How to Type Hawaiian Accents on Any Keyboard
Hawaiian marks long vowels with the kahakō (macron): ā, ē, ī, ō, ū. The ʻokina is a separate consonant, not an accent. Here is how to type each of them on a computer or phone, whether you write Hawaiian every day or only need the odd name.
Hawaiian letters: ā ē ī ō ū
Shortcut chart
| Letter | Windows | Mac | Word | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ā | Win+. symbols | Option+0101 (Hex Input) | 0101 Alt+X | hold a |
| ē | Win+. symbols | Option+0113 (Hex Input) | 0113 Alt+X | hold e |
| ī | Win+. symbols | Option+012B (Hex Input) | 012B Alt+X | hold i |
| ō | Win+. symbols | Option+014D (Hex Input) | 014D Alt+X | hold o |
| ū | Win+. symbols | Option+016B (Hex Input) | 016B Alt+X | hold u |
Option 1: add the Hawaiian keyboard
If you write Hawaiian often, add its keyboard layout. On Windows, open Settings → Time & language → Language & region, add Hawaiian 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 Hawaiian layout. On iPhone and Android, add the Hawaiian 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 Hawaiian letters page. Click a letter to copy it, or click several to build a word in the text box first.