How to Type ŷ (Y with circumflex) on iPhone

Published April 29, 2026, 2 min read

ŷ is y with circumflex, a letter used in Welsh. On iPhone, the quickest way to get it is Add Welsh keyboard. This guide covers every method that works, including the capital Ŷ and fixes for common problems.

ŷ on iPhone: Add Welsh keyboard

Ŷ on iPhone: Add Welsh keyboard

Or copy it:

Method 1: Long-press the letter

ŷ is not on the long-press menu of the plain English keyboard. Add the Welsh keyboard, then touch and hold y or use the key it adds.

Method 2: Add the Welsh keyboard

Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards.
Tap Add New Keyboard and choose Welsh.
Tap the globe key to switch while typing.

Method 3: Text Replacement

Go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement, tap +, paste ŷ as the phrase and type a shortcut such as yci. The shortcut syncs to your Mac through iCloud.

How to type the capital Ŷ

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

Long-press the letter

Ŷ is not on the long-press menu of the plain English keyboard. Add the Welsh keyboard, then touch and hold y or use the key it adds.

Add the Welsh keyboard

Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards.
Tap Add New Keyboard and choose Welsh.
Tap the globe key to switch while typing.

About the letter ŷ

ŷ is Unicode U+0177, named LATIN SMALL LETTER Y WITH CIRCUMFLEX. It is used in Welsh. A small caret (^) above a vowel. In French it often marks a vanished s (forêt from forest), in Portuguese a closed vowel, in Welsh a long vowel, and in Vietnamese a distinct vowel (â, ê, ô). See the ŷ character page for every code and shortcut.

Troubleshooting

If no menu appears when you touch and hold, make sure you are not using a third-party keyboard that disables it.
Text Replacement shortcuts need a space or punctuation after them to expand.
Some apps with custom keyboards, such as games, do not support accents.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut for ŷ on iPhone?

Add Welsh keyboard.

Can I just copy and paste ŷ?

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 ŷ?

U+0177. In HTML it is ŷ.

Related guides

All accent shortcuts for iPhone