How to Type ï (I with umlaut) on Excel

Published August 16, 2026, 2 min read

Typing ï (i with umlaut) on Excel takes a few seconds once you know the trick. The short answer is =UNICHAR(239). Read on for step-by-step instructions, the uppercase Ï and what to do when a method does not work.

ï on Excel: =UNICHAR(239)

Ï on Excel: =UNICHAR(207)

Or copy it:

Method 1: UNICHAR formula

Type =UNICHAR(239) in a cell to get ï. To check a letter, =UNICODE("ï") returns 239. Both work in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

Method 2: CHAR formula on Windows

=CHAR(239) also returns ï on Windows, because it uses the Windows-1252 code page. On a Mac CHAR uses a different code page, so prefer UNICHAR.

Method 3: Keyboard methods inside a cell

Double-click the cell, then use Alt+0239 on Windows or Option+U, then I on a Mac.

Method 4: Find and replace accented text

Use =SUBSTITUTE(A1,"ï","i") to strip this accent from a column, for example when cleaning names for an email system that does not accept accents.

How to type the capital Ï

The uppercase form works the same way with Shift added where a letter is typed.

UNICHAR formula

Type =UNICHAR(207) in a cell to get Ï. To check a letter, =UNICODE("Ï") returns 207. Both work in Excel 2013 and later and in Google Sheets.

CHAR formula on Windows

=CHAR(207) also returns Ï on Windows, because it uses the Windows-1252 code page. On a Mac CHAR uses a different code page, so prefer UNICHAR.

About the letter ï

ï is Unicode U+00EF, named LATIN SMALL LETTER I WITH DIAERESIS. It is used in French, Dutch, Catalan, Welsh and Afrikaans. Two dots above a letter. As a German umlaut it changes the vowel sound (ä, ö, ü); as a diaeresis in French, Dutch, Spanish or English (naïve, Noël) it shows that a vowel is pronounced separately. See the ï character page for every code and shortcut.

Troubleshooting

UNICHAR is not available in Excel 2010 and earlier.
CSV files saved as plain "CSV" may lose accents. Save as "CSV UTF-8".
If accents show as question marks after import, set the file origin to 65001: Unicode (UTF-8) in the import wizard.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut for ï on Excel?

=UNICHAR(239).

Can I just copy and paste ï?

Yes. Click the copy button above, then paste with Ctrl+V on Windows and Chromebook, Cmd+V on a Mac, or touch and hold and choose Paste on a phone.

What is the Unicode code for ï?

U+00EF. In HTML it is ï.

Related guides

All accent shortcuts for Excel