These codes apply to Microsoft Word on Windows only. If you are using another software package, use use must use one of the other methods of inputting accents. This page list codes for accented letters and other characters. The list is organized by type. These tables show select codes only, not all possible codes.
NOTE: Word also has the Insert Symbol tool, available on the Insert menu. See instructions for Insert Symbol posted by the Center for Language Acquisition.
This list is organized by Accent type. The sample shows a letter with that accent, and the Notes present any special comments about using that accent.
For the Template, the symbol "V" means any vowel.
| ACCENT | SAMPLE | TEMPLATE | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute | ó Ó | Control+', V |
' = apostrophe key |
| Circumflex | ô Ô | Shift+Control+^, V |
|
| Grave | ò Ò | Control+`, V |
|
| Tilde | ñ Ñ | Shift+Control+~, V |
Only works with "n,N,o,O,a,A" |
| Umlaut | ö Ö | Shift+Control+:, V |
:= colon key |
Example 1: To type the letter ó, hold down the Control key, then press the apostrophe key. Release both keys and type o. The accented letter should appear.
Example 2: To type the letter Ó, hold down the Control key, then press the apostrophe key. Release both keys and type O. The accented letter should appear.
Example 3: To type ñ, hold down the Shift key, then the Control key, then the ~ key. Release all three keys, then type n.
This list is current for Word 2000. Some foreign characters may not have codes in earlier versions of Word.
| SYMBOL | NAME | CODE | NOTES |
|---|---|---|---|
| ¡ | Upside-down exclamation point | Alt+Shift+Control+! | Either Alt key works. |
| ¿ | Upside-down question mark | Alt+Shift+Control+? | Either Alt key works. |
| Ç,ç | French C cedille (caps/lowecase) | Control+,,c Control+,,C |
For ç, press Control, then the comma key. Release then press c. |
| Œ,œ | OE ligature (caps/lowecase) | Shift+Control+&,o Shift+Control+&,O |
|
| ß | German Sharp/Double S | Shift+Control+&,S | |
| Ø,ø | Nordic O slash (caps/lowecase) | Control+/,o Control+/,O |
|
| Å,å | Nordic A-ring, Angstrom sign (caps/lowecase) | Shift+Control+@,a Shift+Control+@,A |
A with ring/Angstrom Sign |
| Æ,æ | Old English AE ligature (caps/lowecase) | Shift+Control+&,a Shift+Control+&,A |
|
| Ð,ð | Old English eth (caps/lowecase) | Control+',d Control+',D |
Icelandic/Old English eth ' = apostrophe key |
Example 1: To input Spanish upside down exclamation point ¡ (Alt+Shift+Control+!), hold down the Alt key, then the Shift key, the the Control key, then the ! key. Release all four keys, and the ¡ punctuation will appear.
Example 2: To input French oe ligature œ (Shift+Control+&,o), hold down the Shift key, then the Control key, then the & key. Release all three keys and then type o to make the letter appear.
These are links to alternate instructions for inputting accents and other characters with the International Keyboard.
