How to Type Spanish Accents and the Ñ on Your Keyboard (PC & Mac)

You're typing away, practicing your Spanish, and then you hit a wall. How in the world do you type "Feliz añoyear nuevo"? Or explain that your dad, your papádad, loves potatoes?

Those little marks over the letters—the accents and the squiggly line on the ñ—are not just suggestions. They are essential parts of the Spanish language. Using them correctly is a sign of respect for the language and ensures you're saying exactly what you mean.

Don't worry, you don't need a special keyboard (though we do have one for you here). Let's break down the easiest ways to type Spanish accents on any Mac or Windows PC.

Why Bother with Accents?

Think accents are optional? Think again! A single accent mark can completely change the meaning of a word. If you want to dive deeper into Spanish word structure, check out our guide on noun gender and articles.

Take a look at this classic example:

In the first example, you're saying, "The Pope eats potatoes." In the second, you're saying, "My dad eats potatoes." A small mark makes a big difference!

The same goes for the letter ñ. It’s not just an n with a fancy hat; it's a completely distinct letter in the Spanish alphabet. Mixing it up can be... awkward.

The first sentence means "I have 25 anuses." The second correctly states, "I am 25 years old." Yikes! Let's learn how to get it right.

How to Type Spanish Accents on a Mac

Mac users, you're in luck. Apple makes this incredibly simple and intuitive.

The "Press and Hold" Method

This is the easiest way to type any accent on a Mac.

1. Press and hold the letter you want to accent (like a, e, i, o, u, or n).
2. A small menu will pop up above the letter showing all the available accent options.
3. Type the number that corresponds to the Spanish accent you need, or click on it with your mouse.

For example, to type á:

• Press and hold the A key.
• The menu will appear.
• Press the 1 key. ¡Listo!

This works for all the characters you'll need:

• á, é, í, ó, ú: Hold the vowel and select the acute accent (´).
• ñ: Hold the N key and select ñ.
• ü: Hold the U key and select ü. This is less common, but you'll need it for words like pingüino (penguin).

How to Type Spanish Accents on a Windows PC

Windows users have a few options. We'll start with our top recommendation and then cover the classic "Alt code" method.

Method 1: The US-International Keyboard (Recommended)

This is the best and most efficient method. You are not changing your physical keyboard, just adding a software layout that makes typing accents a breeze.

How to set it up (Windows 10/11):

1. Go to Settings > Time & Language > Language & region.
2. Click the three dots (...) next to your language (e.g., English (United States)) and select Language options.
3. Under Keyboards, click Add a keyboard.
4. Scroll down and select United States-International.
5. You can now remove your old "US" keyboard layout if you wish, or switch between them using the language bar in your taskbar (usually near the clock).

How to use it:

The US-International keyboard turns certain keys into "dead keys." This means when you press them, nothing happens until you press the next key.

• For accents (á, é, í, ó, ú):

  1. Type the apostrophe key ('). Nothing will appear on screen yet.
  2. Type the vowel you want to accent (a, e, i, o, u).
  3. The accented vowel will appear! For example: ' + a = á.

• For the ñ:

  1. Type the tilde key (~), which is usually Shift + the key to the left of 1.
  2. Type the letter n.
  3. The ñ will appear! ~ + n = ñ.

• For the ü:

  1. Type the quotation mark key (").
  2. Type the letter u.
  3. The ü will appear! " + u = ü.

Method 2: Alt Code Shortcuts

If you don't want to change your keyboard layout, you can use Alt codes. This method requires a keyboard with a numeric keypad on the right side (it won't work with the number keys at the top).

How to use it:

1. Make sure Num Lock is on.
2. Press and hold the Alt key.
3. While holding Alt, type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad.
4. Release the Alt key.

Here are the codes you'll need:

Character	Alt Code
á	Alt+0225
é	Alt+0233
í	Alt+0237
ó	Alt+0243
ú	Alt+0250
ñ	Alt+0241
ü	Alt+0252
Á	Alt+0193
É	Alt+0201
Í	Alt+0205
Ó	Alt+0211
Ú	Alt+0218
Ñ	Alt+0209
Ü	Alt+0220
¡	Alt+0161
¿	Alt+0191

This method is reliable but can be slow. We highly recommend taking the five minutes to set up the US-International keyboard for a much smoother experience.

Test Your Skills!

Think you've got it? Let's try a quick quiz to see if you remember which character is which.

Mastering these simple keyboard tricks will make your Spanish writing faster, more accurate, and more natural. For more tips on improving your writing, explore our guide on formal connectors for writing. ¡Buena suerte!