To type characters such as é, ñ, ç, ü or ã, choose a method for your device and keyboard: use a Mac accent menu or dead keys, Word’s own shortcuts, Chromebook’s international input or accent menu, Gboard’s long-press, or PowerToys Quick Accent on Windows. There is no single shortcut that works in every operating system and app. The steps below identify where each method applies.
Choose the method that fits your device
| Device or app | Useful for | What it depends on |
|---|---|---|
| Mac | Occasional accents or repeated typing | An accent menu available for that key and app, or a keyboard layout with the needed dead key |
| Microsoft Word | Typing a known character with a shortcut or code | Word’s documented shortcuts; numeric ANSI codes require a numeric keypad |
| Chromebook | Typing through an international layout or a physical-keyboard accent menu | An enabled input method or a character available in the menu |
| Windows with PowerToys | Picking an accented character while typing | PowerToys Quick Accent enabled and configured |
| Android with Gboard | Occasional accents on the on-screen keyboard | Gboard’s long-press options |
Type accents on a Mac
Use the press-and-hold menu
Press and hold a letter such as a. If the app and key support accents, a menu appears with available characters. Select one by clicking it, pressing its displayed number key, or using the arrow keys and pressing Space. Apple notes that the menu does not appear for keys without possible accents, and that the feature is not available in every app. See Apple’s Mac help for accented characters.
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Use dead keys for repeated typing
A dead key enters an accent mark that combines with the next letter. With the ABC keyboard layout, press Option-N, then a, to type ã. Apple documents other sequences and explains how to view available dead keys with Keyboard Viewer. ABC – Extended and Character Viewer are also options for entering accented characters.
Use Microsoft Word’s accent shortcuts
These instructions are for Word for Microsoft 365, Word 2024 and Word 2021; they are Word shortcuts, not universal Windows key combinations. In Microsoft’s shortcut notation, + means press keys together, while a comma means press them in sequence. See Microsoft’s Word shortcut table for more characters.
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Enter a Unicode value or numeric character code
In Word, type a Unicode hexadecimal value and press Alt+X to convert it to its character. Microsoft’s example is 20AC followed by Alt+X for the euro sign. For ANSI character codes, hold Alt and enter the code on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on. This workflow requires a numeric keypad. If your laptop lacks one, Microsoft recommends Insert > Symbol > More Symbols to insert most accented characters.
When you type in another language often
Microsoft recommends switching keyboard layout for frequent typing in another language. A layout change affects how keys produce characters, so it is a better fit for sustained use than memorizing one-off Word shortcuts.
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Type accents on a Chromebook
Add an international input method
- Open
Settings > Device > Keyboard > Change input settings. - Choose keyboard languages and add an input method such as English (US) with international keyboard.
- With that layout active, press the accent key and then the letter. For example, apostrophe then a letter makes an acute accent; backtick then a letter makes a grave accent;
Shift+backtickthen a letter makes a tilde;Shift+6then a letter makes a circumflex; andShift+apostrophethen a letter makes an umlaut or diaeresis.
Google also lists AltGr combinations, including AltGr+e for é and AltGr+n for ñ. AltGr is the right-side Alt key. See Google’s Chromebook instructions and character table.
Open the accent menu from a physical keyboard
Hold the letter you want to accent to open the character menu, then choose a character with the arrow keys and Enter, Space, continued typing, a number key, or a click. The menu does not offer accents for every character.
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Use Quick Accent on Windows with PowerToys
PowerToys Quick Accent is an optional utility, not a built-in Windows shortcut. Enable it in PowerToys Settings before using it. Microsoft documents two modes: in trigger-key mode, hold the base letter and press the activation key—for example, hold A and press Space to open options for à. In press-and-hold mode, the base letter appears immediately and the picker opens after the configured hold duration. Use the arrow keys or Space to select a character; the available character sets can be configured. Details are in Microsoft’s Quick Accent documentation, last updated August 25, 2026.
Type accents on Android with Gboard
In Gboard, touch and hold a letter key to see its accents and other options, then select the character you need. These instructions apply to Gboard; other Android keyboard apps can behave differently. You can add a language and choose a keyboard layout in Gboard without changing the Android device language. Google explains both Gboard key options and adding a language and layout.
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What about iPhone, iPad and Linux?
The exact steps can depend on the active keyboard, input method and app. Check the keyboard’s language or input settings for available layouts and character menus; do not assume a shortcut documented for Mac, Chromebook or Gboard will work the same way. The instructions here do not establish a verified, current step-by-step method for iPhone, iPad or Linux desktops.
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