Keyboard shortcuts
| Letter | Windows (Alt code) | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| á Á | Alt + 0225 / 0193 | Option + E, then A |
| â Â | Alt + 0226 / 0194 | Option + I, then A |
| ã Ã | Alt + 0227 / 0195 | Option + N, then A |
| à À | Alt + 0224 / 0192 | Option + `, then A |
| ç Ç | Alt + 0231 / 0199 | Option + C |
| é É | Alt + 0233 / 0201 | Option + E, then E |
| ê Ê | Alt + 0234 / 0202 | Option + I, then E |
| í Í | Alt + 0237 / 0205 | Option + E, then I |
| ó Ó | Alt + 0243 / 0211 | Option + E, then O |
| ô Ô | Alt + 0244 / 0212 | Option + I, then O |
| õ Õ | Alt + 0245 / 0213 | Option + N, then O |
| ú Ú | Alt + 0250 / 0218 | Option + E, then U |
Mac: On a Mac, hold Option and press the first key, let go, then type the letter. Option + E gives the acute accent (á), Option + I the circumflex (â), Option + N the tilde (ã) and Option + ` the grave accent (à). Option + C types ç.
Windows: On Windows, turn on Num Lock, hold Alt and type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad. If you write Portuguese every day, add the Portuguese (Brazil ABNT2) or Portuguese (Portugal) keyboard in Settings: both have a ç key and dead keys for the accents. The “United States-International” keyboard also works: ' + a gives á and ~ + a gives ã.
iPhone and Android: On iPhone and Android, press and hold a, e, i, o, u or c to see every accented version, then slide to the one you want.
What each Portuguese accent does
Portuguese uses five marks. Most of them show which syllable is stressed and whether the vowel is open or closed.
- Acute accent (acento agudo): á, é, í, ó, ú. It marks the stressed syllable and, on e and o, an open sound: café, pé, avó (grandmother), música.
- Circumflex (acento circunflexo): â, ê, ô. It also marks stress, but with a closed sound: você, três, avô (grandfather). Avó and avô show how one mark changes the word.
- Tilde (til): ã, õ. It makes the vowel nasal, and it appears even when another syllable is stressed: pão, mãe, irmã, corações, órgão.
- Grave accent (crase): à. It shows that the preposition a has merged with the article a: Vou à praia (I'm going to the beach), às dez horas (at ten o'clock).
- Cedilla (cedilha), only on c: ç sounds like s before a, o and u: cabeça, coração, açúcar. It never appears before e or i, and never at the start of a word.
Brazilian vs European Portuguese accents
Brazil and Portugal use the same letters, and since the 1990 Orthographic Agreement most spellings are shared. A few differences remain, mostly before m and n, where Brazilians pronounce a closed vowel and Portuguese speakers an open one.
- Brazil: econômico, Antônio, gênero, bebê. Portugal: económico, António, género, bebé.
- The agreement removed the trema from Brazilian spelling: linguiça and frequente, no longer lingüiça and freqüente.
- In Portugal it removed most silent consonants: ação and ótimo replaced acção and óptimo.
Accents that change the meaning
In some pairs the accent is the only thing that separates two words:
- avó (grandmother) / avô (grandfather) · pôde (could, past) / pode (can, present)
- pôr (to put) / por (by, for) · é (is) / e (and)
- pais (parents) / país (country) · sábia (wise woman) / sabia (knew) / sabiá (a songbird)
Frequently asked questions
How do I type ã on a keyboard?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0227 on the numeric keypad (0195 for Ã), or 0245 for õ. On a Mac, press Option+N, then A (or O for õ). On a phone, press and hold the a key and choose ã. You can also click ã on this page and copy it.
How do I type ç?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0231 on the numeric keypad (0199 for Ç). On a Mac, press Option+C. Brazilian and Portuguese keyboards have their own ç key. On a phone, press and hold the c key.
What is the difference between á and â in Portuguese?
Both mark the stressed syllable. The acute accent (á, é, ó) means an open vowel and the circumflex (â, ê, ô) a closed one. Compare avó (grandmother, open o) and avô (grandfather, closed o).
Do Brazil and Portugal use different accents?
They use the same letters, but a handful of words are spelled with a different accent because they are pronounced differently: Brazilian econômico and bebê, European económico and bebé. Everything on this keyboard works for both.