How to Type Spanish Accent Letters: Windows, Mac, Word and Phones

To type Spanish accent letters on Windows, hold Alt and type 0225 on the number pad for á (0233 é, 0237 í, 0243 ó, 0250 ú, 0241 ñ, 0252 ü). On a Mac, press Option + E and then the vowel, or Option + N and then n for ñ.

The tables below give every Spanish letter for every common system. If you just need to copy a letter once, the Spanish letters with accent marks page has them ready to click.

Quick reference: all Spanish letters

Windows: Alt codes

Alt codes work in almost every Windows app. You need a numeric keypad, and Num Lock must be on.

1. Click where you want the letter.
2. Hold down the Alt key.
3. Type the four digits on the number pad, for example 0233.
4. Let go of Alt. The letter appears.

The number keys above the letters do not work for Alt codes. On a laptop without a keypad, some models have a hidden keypad you reach with Fn or Num Lock; otherwise use the US International keyboard below, or open the symbol panel with Win + . (period) and pick the letter from the Symbols tab.

Alt codes for Spanish capitals

The four digit codes starting with 0 are the safest choice. The shorter three digit codes come from an older character set, and only É (Alt 144), Ñ (Alt 165) and Ü (Alt 154) have one among the Spanish capitals.

Windows: US International keyboard

If you type Spanish often, the US International layout is faster than Alt codes. It keeps every key where it is on a normal US keyboard but turns some punctuation keys into dead keys. A dead key prints nothing until you press the next key.

• ' then a vowel gives á é í ó ú
• " then u gives ü
• ~ then n gives ñ
• Right Alt (AltGr) + n also gives ñ
• AltGr + / gives ¿ and AltGr + 1 gives ¡

To type a plain apostrophe or quote mark, press the key and then Space. Setup steps are in our US International keyboard guide.

Windows and Mac: Spanish keyboard layout

You can also switch your keyboard to a Spanish layout. Both the Spain and the Latin American layouts give ñ its own key to the right of L. On the Spain layout, the accent dead key sits to the right of Ñ. On the Latin American layout it sits to the right of P. Press it, then the vowel, to get á é í ó ú. With Shift, the same key gives the two dots for ü.

The keys for ¿ and ¡ sit near the top right of the keyboard on both layouts. The catch is that the printed labels on a US keyboard will not match, so many people prefer US International. On Windows, switch between installed layouts with Win + Space. Full setup for each system is in how to add a Spanish keyboard.

Mac: Option keys and press and hold

Every Mac has Spanish accents built in on the standard US layout:

• Option + E, then a vowel: á é í ó ú
• Option + U, then u: ü
• Option + N, then n: ñ
• Option + Shift + ?: ¿
• Option + 1: ¡

For capitals, press Shift with the letter, not with Option. Option + E, then Shift + A gives Á.

You can also press and hold a vowel. A small menu of accented versions appears; press the number under the one you want. If the key repeats instead, press and hold may be switched off. More detail is in how to type accent letters on a Mac.

Microsoft Word for Windows

Word has its own shortcuts that work without changing your keyboard:

• Ctrl + ' (apostrophe), then a vowel: á é í ó ú
• Ctrl + Shift + :, then u: ü
• Ctrl + Shift + ~, then n: ñ
• Alt + Ctrl + Shift + ?: ¿
• Alt + Ctrl + Shift + !: ¡

Press Shift with the letter for a capital: Ctrl + ', then Shift + E gives É. These shortcuts work in Word and Outlook on Windows but not in most other apps. Word for Mac uses the Option keys above. For more Word tricks, including Alt + X and AutoCorrect, see how to put accent marks on letters in Word.

iPhone and Android

On iPhone, Gboard and Samsung Keyboard, press and hold a vowel or the n, then slide your finger to the accented letter and release. For ¿ and ¡, switch to the number and symbol keys, then press and hold ? or !.

If you write in Spanish regularly, add Spanish as a second keyboard language. Autocorrect will then add accents for you, so "cancion" becomes "canción". Steps for each phone are in how to type accents on iPhone and Android.

Google Docs and Chromebook

Google Docs has no Ctrl shortcuts for accents. Your system methods still work inside it: Alt codes on Windows, Option keys on a Mac. You can also use Insert, then Special characters, and search for "n tilde" or "a acute".

On a Chromebook, add the US International keyboard in Settings and use the same dead keys listed above.

Which method should you use?

Not sure where the accent goes once you can type it? Spanish accent rules explains when each word needs one.