Spanish Keyboard

How to type í (i with an accent)

í mostly appears when a stressed i sits next to another vowel: día, país, frío. It also tells apart sí/si and mí/mi.

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Every way, at a glance

DeviceíÍ
Windows (Alt)Alt 0237 · Alt 161Alt 0205
Windows (US-International)', then i', then ⇧ I
Mac⌥ E, then i⌥ E, then ⇧ I
Chromebook / LinuxCtrl ⇧ U ed ⏎Ctrl ⇧ U cd ⏎
iPhone / AndroidHold iHold ⇧ I
Word (Windows)Ctrl ', then iCtrl ', then ⇧ I
Google DocsInsert › Special charactersInsert › Special characters
HTMLíÍ
UnicodeU+00EDU+00CD

Alt codes need the number pad with Num Lock on. On a laptop without one, use the US-International keyboard. Step by step for each system: Windows, Mac, Chromebook, iPhone and Android.

Common words with í

día (day), aquí (here), así (like this), país (country), sí (yes), mí (me), policía (police), todavía (still), frío (cold), río (river), María, difícil (hard), línea (line), química (chemistry).

When it changes the meaning

With íWithout
sí (yes): sí, clarosi (if): si quieres
mí (me): para mími (my): mi casa
río (river)rio (laughed)
sería (would be)seria (serious)
varía (varies)varia (various)

The vowel-pair rule: when a stressed i (or u) sits next to a, e or o, it takes an accent even if the main rule says no. That's why día has one even though it ends in a vowel, and reír even though it ends in r. Compare ha-bí-a (three syllables, the i is stressed) with gra-cias (two syllables, no accent).

Frequently asked questions

What is the Alt code for í?

Alt + 0237 for í and Alt + 0205 for Í. The old code Alt + 161 also gives í.

Why does “día” have an accent?

Because the i is stressed next to the a. A stressed i or u next to another vowel always gets a written accent.

Sources