Windows
Compare language layouts, US-International dead keys, Character Map, and numeric-keypad Alt codes.
Open the Windows guide →CHOOSE AN INPUT METHOD
How to type accented letters
Find the fastest method for your device, application, and typing frequency. Use copy and paste once, or configure a keyboard for ongoing writing.
START HERE
For one character, copy it from its reference page. For regular writing in one language, install that language’s keyboard. Use a device guide when you need a shortcut, character picker, dead key, or code-entry method.
DEVICE AND APP GUIDES
Choose where you are typing
Mac
Use the press-and-hold menu, Option dead keys, Character Viewer, or another input source.
Open the Mac guide →iPhone and Android
Open long-press menus, add language keyboards, and handle characters that are not offered.
Open the iPhone and Android guide →Microsoft Word
Use Ctrl accent shortcuts, hexadecimal Alt+X conversion, Insert Symbol, and AutoCorrect.
Open the Microsoft Word guide →Google Docs
Use Special characters, system keyboard methods, and dependable Unicode copy and paste.
Open the Google Docs guide →Windows Alt codes
Understand numeric-keypad requirements, leading zeros, code-page limits, and alternatives.
Open the Windows Alt codes guide →Chromebook
Use accent menus, international input methods, dead keys, and language layouts in ChromeOS.
Open the Chromebook guide →HTML and Unicode
Insert literal UTF-8 characters, character references, code points, and normalized text correctly.
Open the HTML and Unicode guide →International keyboards
Choose a language or international layout and learn how dead keys affect letters and punctuation.
Open the International keyboards guide →Which typing method is fastest?
| Your task | Best starting point | Tradeoff |
|---|---|---|
| Copy one known character | Focused character page | No setup, but slower for a full sentence |
| Write repeatedly in one language | Language keyboard layout | Requires setup and learning key positions |
| Write across several Western European languages | Dead-key or extended layout | Some punctuation keys wait for a second keystroke |
| Insert an uncommon character | Character viewer or Unicode conversion | You need the name, visual match, or code point |
| Compose mixed text without changing layouts | Accent keyboard | Text must be copied into the destination |
Understand dead keys, Alt codes, and Unicode
A dead key waits for a base letter and combines it with an accent. The actual combination depends on the selected keyboard layout. Traditional Windows Alt codes instead use decimal input from the numeric keypad and cover a limited legacy character set.
Unicode gives every encoded character a code point, usually written in hexadecimal with U+. Some applications, notably Microsoft Word, can convert that hexadecimal value with Alt+X. These three systems should not be mixed: a dead-key sequence, an Alt code, and a Unicode value can all produce the same visible letter through different mechanisms.
Focused tasks and language keyboards
Platform references are linked from each device guide. Character identities are checked against the Unicode Standard charts.