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Step-by-step guide for your device
Each system has its own guide, with the fastest method, the permanent setup with exact menu paths, and the usual traps (like a laptop with no number pad):
Accents on Windows
Every way to type á, é, í, ó, ú, ñ, ü, ¿ and ¡ on Windows 10 and 11: US-International keyboard, Alt codes, Win + period, Word and Google Docs, with exact menu paths.
Read the guide →Accents on Mac
Type á, é, í, ó, ú, ñ, ü, ¿ and ¡ on a Mac with Option + E, press and hold, or the Spanish – ISO layout. Steps for macOS Ventura, Sonoma and later.
Read the guide →Accents on Chromebook
Type á, é, í, ó, ú, ñ, ü, ¿ and ¡ on a Chromebook: US International keyboard, right Alt, Ctrl + Shift + U and the Latin American keyboard. Exact ChromeOS menu paths.
Read the guide →Accents on iPhone
Hold a vowel for á, é, í, ó, ú; hold n for ñ; hold ? or ! for ¿ ¡ on iPhone and iPad. How to add the Spanish keyboard and let autocorrect add accents.
Read the guide →Accents on Android
Type á, é, í, ó, ú, ñ, ü, ¿ and ¡ on Android: hold the letter on Gboard or Samsung Keyboard, add Spanish, and type in two languages without switching.
Read the guide →Which method should I use?
- You type Spanish daily on Windows: add the US-International keyboard. It's free, built into Windows, and no letter moves.
- You're on a Mac: install nothing. Hold the vowel or use ⌥ E.
- You type Spanish now and then: copy the letter from this page, or type on the online keyboard and copy the text.
- You're on a computer that isn't yours (work, school, library): the online keyboard or Alt codes, which need no setup.
- Your keyboard already has ñ: press the ´ key before the vowel. See where it is in the keyboard layout guide.
Shortcut cheat sheet
Mac shortcuts take two steps: an ⌥ Option combination adds the accent, then you type the letter. Windows Alt codes need a number pad: hold Alt, type the four digits on the number pad, then let go of Alt.
| Letter | Mac | Windows (Alt code) | US-International | Phone |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| á | ⌥ E, then a | Alt 0225 | ', then a | Hold a |
| é | ⌥ E, then e | Alt 0233 | ', then e | Hold e |
| í | ⌥ E, then i | Alt 0237 | ', then i | Hold i |
| ó | ⌥ E, then o | Alt 0243 | ', then o | Hold o |
| ú | ⌥ E, then u | Alt 0250 | ', then u | Hold u |
| ü | ⌥ U, then u | Alt 0252 | ", then u | Hold u |
| ñ | ⌥ N, then n | Alt 0241 | ~, then n | Hold n |
| ¿ | ⌥ ⇧ ? | Alt 0191 | Right Alt / | Hold ? |
| ¡ | ⌥ 1 | Alt 0161 | Right Alt 1 | Hold ! |
Capital letters
| Letter | Mac | Windows (Alt code) |
|---|---|---|
| Á | ⌥ E, then ⇧ A | Alt 0193 |
| É | ⌥ E, then ⇧ E | Alt 0201 |
| Í | ⌥ E, then ⇧ I | Alt 0205 |
| Ó | ⌥ E, then ⇧ O | Alt 0211 |
| Ú | ⌥ E, then ⇧ U | Alt 0218 |
| Ü | ⌥ U, then ⇧ U | Alt 0220 |
| Ñ | ⌥ N, then ⇧ N | Alt 0209 |
Capitals keep their accents in Spanish: Ángela, ÁFRICA, Óscar.
On a Mac
- Press and hold: hold a and a menu with à á â ä… pops up; press the number of the one you want. Works for vowels and n, not for ¿ ¡.
- Option shortcuts: ⌥ E + vowel for á é í ó ú, ⌥ N + n for ñ, ⌥ U + u for ü, ⌥ ⇧ ? for ¿ and ⌥ 1 for ¡.
- Spanish – ISO layout: in System Settings › Keyboard › Input Sources, add “Spanish – ISO”. ñ sits right of L.
On Windows
- Alt codes: with Num Lock on, hold Alt and type the code on the number pad (not the number row). Many laptops have no number pad, so Alt codes won't work there.
- US-International keyboard: in Settings › Time & language › Language & region, under English (United States) choose Language options › Add a keyboard › “United States-International”. Then ' + vowel gives á, ~ + n gives ñ and " + u gives ü. Right Alt + letter works too.
- Symbol panel: press Win . (Windows key and period), open the Ω tab and pick the letter.
- Spanish (Latin America) layout: ñ gets its own key right of L, and you type ´ before the vowel.
In Word and Google Docs
- Word (Windows): Ctrl ' then a vowel gives á é í ó ú; Ctrl ⇧ ~ then n gives ñ; Ctrl ⇧ : then u gives ü; Ctrl Alt ⇧ ? gives ¿ and Ctrl Alt ⇧ ! gives ¡.
- Google Docs: Insert › Special characters, then search “a acute” or “n tilde”, or draw the letter. Your system shortcuts work there too.
On iPhone and Android
Press and hold a letter and slide to the accented version: n gives ñ, e gives é, u gives ú and ü. For ¿ and ¡, open the numbers (123 or ?123) and hold ? or !. If you write a lot of Spanish, add the Spanish keyboard in settings and autocorrect will add many accents for you.
For the web: HTML and Unicode
| Letter | HTML | Unicode |
|---|---|---|
| á é í ó ú | á é í ó ú | U+00E1 U+00E9 U+00ED U+00F3 U+00FA |
| ñ Ñ | ñ Ñ | U+00F1 U+00D1 |
| ü | ü | U+00FC |
| ¿ ¡ | ¿ ¡ | U+00BF U+00A1 |
On a Chromebook or Linux, type any character with Ctrl ⇧ U, the Unicode code (e.g. f1 for ñ) and Enter.
More references
- Every code, including « » — € º ª and the old three-digit codes: Spanish Alt codes.
- Where each key sits on a Spain or Latin American keyboard: Spanish keyboard layout.
- One letter, every way to type it: á, é, í, ó, ú, ü, ñ, ¡.
- A printable page with every shortcut: cheat sheet.
Frequently asked questions
What's the fastest way to type Spanish accents?
On a Mac, ⌥ Option + E and then the vowel. On a Windows laptop without a number pad, the US-International keyboard (apostrophe, then vowel). On this page, Spanish → English mode: vowel, then apostrophe.
Why don't Alt codes work on my laptop?
They need the number pad on the right with Num Lock on; the number row above the letters doesn't work. Without a number pad, use US-International or the Win + period panel.
Is ñ just an n with an accent?
No. Ñ (eñe) is a separate letter of the Spanish alphabet, between n and o. The squiggle is called a tilde, not an accent.