How to type accents on Windows
Alt codes. Hold Alt and type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad, then release. Every letter in the Latin-1 range (à through ÿ) has one; the tables on this page list them. Codes only work on the numpad, so laptops without one need another method.
United States-International layout. Add it under Settings → Time & Language → Language → your language → Options. It turns ', `, ^, ~ and " into dead keys: press the mark, then the letter. Typing ' then e gives é. To type the plain mark, press it followed by Space.
Emoji and symbol panel. Press Win+., open the Symbols tab (Ω) and choose Latin symbols, or search by name.
Touch keyboard. On a touchscreen or with the on-screen keyboard, press and hold a letter to see its accented forms.
How to type accents on a Mac
Press and hold. Hold the base letter for a second and a pop-up shows its accented forms. Press the number under the one you want, or click it. This works in every app and covers most European letters.
Option dead keys. On the US layout: Option+E for acute, Option+` for grave, Option+I for circumflex, Option+N for tilde and Option+U for umlaut. Press the combination, release, then type the letter.
Character Viewer. Press Control+⌘+Space, search for the letter by name (for example "e with acute") and double-click it.
How to type accents on iPhone and Android
Press and hold the base letter on the keyboard. A row of accented versions pops up; slide your finger to the one you want and release. This works on the iOS keyboard, Gboard and the Samsung keyboard, and covers every common European accent. For rarer letters, add the language's keyboard under Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards (iOS) or Gboard → Languages (Android).
How to type accents in Microsoft Word
Word has its own shortcuts that work on any keyboard, no numpad needed. Press the shortcut, release, then type the letter:
| Accent | Shortcut, then letter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Acute | Ctrl + ' | Ctrl+' then e → é |
| Grave | Ctrl + ` | Ctrl+` then a → à |
| Circumflex | Ctrl + Shift + ^ | Ctrl+Shift+^ then o → ô |
| Tilde | Ctrl + Shift + ~ | Ctrl+Shift+~ then n → ñ |
| Umlaut | Ctrl + Shift + : | Ctrl+Shift+: then u → ü |
| Cedilla | Ctrl + , | Ctrl+, then c → ç |
| Ring | Ctrl + Shift + @ | Ctrl+Shift+@ then a → å |
| Stroke (ø) | Ctrl + / | Ctrl+/ then o → ø |
| æ, œ, ß | Ctrl + Shift + & | Ctrl+Shift+& then a → æ |
For any other letter, type its Unicode hex code and press Alt+X. On a Mac, the Option dead keys above work inside Word too.
How to type accents in Google Docs
Docs has no accent shortcuts of its own, so use the operating system method (Alt codes, US-International, Option dead keys, press and hold). Alternatively, open Insert → Special characters, choose Latin, and search for the letter, or add a language keyboard under Tools → Preferences.
Alt codes, Mac shortcuts and HTML for the Latin-1 letters
These are the letters that have a classic four-digit Alt code, which is what most people mean by "the alt code for é". Ligatures and special letters follow.