insert
Email Clients
Most email applications support the same keyboard shortcuts as your operating system:
- Gmail: Use system shortcuts
- Outlook: Use Word shortcuts
- Apple Mail: Use Mac Option shortcuts
Social Media
All major social media platforms support accent marks:
- Twitter: Use device shortcuts
- Facebook: Use device shortcuts
- Instagram: Use device shortcuts
Accents count as single characters in character limits.
Common Words You’ll Need
Names
- José, María, Sofía (Spanish names)
- François, André (French names)
- Müller, Günter (German names)
Food and Drink
- café (coffee)
- naïve (wine style)
- jalapeño (pepper)
- piñata (party decoration)
- crème brûlée (dessert)
Business Terms
- résumé (CV)
- communiqué (announcement)
- fiancé/fiancée (engaged person)
Common Foreign Phrases
- déjà vu (already seen)
- vis-à-vis (face to face)
- cliché (overused phrase)
- à la carte (separately priced menu items)
- Über (as in Uber company, though they dropped the umlaut)
Tips for Typing Accents Faster
Memorize your most-used characters:
Focus on é, á, and ñ if you type them frequently.
Use autocorrect:
Set up automatic replacements for words you type often.
Learn your platform’s method:
Stick with one approach (Alt codes or Option keys) and practice it.
Add international keyboards:
If you type in other languages regularly, add those keyboards to your system.
Use text expansion:
Tools like TextExpander or system built-in shortcuts can automatically replace text strings with accented versions.
When You Can’t Type Accents
If you’re on a system that doesn’t support accents:
Copy and paste:
- Google the character
- Copy it from search results
- Paste where needed
Use character codes:
- HTML:
éfor é - Unicode: \u00E9 for é
Spell it out:
In absolute emergencies, write “(e-acute)” or similar, though this should be a last resort.
Common Mistakes to Avoid
Don’t skip accents in names:
José is not Jose. Names deserve proper spelling.
Don’t substitute similar characters:
Don’t use ‘ for ´ or regular letters for accented ones.
Don’t forget them in foreign words:
If you’re borrowing a word from another language, use its proper spelling.
Capital letters need accents too:
É, not E when capitalized.
Conclusion
Typing accent marks doesn’t have to be complicated. Whether you need é for “café,” ñ for “mañana,” or ü for “über,” every device offers simple methods for adding these characters.
Key takeaways:
- Windows: Use Alt codes or US International keyboard
- Mac: Use Option key combinations
- Mobile: Press and hold letters
- Chromebook: Enable US International keyboard
- Practice your platform’s method until it becomes automatic
With these tools and shortcuts, you can type any accented character quickly and confidently, making your writing more accurate, professional, and respectful of other languages and cultures.
For more detailed guides, check out our platform-specific tutorials:
Or explore language-specific guides: