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To type an accent on a Mac, place the cursor in a text field, then press and hold a supported letter such as e, a, n, or u. Choose the accented character from the menu that appears. If the letter repeats instead, test another app and then restore macOS’s press-and-hold setting with this Terminal command:
defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool trueQuit and reopen the affected app afterward. If necessary, log out or restart your Mac.
Type accented letters with the Mac accent menu
- Open a text-editing app or another field that accepts normal text.
- Place the insertion point where you want the character.
- Press and hold a supported letter, such as
e. - Select the character by clicking it, pressing its displayed number, or using the arrow keys and Space.
For example, holding e may offer é, è, ê, ë, and ē. The available choices depend on the letter, keyboard layout, language, and input source. Apple documents this standard method in its Mac user guide.
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The menu will not necessarily appear for every letter. A key must have supported accented variants, and Apple notes that accent marks are not available in every app.
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Fix the missing accent menu
1. Test TextEdit or Notes
Hold e in TextEdit or Notes. If the accent menu works there but not in the original application, macOS is probably working and the problem is specific to that app, text field, remote session, or editor.
2. Check the input source
On current macOS, open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit. Confirm that a normal input source such as ABC, U.S., or the appropriate language layout is enabled. Apple’s current settings path is different from older macOS releases, which use System Preferences > Keyboard > Input Sources.
If you are using an input source such as Unicode Hex Input, its behavior may differ from a standard Latin keyboard layout. Temporarily switch to ABC or U.S. and test again.
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3. Restore press-and-hold behavior in Terminal
If holding a supported key only repeats the letter, open Applications > Utilities > Terminal and run:
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defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool truePress Return, then quit and reopen the affected app. If the menu still does not appear, log out and back in or restart the Mac.
This command is an advanced workaround commonly recommended in Apple Support Community troubleshooting guidance. Apple’s official documentation explains how accent entry works, but does not present this Terminal command as a guaranteed official fix.
4. Check for software or hardware interference
If the command changes nothing, work through these checks:
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- Check whether the problem occurs only in a browser, terminal, game, remote desktop, or virtual machine.
- Try another physical keyboard if available.
- Test the same account in a standard Apple app.
- If the failure is system-wide, test a new macOS user account or Safe Mode as an escalation step.
These steps help distinguish a system preference problem from an app limitation, input-source mismatch, third-party utility, or failing keyboard.
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Use Option-key shortcuts for frequent accents
For regular multilingual typing, dead-key shortcuts can be faster than opening the accent menu. With a common ABC or U.S.-style layout, press the first key combination, release it, and then type the letter:
| Accent | Sequence | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Acute | Option-E, then the letter |
Option-E, then E → é |
| Grave | Option-`, then the letter |
Option-`, then A → à |
| Circumflex | Option-I, then the letter |
Option-I, then A → â |
| Tilde | Option-N, then the letter |
Option-N, then N → ñ |
| Umlaut | Option-U, then the letter |
Option-U, then U → ü |
For uppercase characters, hold Shift for the final letter—for example, Option-E, then Shift-E produces É. These combinations vary by input source, so do not assume that every physical keyboard uses identical mappings.
Find the correct shortcuts with Keyboard Viewer
Keyboard Viewer shows the combinations available for the currently selected input source:
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- Choose Show Keyboard Viewer.
- Press Option, Shift, or Option and Shift.
- Look for keys highlighted with an orange outline.
- Press a highlighted dead key, then press the letter you want to accent.
A dead key supplies an accent but does not immediately produce a complete letter. If the Input menu is missing, go to Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit and enable Show Input menu in menu bar. See Apple’s Keyboard Viewer instructions.
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Add a language keyboard or ABC–Extended
A language-specific input source is better than occasional accent insertion if you write extensively in Spanish, French, German, Portuguese, or another language.
- Open Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard.
- Select Text Input and click Edit.
- Click the Add button.
- Search for the language or keyboard layout.
- Select it and click Add.
You can switch input sources from the Input menu, with Control-Space for the last-used source, or with Control-Option-Space for the next source. The Fn/Globe key can also switch sources when configured to do so. Apple also supports Caps Lock for switching between Latin and non-Latin sources in supported configurations.
For people who move between several Latin-script languages, Apple specifically identifies ABC–Extended as a useful option. It offers a broader dead-key system, although it adds another layout to manage.
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Character Viewer is the most reliable fallback for rare diacritics, combining marks, symbols, and apps that do not support the standard accent menu.
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- Press
Control-Command-Space. - On some Macs, press
Fn-E. - Search for a character by name, such as e acute or combining acute accent.
- Double-click the result to insert it.
It is also built into macOS, so it is generally more useful than repeatedly searching the web and copying characters. Apple’s Character Viewer guide covers this method.
Why the accent menu may still not appear
- The wrong key is being tested: try
e,a,n, orurather than an arbitrary letter. - The app does not support it: some browser fields, terminal applications, games, custom editors, remote desktops, and virtual machines handle held keys differently.
- The input source is mismatched: Keyboard Viewer shows what the active layout actually does.
- A preference is disabled: the Terminal command restores the usual press-and-hold preference for many users.
- Key repetition is configured unexpectedly: changing repeat settings can affect ordinary held-key behavior, so treat this as a diagnostic step rather than a universal fix.
- Software is intercepting the key: keyboard customizers and input utilities can prevent macOS from showing the menu.
Undo the Terminal change
If you prefer holding a key to repeat it instead of opening the accent selector, the opposite preference is:
defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool falseThis favors key repetition. To restore the accent menu, use the true command above, then reopen affected apps.
Quick decision guide
- Occasional accents: use press-and-hold.
- Frequent accents: learn Option-key dead keys.
- One language every day: add that language’s input source.
- Several Latin-script languages: consider ABC–Extended.
- Rare symbols or unsupported apps: use Character Viewer.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does holding a key repeat the letter instead of showing accents?
The press-and-hold preference may be disabled, the app may not support accent menus, or another utility may be intercepting the key. Test TextEdit or Notes, then run the documented workaround: defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool true and reopen the app.
Do I need to change my Mac’s keyboard language?
No. For occasional accents, press-and-hold or Option-key shortcuts are usually sufficient. Add a language-specific input source or ABC–Extended when you type in another language frequently.
How do I restore the Input menu?
Open System Settings > Keyboard > Text Input > Edit and enable Show Input menu in menu bar.
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