How to Type œ (Oe ligature (ethel)) on LaTeX

Published May 18, 2026, 2 min read

œ is oe ligature (ethel), a letter used in French. On LaTeX, the quickest way to get it is \oe. This guide covers every method that works, including the capital Œ and fixes for common problems.

œ on LaTeX: \oe

Œ on LaTeX: \OE

Or copy it:

Method 1: LaTeX command

Write \oe in text mode. Load \usepackage[T1]{fontenc} for correct hyphenation and copy-paste from the PDF.

Method 2: Type the character directly

Since 2018 pdfLaTeX reads UTF-8 by default, so you can paste œ into your source. On Overleaf, set the compiler in Menu → Compiler.

How to type the capital Œ

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

LaTeX command

Write \OE in text mode. Load \usepackage[T1]{fontenc} for correct hyphenation and copy-paste from the PDF.

Type the character directly

Since 2018 pdfLaTeX reads UTF-8 by default, so you can paste Œ into your source. On Overleaf, set the compiler in Menu → Compiler.

About the letter œ

œ is Unicode U+0153, named LATIN SMALL LIGATURE OE. It is used in French. See the œ character page for every code and shortcut.

Troubleshooting

Accents on i and j need the dotless forms \i and \j in old LaTeX; modern LaTeX handles this automatically.
If the letter is missing in the PDF, the font lacks it. Switch to XeLaTeX or LuaLaTeX with a broader font.
Wrap commands in braces when the next character is a letter: \'{e}x, not \'ex.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut for œ on LaTeX?

\oe.

Can I just copy and paste œ?

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 œ?

U+0153. In HTML it is &oelig;.

Related guides

All accent shortcuts for LaTeX