How to Put an Accent on E in Word (é è ê ë)

To put an accent on e in Word for Windows, press Ctrl + ' (apostrophe), let go, then press e to get é. In Word for Mac, press Option + E, let go, then press e.

The other three accents on e follow the same pattern. Every shortcut and code is in the table below.

E with accent in Word: all shortcuts

For capitals, keep the first step the same and press Shift with the E in the second step.

Method 1: Word Ctrl shortcuts (Windows)

1. Press Ctrl and the accent key together: ' for é, ` for è, Shift + 6 for ê, Shift + ; for ë.
2. Release all keys.
3. Press e, or Shift + E for a capital.

The ' key is left of Enter and the ` key is left of the 1 key on a US keyboard. These shortcuts work in Word and Outlook for Windows, not in other programs. The same pattern for every other letter is in how to put accent marks on letters in Word.

Method 2: Option keys (Word for Mac)

Word for Mac uses the standard Mac shortcuts. Press Option + E, release, then e. You can also press and hold the e key until a menu of accented versions appears, then click the one you want or press its number. Both work in every Mac app, not just Word. More in how to type accent letters on Mac.

Method 3: Alt codes (Windows)

1. Turn on Num Lock.
2. Hold Alt and type the four digits on the number pad, such as 0233.
3. Release Alt.

The top-row numbers do not work. Alt codes work in Word and most other Windows programs, so they are worth learning if you also type é in a browser or email.

Method 4: Alt + X

Type the four-character code from the table, then press Alt + X. Word turns 00e9 into é. This is the only shortcut-style method for the rarer e letters:

If the code follows a letter with no space (as in "caf00e9"), Word may read the wrong code because a, c, e and f are also hex digits. Select just the code before pressing Alt + X.

Method 5: AutoCorrect for café and résumé

If you type the same words often, let Word add the accent for you.

1. Open File, Options, Proofing, then AutoCorrect Options.
2. In Replace, type cafe. In With, type café.
3. Click Add, then OK.

Word now corrects cafe to café as you type. Do the same for cliché, fiancé and other words you use.

Be careful with résumé. "Resume" is also an ordinary English verb, so replacing it everywhere would break sentences such as "work will resume on Monday". Use a short trigger that is not a real word, such as rsme, and set it to résumé.

Method 6: Insert Symbol

Open Insert, then Symbol, then More Symbols. Set the font to "(normal text)" and the subset to Latin-1 Supplement, click the e you need, and click Insert. After the first time, the letter stays in the short list under Insert, then Symbol.

If the e shortcut does not work

• You get an apostrophe and a plain e. Your keyboard layout is not US English, so Ctrl + ' is not recognised. Use Alt + 0233 or type 00e9 then Alt + X.
• Nothing happens on a laptop. Alt codes need a number pad. Use the Ctrl shortcut or Alt + X instead, which only use the main keys.
• The capital comes out small. Press Shift with the E, not with Ctrl.
• You are in Word for the web. The desktop Ctrl shortcuts may not work in a browser. Use your system method, such as Option + E on a Mac or Win + . (period) on Windows.

Which e do you need?

• é (acute): French (café, été), Spanish (qué), Portuguese and Italian (perché).
• è (grave): French (très, mère) and Italian (è, caffè).
• ê (circumflex): French (fête, forêt) and Portuguese (você).
• ë (diaeresis): French (Noël), Dutch (België) and names such as Zoë.

For e with accents outside Word, including phones and Chromebooks, see how to type e with an accent. To copy any e variant in one click, use our e with accent page.