Ä ä
A with umlaut ↗
Written as Ae or ae when the umlaut is unavailable.
Äpfel apples
GERMAN UMLAUT LETTERS
Umlaut letters, ready to copy.
Click to copy Ä, ä, Ö, ö, Ü, or ü. The right character for your next word, name, or message without changing your keyboard.
Click a character, then paste with Ctrl+V or ⌘V.
Choose a letter above, or write with the German keyboard.
Need a keyboard shortcut?At a glance
The six German umlaut letters
German uses an umlaut on the vowels A, O, and U. Each has an uppercase and lowercase form.
Ö ö
O with umlaut ↗
Written as Oe or oe when the umlaut is unavailable.
schön beautiful
Ü ü
U with umlaut ↗
Written as Ue or ue when the umlaut is unavailable.
grün green
Keyboard shortcuts
How to type umlaut letters
Copy and paste is usually the quickest option for an occasional letter. For regular writing, use a shortcut or add a German keyboard layout.
Windows
With Num Lock on, hold Alt and enter the four-digit code on the numeric keypad.
Ä
Alt+0196ä Alt+0228Ö Alt+0214ö Alt+0246Ü Alt+0220ü Alt+0252Release Alt after the last digit. Keep the leading zero and use the numeric keypad, not the number row. On a laptop without a keypad, use Windows Character Map or copy the letter above.
Mac
On the US or ABC keyboard layout, press Option + U, release both keys, then type A, O, or U.
For uppercase, hold Shift while typing the final letter. You can also press and hold the vowel to open the accent menu.
iPhone, iPad, and Android
Press and hold A, O, or U on the on-screen keyboard, then slide to the umlaut version.
Turn on the uppercase keyboard first when you need Ä, Ö, or Ü.
Available characters depend on your keyboard app and enabled languages. If the letter is missing, add German in the keyboard settings or copy it from this page.
Word for Windows
Press Ctrl + Shift + :, release, then type the vowel. Or type a Unicode value such as 00FC and press Alt + X.
On a US keyboard, the first shortcut uses the semicolon key with Ctrl and Shift. For Alt+X, select just the code if another letter or number comes immediately before it. These are Word shortcuts, not universal browser shortcuts.
Writing in German often?
A German keyboard layout gives ä, ö, and ü their own keys. Changing your input layout does not change the labels on your physical keyboard, so use your device’s keyboard viewer while learning the positions.
Character reference
Umlaut Unicode, Alt, and HTML codes
Use Unicode values in software and HTML entities in web documents. Windows Alt codes require a numeric keypad.
| Letter | Unicode | Windows Alt | HTML decimal | HTML named |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ä | U+00C4 | Alt+0196 | Ä | Ä |
| ä | U+00E4 | Alt+0228 | ä | ä |
| Ö | U+00D6 | Alt+0214 | Ö | Ö |
| ö | U+00F6 | Alt+0246 | ö | ö |
| Ü | U+00DC | Alt+0220 | Ü | Ü |
| ü | U+00FC | Alt+0252 | ü | ü |
Which code should I use?
For a document or message: paste the actual letter. Typing ü into a chat normally displays the code itself, not ü.
For HTML: write the letter directly in a UTF-8 document or use its decimal or named entity. Named entities are case-sensitive: Ü gives Ü, while ü gives ü.
For Unicode entry: U+ identifies a hexadecimal code point. In Word, enter 00FC and press Alt+X. The Windows Alt sequence 0252 is a different input method; do not interchange the two.
Clear definitions
What is an umlaut?
An umlaut is a sound change in German and the two-dot mark used to show that change over the vowels a, o, and u.
The dots can change both pronunciation and meaning. For example, schon means “already,” while schön means “beautiful.” The umlaut is therefore part of the correct spelling, not optional decoration.
Writing German correctly
When the umlaut key is missing
If you cannot enter the actual character, German spelling convention replaces the umlaut with the vowel followed by e:
ä → aeö → oeü → ueß → ss
Use the original characters whenever Unicode text is supported. These replacements are fallbacks for a keyboard or destination that cannot accept German characters, not preferable spellings. For example, Müller can be written Mueller, but plain Muller is not the standard fallback.
Preserve capitalization: Über becomes Ueber, while all-capital ÜBER becomes UEBER. Uppercase ẞ can remain ẞ where appropriate, while SS is the established fallback. For a person’s name or an official record, use the spelling supplied by the person or issuing authority and follow the destination’s requirements.
These substitutions belong to German spelling. Do not automatically change a similar-looking ä, ö, ü, or ß in another language or name.
Common questions
Umlaut letter questions
What are all the German umlaut letters?
The six forms are Ä, ä, Ö, ö, Ü, and ü. German uses the umlaut only with A, O, and U.
Where can I paste these letters?
These are standard Unicode characters, so they work in most email apps, documents, messages, and web forms. Some systems restrict names, usernames, or passwords to a smaller character set. If a form rejects the letter, check its requirements before using a substitute.
Is ë a German umlaut?
No. The character ë uses the same two-dot shape, but it is not one of the German umlaut letters. In languages and names where the dots separate vowel sounds, the mark is a diaeresis.
Should I write ü as u or ue?
Use ü whenever possible. If the character is unavailable, use ue. Replacing ü with plain u is not the standard substitution.
Why did the copy button not work?
Your browser may have blocked clipboard access. Select a letter from this line: Ä ä Ö ö Ü ü. Then copy it with Ctrl+C on Windows or Command+C on Mac. On a phone, touch and hold the text to select it, then tap Copy. Paste into your destination app to check the result.
Why does my Alt code produce the wrong character?
Check that Num Lock is on, keep Alt held until all four digits have been entered, and include the leading zero. The top number row is not a substitute for the numeric keypad. Keyboard settings and apps can also affect Alt entry; Character Map or copy and paste is a useful fallback.
Do uppercase umlaut letters keep the dots?
Yes. The uppercase versions of ä, ö, and ü are Ä, Ö, and Ü. Capitalizing the letter does not remove the umlaut. If the system cannot accept umlauts, use AE, OE, and UE in all-capital text.
Are two dots above a vowel always an umlaut?
No. The function depends on the language and word. German ä, ö, and ü are umlaut vowels. In French Noël and English naïve, a diaeresis separates vowel sounds. Unicode names these characters “letter with diaeresis”; that technical name does not determine their linguistic function.
About this resource
A straightforward home for hard-to-type characters
Umlaut Letters helps you copy, type, and understand special characters. Published by Sören Schmidt, it brings the characters and the instructions together so you can get back to writing. About Umlaut Letters.
The copy tool runs in your browser. Characters you copy and text you compose are not sent to our servers.
Typing and code references: Apple Support, Microsoft Support, and The Unicode Standard.