How to Type é on Mac
Press Option (⌥) + E, release, then press E again. This works system-wide — in Pages, Word, Safari, Messages, or any text field on macOS.
Step by step:
- Hold Option
- Press E (release both keys)
- Press E again (without Option)
You’ll see é appear. This is a “dead key” combo — the first press (Option+E) tells macOS “the next letter gets an accent,” and the second press supplies the letter.
Works the same way for other vowels: Option+E then A/I/O/U gives you á, í, ó, ú.
If it’s not working:
Check your keyboard layout is set to “U.S.” or “ABC” in System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources (some alternate layouts remap accent keys)
Make sure you’re pressing Option+E then releasing before the second E — holding all three keys at once won’t trigger it
Type é on Windows
Quick method for many Windows applications:
- Hold Alt
- Type 0233 on the numeric keypad
- Release Alt — é appears
Note: this requires a numeric keypad. Some laptops provide an embedded keypad that works when Num Lock — or the manufacturer’s Fn-key combination — is enabled. If your keyboard doesn’t have one, use the method below instead.
No numeric keypad? Use the Character Map:
- Press Windows key, type “Character Map,” hit Enter
- Find é, or select Advanced view and use the Search for box. Click Select, then Copy
- Paste into your document
For capital É: Alt + 0201
Type é on iPhone or Android
Press and hold the E key on your on-screen keyboard. A small menu pops up with accent options — slide your finger to é and release.
“Command E” doesn’t make an accent
If you tried Command (⌘) + E on Mac expecting an accent, that’s a different shortcut — in most apps it does something else entirely (like triggering a search field). For accents, you want Option (⌥), not Command.
é copy and paste
If you don’t want to use keyboard shortcuts, you can copy and paste here:
é É
FAQ
Why isn’t Option + E working on my Mac?
Make sure you release Option and E before pressing E again — holding all keys down at once won’t trigger it. Also check System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources; if you’re on a non-U.S. layout (like “ABC – Extended” or another language layout), the combo can shift to a different key.
What’s the difference between é and è?
é is an acute accent (Option + E, then E). è is a grave accent (Option + `, then E). They’re different characters used in different words — é in “café,” è in “crème.”
Can I type é without an accent menu or shortcut?
Yes — copy é from this page and paste it directly, or use your device’s built-in emoji/symbol picker (Control + Command + Space on Mac).
Does this work in every app?
Yes, on Mac — Option + E is a system-level shortcut, so it works in Pages, Word, Safari, Messages, and virtually any text field. On Windows, the Alt code method works in many applications but requires a numeric keypad and is not supported identically in every input field.
How do I type É (capital)?
Add Shift to the final step. On Mac: Option + E, then Shift + E. On Windows: Alt + 0201.
Takes 10 seconds. No spam.
👇 Other common accents
ñ (n with tilde)
Option + n, then n / Alt + 0241
ü (u with dots)
Option + u, then u / Alt + 0252
ç (c with cedilla)
Option + c / Alt + 0231
🌍 More accent shortcuts
👉 How to type ñ
👉 How to type ü
👉 How to type ç
👉 Full accent guide
