Keyboard shortcuts
| Letter | Windows (Alt code) | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| á Á | Alt + 0225 / 0193 | Option + E, then A |
| é É | Alt + 0233 / 0201 | Option + E, then E |
| í Í | Alt + 0237 / 0205 | Option + E, then I |
| ó Ó | Alt + 0243 / 0211 | Option + E, then O |
| ú Ú | Alt + 0250 / 0218 | Option + E, then U |
| ñ Ñ | Alt + 0241 / 0209 | Option + N, then N |
| ü Ü | Alt + 0252 / 0220 | Option + U, then U |
| ¿ | Alt + 0191 | Option + Shift + ? |
| ¡ | Alt + 0161 | Option + 1 |
Mac: On a Mac, hold Option and press the first key, let go, then type the letter. For a capital letter, press Shift with the letter.
Windows: On Windows, turn on Num Lock, hold Alt and type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad. If you type Spanish often, add the “United States-International” keyboard in Settings: then ' + a gives á, ~ + n gives ñ, and " + u gives ü.
iPhone and Android: On iPhone and Android, press and hold a letter (a, e, i, o, u, n) to see its accented versions, then slide to the one you want. Hold ? and ! for ¿ and ¡.
When does a Spanish word need an accent?
Spanish has one written accent mark for stress, the tilde (´). It only appears when a word breaks the two default stress rules, so once you know those rules you know when to write it.
- Words ending in a vowel, n or s are stressed on the second-to-last syllable: casa, hablan, zapatos. If the stress falls anywhere else, write the accent: café, canción, inglés.
- Words ending in any other consonant are stressed on the last syllable: hablar, ciudad, español. If the stress falls earlier, write the accent: árbol, fácil, lápiz.
- Words stressed three syllables from the end always take an accent: música, teléfono, sábado.
Accents that change the meaning
Some short words are spelled the same and only the accent tells them apart. These are the ones learners mix up most:
- tú (you) / tu (your) · él (he) / el (the)
- sí (yes) / si (if) · más (more) / mas (but)
- sé (I know) / se (oneself) · té (tea) / te (you, object)
- mí (me) / mi (my) · dé (give) / de (of)
- Question words take an accent in questions and exclamations: qué, cómo, dónde, cuándo, quién, cuál, cuánto. ¿Dónde vives? but Vivo donde trabajo.
Ñ, ü, ¿ and ¡
Ñ is its own letter in the Spanish alphabet, not an n with an accent, and it changes the word: pena (sorrow) and peña (rock), cana (gray hair) and caña (cane).
The two dots on ü (la diéresis) only appear in güe and güi, to show the u is pronounced: pingüino, vergüenza, bilingüe.
Questions and exclamations open with an upside-down mark: ¿Cómo estás? ¡Qué bien! Many learners skip them in texts, but they are required in formal writing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type Spanish accents on a keyboard?
On Windows, hold Alt and type the code on the numeric keypad: Alt+0225 for á, Alt+0233 for é, Alt+0237 for í, Alt+0243 for ó, Alt+0250 for ú and Alt+0241 for ñ. On a Mac, press Option+E and then the vowel for an accented vowel, and Option+N then N for ñ. You can also click the letters on this page and copy the text.
How do I type ñ?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0241 on the numeric keypad (0209 for Ñ). On a Mac, press Option+N, then N. On a phone, press and hold the n key and choose ñ.
What are the accent marks in Spanish called?
The stress mark (´) is called the tilde or acento. The two dots on ü are la diéresis, and the wavy line on ñ is also called a tilde.
Does a missing accent change the meaning in Spanish?
Sometimes. In pairs like sí (yes) and si (if), or tú (you) and tu (your), the accent is the only difference between two words. In most other words a missing accent is a spelling mistake, but the meaning is still clear.