How to Type Spanish Accents on Any Keyboard
Spanish uses the acute accent on vowels to mark stress or tell words apart (sí and si), the tilde on ñ, and the diaeresis on ü in syllables such as güe and güi. Here is how to type each of them on a computer or phone, whether you write Spanish every day or only need the odd name.
Spanish letters: á é í ó ú ü ñ
Shortcut chart
| Letter | Windows | Mac | Word | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| á | Alt+0225 | Option+E, then A | Ctrl+', then A | hold a |
| é | Alt+0233 | Option+E, then E | Ctrl+', then E | hold e |
| í | Alt+0237 | Option+E, then I | Ctrl+', then I | hold i |
| ó | Alt+0243 | Option+E, then O | Ctrl+', then O | hold o |
| ú | Alt+0250 | Option+E, then U | Ctrl+', then U | hold u |
| ü | Alt+0252 | Option+U, then U | Ctrl+Shift+:, then U | hold u |
| ñ | Alt+0241 | Option+N, then N | Ctrl+Shift+~, then N | hold n |
Option 1: add the Spanish keyboard
If you write Spanish often, add its keyboard layout. On Windows, open Settings → Time & language → Language & region, add Spanish 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 Spanish layout. On iPhone and Android, add the Spanish 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 Spanish letters page. Click a letter to copy it, or click several to build a word in the text box first.