How to type accents on Mac
macOS has accent shortcuts built in. Option+E, Option+`, Option+I, Option+U and Option+N add an acute, grave, circumflex, umlaut or tilde to the next letter, and holding down a letter key shows a menu of accented versions.
Example: typing é
Option key shortcut
Press Option+E, then E. Hold Option while you press the first key, let go, then press the letter. This works in every app on the standard US and ABC keyboard layouts.
Press and hold
- Hold down the E key.
- A row of accented versions appears above the cursor.
- If é 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 00E9. é appears when you release Option.
This works for every letter on this site, including ones with no Option shortcut.
Character Viewer
Press Ctrl+Cmd+Space, search for "latin small letter e with acute", and double-click é.
Chart of accented letters on Mac
| Letter | Guide | Lowercase | Uppercase |
|---|---|---|---|
| ó | o with acute | Option+E, then O | Option+E, then Shift+O |
| é | e with acute | Option+E, then E | Option+E, then Shift+E |
| í | i with acute | Option+E, then I | Option+E, then Shift+I |
| ú | u with acute | Option+E, then U | Option+E, then Shift+U |
| á | a with acute | Option+E, then A | Option+E, then Shift+A |
| ü | u with umlaut | Option+U, then U | Option+U, then Shift+U |
| à | a with grave | Option+`, then A | Option+`, then Shift+A |
| è | e with grave | Option+`, then E | Option+`, then Shift+E |
| ö | o with umlaut | Option+U, then O | Option+U, then Shift+O |
| ô | o with circumflex | Option+I, then O | Option+I, then Shift+O |
| â | a with circumflex | Option+I, then A | Option+I, then Shift+A |
| ä | a with umlaut | Option+U, then A | Option+U, then Shift+A |
| æ | ae ligature (ash) | Option+' | Option+Shift+' |
| ç | c with cedilla | Option+C | Option+Shift+C |
| ê | e with circumflex | Option+I, then E | Option+I, then Shift+E |
| ë | e with umlaut | Option+U, then E | Option+U, then Shift+E |
| î | i with circumflex | Option+I, then I | Option+I, then Shift+I |
| ï | i with umlaut | Option+U, then I | Option+U, then Shift+I |
| ò | o with grave | Option+`, then O | Option+`, then Shift+O |
| ù | u with grave | Option+`, then U | Option+`, then Shift+U |
| ý | y with acute | Option + 00FD (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 00DD (Unicode Hex Input) |
| å | a with ring above | Option+A | Option+Shift+A |
| ì | i with grave | Option+`, then I | Option+`, then Shift+I |
| õ | o with tilde | Option+N, then O | Option+N, then Shift+O |
| ø | o with stroke | Option+O | Option+Shift+O |
| û | u with circumflex | Option+I, then U | Option+I, then Shift+U |
| ã | a with tilde | Option+N, then A | Option+N, then Shift+A |
| ð | Eth | Option + 00F0 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 00D0 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ß | Sharp s (eszett) | Option+S | — |
| ñ | n with tilde | Option+N, then N | Option+N, then Shift+N |
| þ | Thorn | Option + 00FE (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 00DE (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ÿ | y with umlaut | Option+U, then Y | Option+U, then Shift+Y |
| š | s with caron | Option + 0161 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0160 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ž | z with caron | Option + 017E (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 017D (Unicode Hex Input) |
| č | c with caron | Option + 010D (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 010C (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ū | u with macron | Option + 016B (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 016A (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ā | a with macron | Option + 0101 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0100 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ē | e with macron | Option + 0113 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0112 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ī | i with macron | Option + 012B (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 012A (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ō | o with macron | Option + 014D (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 014C (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ă | a with breve | Option + 0103 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0102 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ą | a with ogonek | Option + 0105 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0104 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ć | c with acute | Option + 0107 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0106 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ď | d with caron | Option + 010F (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 010E (Unicode Hex Input) |
| đ | d with stroke | Option + 0111 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0110 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ę | e with ogonek | Option + 0119 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0118 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ě | e with caron | Option + 011B (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 011A (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ń | n with acute | Option + 0144 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0143 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ň | n with caron | Option + 0148 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0147 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ť | t with caron | Option + 0165 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0164 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ż | z with dot above | Option + 017C (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 017B (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ĉ | c with circumflex | Option + 0109 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0108 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ċ | c with dot above | Option + 010B (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 010A (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ė | e with dot above | Option + 0117 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0116 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ĝ | g with circumflex | Option + 011D (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 011C (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ğ | g with breve | Option + 011F (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 011E (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ġ | g with dot above | Option + 0121 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0120 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ģ | g with cedilla | Option + 0123 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0122 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ĥ | h with circumflex | Option + 0125 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0124 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ħ | h with stroke | Option + 0127 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0126 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ĩ | i with tilde | Option + 0129 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0128 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| į | i with ogonek | Option + 012F (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 012E (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ı | Dotless i | Option + 0131 (Unicode Hex Input) | — |
| ĵ | j with circumflex | Option + 0135 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0134 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ķ | k with cedilla | Option + 0137 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0136 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ĺ | l with acute | Option + 013A (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0139 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ļ | l with cedilla | Option + 013C (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 013B (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ľ | l with caron | Option + 013E (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 013D (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ł | l with stroke | Option + 0142 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0141 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ņ | n with cedilla | Option + 0146 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0145 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ő | o with double acute | Option + 0151 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0150 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| œ | oe ligature (ethel) | Option+Q | Option+Shift+Q |
| ŕ | r with acute | Option + 0155 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0154 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ř | r with caron | Option + 0159 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0158 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ś | s with acute | Option + 015B (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 015A (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ŝ | s with circumflex | Option + 015D (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 015C (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ş | s with cedilla | Option + 015F (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 015E (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ũ | u with tilde | Option + 0169 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0168 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ŭ | u with breve | Option + 016D (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 016C (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ů | u with ring above | Option + 016F (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 016E (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ű | u with double acute | Option + 0171 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0170 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ų | u with ogonek | Option + 0173 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0172 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ŵ | w with circumflex | Option + 0175 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0174 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ŷ | y with circumflex | Option + 0177 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0176 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ź | z with acute | Option + 017A (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0179 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ĕ | e with breve | Option + 0115 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0114 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ĭ | i with breve | Option + 012D (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 012C (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ĸ | Kra | Option + 0138 (Unicode Hex Input) | — |
| ŀ | l with middle dot | Option + 0140 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 013F (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ŋ | Eng | Option + 014B (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 014A (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ŏ | o with breve | Option + 014F (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 014E (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ŗ | r with cedilla | Option + 0157 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0156 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ţ | t with cedilla | Option + 0163 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0162 (Unicode Hex Input) |
| ŧ | t with stroke | Option + 0167 (Unicode Hex Input) | Option + 0166 (Unicode Hex Input) |
Frequently asked questions
What is the easiest way to type accents on Mac?
macOS has accent shortcuts built in. Option+E, Option+`, Option+I, Option+U and Option+N add an acute, grave, circumflex, umlaut or tilde to the next letter, and holding down a letter key shows a menu of accented versions.
Can I copy and paste accents instead?
Yes. Click any letter on this site to copy it, then paste it with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V.