How to Type ŷ (Y with circumflex) on Mac

Published April 30, 2026, 2 min read

ŷ is y with circumflex, a letter used in Welsh. On Mac, the quickest way to get it is Option + 0177 (Unicode Hex Input). This guide covers every method that works, including the capital Ŷ and fixes for common problems.

ŷ on Mac: Option + 0177 (Unicode Hex Input)

Ŷ on Mac: Option + 0176 (Unicode Hex Input)

Or copy it:

Method 1: Press and hold

Hold down the Y key.
A row of accented versions appears above the cursor.
If ŷ 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 2: 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 0177. ŷ appears when you release Option.

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

Method 3: Character Viewer

Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space, search for "latin small letter y with circumflex", and double-click ŷ.

How to type the capital Ŷ

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

Press and hold

Hold down the Y key with Shift.
A row of accented versions appears above the cursor.
If Ŷ 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.

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 0176. Ŷ appears when you release Option.

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

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 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 ŷ on Mac?

Option + 0177 (Unicode Hex Input).

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 Mac