How to Type ū (U with macron) on LaTeX

Published July 17, 2026, 2 min read

The letter ū does not have its own key on an English keyboard, but LaTeX still makes it easy to type. Use \={u}, or pick one of the other methods in this guide. ū appears in Latvian, Lithuanian, Mandarin Pinyin and Māori.

ū on LaTeX: \={u}

Ū on LaTeX: \={U}

Or copy it:

Method 1: LaTeX command

Write \={u} 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 ū into your source. On Overleaf, set the compiler in Menu → Compiler.

Method 3: In math mode

For a variable with this accent, use $\bar{u}$ . Math accents are for symbols, so use the text command for words.

How to type the capital Ū

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

LaTeX command

Write \={U} 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 Ū into your source. On Overleaf, set the compiler in Menu → Compiler.

About the letter ū

ū is Unicode U+016B, named LATIN SMALL LETTER U WITH MACRON. It is used in Latvian, Lithuanian, Mandarin Pinyin, Māori and Hawaiian. A flat bar above a vowel, used for long vowels in Latvian, Lithuanian, Māori, Hawaiian and Latin textbooks, and for the first tone in Pinyin. See the ū 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 ū on LaTeX?

\={u}.

Can I just copy and paste ū?

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 ū?

U+016B. In HTML it is ū.

Related guides

All accent shortcuts for LaTeX