Spanish adds five acute-accented vowels á é í ó ú, the tilde-N ñ, the diéresis ü, and the inverted marks ¿ ¡. On a Mac: Option + E then the vowel (á é í ó ú), Option + N then n (ñ). On Windows US-International: ' then the vowel, ~ then n. In Word: Ctrl + ' then the vowel, Ctrl + Shift + ~ then n. Or tap any key below to copy it.
01 All shortcuts at a glance
| Platform | Shortcut | |
|---|---|---|
| á <span style="opacity:.6">a-acute</span> | Win Alt+0225 or US-Intl ' then a · Mac Option+E then a · Word Ctrl+' then a |
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| é <span style="opacity:.6">e-acute</span> | Win Alt+0233 or US-Intl ' then e · Mac Option+E then e · Word Ctrl+' then e |
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| í <span style="opacity:.6">i-acute</span> | Win Alt+0237 or US-Intl ' then i · Mac Option+E then i · Word Ctrl+' then i |
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| ó <span style="opacity:.6">o-acute</span> | Win Alt+0243 or US-Intl ' then o · Mac Option+E then o · Word Ctrl+' then o |
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| ú <span style="opacity:.6">u-acute</span> | Win Alt+0250 or US-Intl ' then u · Mac Option+E then u · Word Ctrl+' then u |
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| ñ <span style="opacity:.6">n-tilde (eñe)</span> | Win Alt+0241 or US-Intl ~ then n · Mac Option+N then n · Word Ctrl+Shift+~ then n |
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| ü <span style="opacity:.6">u-diéresis</span> | Win Alt+0252 or US-Intl " then u · Mac Option+U then u · Word Ctrl+Shift+: then u |
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| ¿ <span style="opacity:.6">inverted question</span> | Win Alt+0191 or US-Intl AltGr+? · Mac Option+Shift+? · Word Ctrl+Alt+Shift+? |
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| ¡ <span style="opacity:.6">inverted exclamation</span> | Win Alt+0161 or US-Intl AltGr+1 · Mac Option+1 · Word Ctrl+Alt+Shift+! |
02 Step by step, per platform
A real, followable procedure for every platform — not a thin restatement of the shortcut.
Mac
- Acute vowels: press Option + E, release, then the vowel → á é í ó ú.
- Eñe: press Option + N, release, then n → ñ (Shift+N for Ñ).
- Diéresis: Option + U then u → ü. Inverted marks: Option+Shift+? → ¿ and Option+1 → ¡.
Windows — US-International keyboard
- Add United States-International in Settings → Time & language → Language.
- Acute vowels: press ' (apostrophe) then the vowel → á é í ó ú. Eñe: ~ then n → ñ. Diéresis: " then u → ü.
- Inverted marks: AltGr + ? → ¿ and AltGr + 1 → ¡ (AltGr is the right Alt key).
Windows — Alt codes
- With Num Lock on, hold Alt and type on the numeric keypad.
- Vowels: 0225=á, 0233=é, 0237=í, 0243=ó, 0250=ú. Eñe: 0241=ñ, 0209=Ñ.
- Punctuation: 0191=¿, 0161=¡. Diéresis: 0252=ü.
Microsoft Word
- Acute: Ctrl + ' (apostrophe), release, then the vowel → á é í ó ú.
- Eñe: Ctrl + Shift + ~, release, then n → ñ. Diéresis: Ctrl + Shift + : then u → ü.
- Inverted marks: Ctrl + Alt + Shift + ? → ¿ and Ctrl + Alt + Shift + ! → ¡.
Google Docs
- Open Insert → Special characters.
- Search the letter name (e.g. "latin small letter n with tilde") or the accent ("acute", "tilde").
- Click the character to insert it — or paste from the keys above.
03 Characters in this set
04 Troubleshooting & confusables
| Looks like it | But it's actually | When to use |
|---|---|---|
| ñ vs n | Eñe is its own letter | In Spanish ñ is a distinct letter (año ≠ ano) — never substitute a plain n. |
| á vs à | Acute vs grave accent | Spanish only uses the acute (á, rising). The grave à is Italian/French — wrong for Spanish. |
| ü vs u | Diéresis marks a spoken u | ü appears in güe/güi (pingüino, vergüenza) so the u is pronounced. Not the same as plain u. |
05 FAQ
Which accents does Spanish use?
The acute accent on vowels (á é í ó ú), the tilde on n (ñ), the diéresis on u (ü, only in güe/güi), and the inverted opening marks ¿ and ¡. Spanish does not use the grave or circumflex.
How do I type ñ?
Mac: Option+N then n. Windows US-International: ~ then n, or Alt+0241 on the numeric keypad. Word: Ctrl+Shift+~ then n. Or copy it from the key above.
How do I type the upside-down question mark ¿?
Mac: Option+Shift+?. Windows: AltGr+? on the US-International layout, or Alt+0191 on the numeric keypad. Word: Ctrl+Alt+Shift+?.