How to Type ñ and Ñ: N With Tilde on Every Device

To type ñ on Windows, hold Alt and type 164 (or 0241) on the number pad. On a Mac, press Option + N, then n. In Microsoft Word, press Ctrl + Shift + ~, then n.

Capital Ñ uses Alt 165 (or Alt 0209) on Windows and Option + N, then Shift + N on a Mac. The sections below cover every device, plus the other n letters used in Polish, Czech and Latvian.

ñ and Ñ shortcuts at a glance

You can also click ñ on our n with accent page to copy it.

Windows

Alt codes

1. Turn on Num Lock.
2. Hold Alt.
3. Type 164 on the number pad. (0241 gives the same result.)
4. Release Alt. ñ appears.

Both codes work in most programs. The short codes (164, 165) come from the old DOS character set and the four-digit codes (0241, 0209) from the Windows character set. The top-row numbers will not work: you need the numeric keypad. On a laptop without one, see the next method.

Win + . (period)

Press Win + . to open the emoji panel, click the Symbols tab and choose the Latin symbols section. ñ and Ñ are both there.

US International or Spanish keyboard

With the US International layout, press ~ (Shift and the grave key), release, then press n. Right Alt + n also gives ñ.

If you write mostly in Spanish, add a Spanish keyboard layout instead. It has a dedicated Ñ key to the right of L, where the semicolon sits on a US keyboard. Our guide on how to add a Spanish keyboard has the steps.

Mac

1. Press Option + N. A tilde appears with a highlight, waiting for the next key.
2. Press n for ñ, or Shift + N for Ñ.

The same Option + N shortcut adds a tilde to a and o for Portuguese ã and õ.

You can also press and hold the n key. A small menu shows ñ and ń. Press the number under ñ.

Microsoft Word

In Word for Windows, press Ctrl + Shift + ~. On a US keyboard the tilde shares the grave key, top left, so you press Ctrl, Shift and that key together. Release, then press n.

Another way: type 00F1 and press Alt + X. Word converts the code into ñ.

Phones and tablets

On iPhone, iPad and Android (Gboard and Samsung Keyboard), press and hold n on the keyboard. A row of options appears. Slide to ñ and lift your finger. For Ñ, tap Shift first.

Adding a Spanish keyboard on your phone also adds Spanish autocorrect, which inserts the ñ for you in words like año and mañana. See our iPhone and Android accents guide.

Google Docs

Docs has no shortcut of its own, but your system shortcuts above all work in it. Or open Insert, then Special characters, and search "n tilde". You can also set an automatic substitution so that typing "manana" becomes "mañana". Details in how to add accents in Google Docs.

Why ñ is its own letter in Spanish

In Spanish, ñ is not an n with an accent. It is a separate letter called eñe, and the Spanish alphabet has 27 letters with ñ sitting between n and o.

That matters in a few practical ways:

• Alphabetical order. In a Spanish dictionary, all words starting with ñ come after every word starting with n.
• Meaning. Leaving off the tilde changes the word. Año means "year", and ano is a completely different (and anatomical) word.
• Sound. ñ sounds like the "ny" in "canyon".

Where the tilde came from

Medieval scribes saved space by writing a doubled letter as one letter with a small mark above it. A double n (nn) became an n with a wavy line on top. Latin annus (year) turned into Spanish año this way.

Common Spanish words with ñ

Ñ also appears in Galician, Basque, Filipino and several indigenous languages of the Americas. Portuguese writes the same sound as nh (vinho), and Catalan as ny (Catalunya).

For the full set of Spanish letters (á, é, í, ó, ú, ü, ñ) and how to type each, see Spanish accent letters.

Other n letters: ń, ň and ņ

Some languages put other marks on n. None of these has a Windows Alt code, so use Win + . (period), copy them, or type the hex code in Word followed by Alt + X.

On a Mac, holding the n key offers ń. The tilde itself, and other letters that use it such as ã and õ, are covered in tilde letters.