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

Published May 20, 2026, 2 min read

Typing œ (oe ligature (ethel)) on Mac takes a few seconds once you know the trick. The short answer is Option+Q. Read on for step-by-step instructions, the uppercase Œ and what to do when a method does not work.

œ on Mac: Option+Q

Œ on Mac: Option+Shift+Q

Or copy it:

Method 1: Option key shortcut

Press Option+Q. It is a single key combination. This works in every app on the standard US and ABC keyboard layouts.

Method 2: Press and hold

Hold down the O key.
A row of accented versions appears above the cursor.
If œ is in the row, press the number under it or click it.

If nothing appears, press-and-hold is turned off. Run defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool true in Terminal and log out and back in.

Method 3: Unicode Hex Input

Open System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit, click +, and add Unicode Hex Input.
Switch to it from the input menu in the menu bar.
Hold Option and type 0153. œ appears when you release Option.

This works for every letter on this site, including ones with no Option shortcut.

Method 4: Character Viewer

Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space, search for "latin small ligature oe", and double-click œ.

How to type the capital Œ

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

Option key shortcut

Press Option+Shift+Q. It is a single key combination. This works in every app on the standard US and ABC keyboard layouts.

Press and hold

Hold down the O key with Shift.
A row of accented versions appears above the cursor.
If Œ is in the row, press the number under it or click it.

If nothing appears, press-and-hold is turned off. Run defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool true in Terminal and log out and back in.

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

If holding a key repeats the letter, press-and-hold is off. Turn it back on with the Terminal command above.
Option shortcuts depend on the keyboard layout. They work on US and ABC; other layouts move them.
If Option+E shows a highlighted ´ but no letter appears, you pressed a letter that cannot take that accent.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut for œ on Mac?

Option+Q.

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 Mac