Keyboard shortcuts
| Letter | Windows (Alt code) | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| æ Æ | Alt + 0230 / 0198 | Option + ' |
| ø Ø | Alt + 0248 / 0216 | Option + O |
| å Å | Alt + 0229 / 0197 | Option + A |
| é É | Alt + 0233 / 0201 | Option + E, then E |
Mac: On a Mac, æ, ø and å each have a one-step shortcut: Option + ' for æ, Option + O for ø and Option + A for å. Add Shift for Æ, Ø and Å.
Windows: On Windows, turn on Num Lock, hold Alt and type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad. To write Danish every day, add the Danish keyboard in Settings: æ and ø sit to the right of L, and å to the right of P.
iPhone and Android: On iPhone and Android, press and hold a or o to get æ, å and ø, or add the Danish keyboard to get them as separate keys.
How æ, ø and å sound
Danish adds three letters at the end of the alphabet: … x, y, z, æ, ø, å. Each is a vowel of its own.
- æ is close to the “e” in “bed”: æble (apple), træ (tree), læse (to read).
- ø is said like “ay” with rounded lips, like the German ö: øl (beer), sø (lake), København.
- å is close to the “aw” in “law”: på (on), år (year), blå (blue).
Why Danes sometimes write aa
Danish wrote aa until the 1948 spelling reform introduced å. Many names kept the old spelling: Aalborg, Aarhus and family names like Aagaard. When aa stands for å in a name, it is still sorted at the end of the alphabet with å.
Without a Danish keyboard, people write ae, oe and aa as substitutes, as in email addresses. In normal text, use the real letters.
Missing letters change the word
Replacing the Danish letters with a or o often gives you another word:
- før (before) / for (for)
- får (sheep, or gets) / far (father)
- sø (lake) / so (sow)
- é is used in a few words to mark stress, such as allé and idé, and to stress the number one: én (one) vs en (a).
Frequently asked questions
How do I type æ, ø and å?
On Windows, hold Alt and type the code on the numeric keypad: Alt+0230 for æ, Alt+0248 for ø and Alt+0229 for å. On a Mac, press Option+' for æ, Option+O for ø and Option+A for å. On a phone, press and hold a or o. You can also click the letters on this page and copy them.
What is the difference between Danish and Swedish letters?
Danish writes æ and ø where Swedish writes ä and ö, for the same sounds: Danish øl, Swedish öl (beer). Both use å. The alphabet order differs too: Danish ends z, æ, ø, å, and Swedish ends z, å, ä, ö.
Are the Danish and Norwegian keyboards the same?
Almost. They have the same letters in the same area, but æ and ø are swapped: the Danish keyboard has æ right next to L, the Norwegian keyboard has ø there.
Can I write aa instead of å?
As a substitute when å is unavailable, such as in web addresses, yes. Some place names and surnames are officially spelled with aa, like Aalborg. Everywhere else, å is the correct spelling.