How to Type German Accents on Any Keyboard
German has three umlauted vowels, ä, ö and ü, and the sharp s (ß). A capital ẞ was officially added to German orthography in 2017. Here is how to type each of them on a computer or phone, whether you write German every day or only need the odd name.
German letters: ä ö ü ß
Shortcut chart
| Letter | Windows | Mac | Word | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ä | Alt+0228 | Option+U, then A | Ctrl+Shift+:, then A | hold a |
| ö | Alt+0246 | Option+U, then O | Ctrl+Shift+:, then O | hold o |
| ü | Alt+0252 | Option+U, then U | Ctrl+Shift+:, then U | hold u |
| ß | Alt+0223 | Option+S | Ctrl+Shift+&, then S | hold s |
Option 1: add the German keyboard
If you write German often, add its keyboard layout. On Windows, open Settings → Time & language → Language & region, add German or add its keyboard under your current language, and switch with Win+Space. On a Mac, open System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit and add the German layout. On iPhone and Android, add the German keyboard in keyboard settings and switch with the globe key.
A native layout moves some punctuation keys, so print or note where they sit before you switch.
Option 2: use shortcuts on your current keyboard
Keep your usual layout and use the codes in the chart. On Windows the US-International layout covers many Western European accents with dead keys. On a Mac, Option+E, Option+`, Option+I, Option+U and Option+N cover the acute, grave, circumflex, umlaut and tilde, and Unicode Hex Input covers everything else.
Option 3: copy and paste
For occasional use, copy letters from the German letters page. Click a letter to copy it, or click several to build a word in the text box first.