How to Add Accent Marks to Letters in Google Docs

To add an accent in Google Docs, open Insert, then Special characters, and search for the letter by name, such as "e acute". You can also use your computer's own method: on Windows hold Alt and type 0233 on the number pad for é, and on a Mac press Option + E, then E.

Google Docs has no accent shortcuts of its own, so the fastest method depends on how often you need accents. This guide covers all four options and when each one makes sense.

Quick comparison

Method 1: Insert, Special characters

This works on every computer and finds any accented letter, including rare ones like ő or ě.

1. Click where you want the letter.
2. Open the Insert menu and choose Special characters.
3. In the search box, type the letter's name: "e acute", "n tilde", "u umlaut" or "c cedilla".
4. Click the letter in the results. It goes straight into your document.

If you do not know the name, draw the letter with its mark in the drawing box on the right. Docs suggests matches as you draw.

You can also browse with the drop-down menus at the top of the window, but searching by name is usually faster.

The window stays open while you work, so you can click several letters in a row. Close it when you are done.

Method 2: Use your keyboard's built-in method

Docs accepts whatever your system types, so all the usual methods work inside a document.

Windows

Hold Alt and type the code on the number pad with Num Lock on. Top-row numbers do not work.

On a laptop without a number pad, press Win + . (period) to open the emoji panel and use its Symbols tab. Our guide to typing accents on Windows has every other option.

Mac

You can also press and hold a letter key to see a menu of accents, then press the number shown under the one you want. See how to type accent letters on a Mac for the rest.

Chromebook

Add the US International keyboard in Settings, or press Ctrl + Shift + U, type the hex code (e9 for é) and press Space. Full steps are in our Chromebook accents guide.

Method 3: Automatic substitutions

Docs can replace text as you type. Use this for words you type often, so you never have to reach for an accent again.

1. Open the Tools menu and choose Preferences.
2. Go to the Substitutions tab.
3. In the left box, type the plain version, such as "cafe".
4. In the right box, paste the accented version, such as "café".
5. Make sure the row is ticked and click OK.

Now when you type "cafe" followed by a space, Docs changes it to "café".

Useful substitutions

Set them up for names you type often too, such as "Jose" to "José". Test each one in a blank document before relying on it.

Avoid substitutions for words that also exist without the accent. In Spanish, "si" (if) and "sí" (yes) are different words, so an automatic swap would introduce errors.

Your substitutions are saved to your Google account, so they apply in every document you open while signed in.

Method 4: Copy and paste

For one or two letters, copying is often fastest. Click any letter on our homepage to copy it, then press Ctrl + V (or Command + V on a Mac) in your document.

Why Word shortcuts do not work in Docs

Microsoft Word has shortcuts like Ctrl + ' then e for é. These belong to Word itself, not to Windows, so Google Docs ignores them. If you switch between the two, the Alt codes and the Insert, Special characters menu are the methods that work in both. Our Word accent guide lists the Word-only shortcuts.

To see what keyboard shortcuts Docs does have, press Ctrl + / (Command + / on a Mac).

Typing in another language for a whole document

If you are writing a full document in Spanish, French or German, change the document language under File, then Language. This sets the spelling check to that language, so missing accents get flagged.

For heavy typing, adding a second keyboard layout to your computer (such as US International or Spanish) beats any Docs feature. You then type accents with one or two key presses everywhere, not only in Docs.

Google Docs on iPhone and Android

The Docs app uses your phone's keyboard. Press and hold a letter and slide to the accented version. Special characters is not in the mobile app menu, so long-press is the main method on phones.

Google Sheets and Google Slides

Google Slides has the same Insert, Special characters menu as Docs. Our Google Slides accents guide covers it in more detail.

Google Sheets has no Special characters menu. Use your keyboard method, or the UNICHAR formula with the decimal code: =UNICHAR(233) returns é and =UNICHAR(241) returns ñ. To keep the letter as plain text, copy the cell and paste values only.