How to Type Romanian Accents on Any Keyboard
Romanian uses ă, â and î, and the comma-below letters ș and ț, which are often wrongly typed as the cedilla forms ş and ţ. Here is how to type each of them on a computer or phone, whether you write Romanian every day or only need the odd name.
Romanian letters: ă â î ș ț
Shortcut chart
| Letter | Windows | Mac | Word | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ă | Win+. symbols | Option+0103 (Hex Input) | 0103 Alt+X | add Romanian keyboard |
| â | Alt+0226 | Option+I, then A | Ctrl+Shift+^, then A | hold a |
| î | Alt+0238 | Option+I, then I | Ctrl+Shift+^, then I | hold i |
| ș | Win+. symbols | Option+0219 (Hex Input) | 0219 Alt+X | add Romanian keyboard |
| ț | Win+. symbols | Option+021B (Hex Input) | 021B Alt+X | add Romanian keyboard |
Option 1: add the Romanian keyboard
If you write Romanian often, add its keyboard layout. On Windows, open Settings → Time & language → Language & region, add Romanian 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 Romanian layout. On iPhone and Android, add the Romanian 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 Romanian letters page. Click a letter to copy it, or click several to build a word in the text box first.