Y takes four marks, and in several languages it is a vowel. The acute ý is a long or stressed vowel in Czech, Slovak, Icelandic and Faroese; the diaeresis ÿ is a rare French and Dutch form seen in names such as "Aÿ"; the circumflex ŷ is Welsh; and the macron ȳ appears in transliteration. Tap any character below to copy it.
01 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform, not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
On Windows
- The common Latin-1 forms have direct Alt codes: ý = Alt 0253, ÿ = Alt 0255, Ý = Alt 0221, Ÿ = Alt 0159. Hold Alt, type the number on the numeric keypad, then release.
- For any other form, press Win + . to open the emoji & symbol panel, switch to the Symbols tab and search the accent name.
- Or type the code from the table below into Microsoft Word and press Alt + X, for example 0176 then Alt+X gives Ŷ.
On Mac
- Press Option+E, then Y to get ý.
- Press Option+U, then Y to get ÿ.
- For the rest, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search the accent name.
Microsoft Word & Google Docs
- In Word, type the four-character code then press Alt + X, for example 0176 then Alt+X becomes Ŷ.
- Or use Insert → Symbol → More Symbols and pick the letter from the Latin subset.
- In Google Docs, use Insert → Special characters and search latin y, or draw the accent in the sketch box.
On phones (iOS & Android)
- On the on-screen keyboard, press and hold the Y key. A popup of accented options appears, such as ý ÿ ŷ ȳ ɏ, slide to the one you want and release.
- For a form that is not on the popup, copy it from the keys above and paste it where you need it.
02 Characters in this set
03 Codes for every accented form
Unicode point, HTML entity and the Windows shortcut for each form. Codes shown as Alt 0nnn are typed on the numeric keypad; codes shown as hhhh Alt+X are typed in Microsoft Word, then converted with Alt+X.
| Character | Accent | Unicode | HTML | Windows | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ý | Acute · capital | U+00DD |
Ý |
Alt 0221 |
|
| Ŷ | Circumflex · capital | U+0176 |
Ŷ |
0176 Alt+X |
|
| Ÿ | Diaeresis · capital | U+0178 |
Ÿ |
Alt 0159 |
|
| Ȳ | Macron · capital | U+0232 |
Ȳ |
0232 Alt+X |
|
| ý | Acute · small | U+00FD |
ý |
Alt 0253 |
|
| ŷ | Circumflex · small | U+0177 |
ŷ |
0177 Alt+X |
|
| ÿ | Diaeresis · small | U+00FF |
ÿ |
Alt 0255 |
|
| ȳ | Macron · small | U+0233 |
ȳ |
0233 Alt+X |
|
| Ɏ | Stroke · capital | U+024E |
Ɏ |
024E Alt+X |
|
| ɏ | Stroke · small | U+024F |
ɏ |
024F Alt+X |
|
| Ƴ | Hook · capital | U+01B3 |
Ƴ |
01B3 Alt+X |
|
| ƴ | Hook · small | U+01B4 |
ƴ |
01B4 Alt+X |
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ý vs y | Acute-Y vs plain y | ý marks a long or stressed vowel in Czech, Slovak and Icelandic (where Y is a vowel). It is a separate letter, not a decorated y. |
| ÿ vs ý | Diaeresis vs acute | ÿ (two dots) is rare and mostly French (as in the name "Aÿ"); ý (acute) is common in Czech and Icelandic. Different marks, different languages. |
| ŷ vs ý | Circumflex vs acute | ŷ is Welsh, where Y is a vowel and the circumflex marks length. ý is the acute form. Copy the one your language uses. |
05 FAQ
How do I type ý (Y with acute)?
On Windows hold Alt and type 0253 for ý or 0221 for Ý on the numeric keypad. On a Mac press Option+E then Y. You can also copy it from the keys above.
How do I type ÿ (Y with two dots)?
On Windows hold Alt and type 0255 for ÿ; the capital Ÿ is 0159. On a Mac press Option+U then Y. It is used mainly in French and Dutch names.
Which languages use ý?
The acute-Y (ý) is a vowel letter in Czech, Slovak, Icelandic and Faroese. In those languages Y and I sound alike, and the acute marks length or stress.
What is the Welsh ŷ?
ŷ is Y with a circumflex, used in Welsh where Y is a vowel and the "to bach" marks a long sound. Type 0177 in Word and press Alt+X, or copy it from the keys above.
Is there an Alt code for every accented Y?
Only ý, Ý and ÿ have Latin-1 Alt codes. ŷ and ȳ do not; type the code from the table above into Microsoft Word and press Alt+X.