Quick Answer
On a Mac, press and hold the A key for a popup of every accented variant, then tap the number below the one you want. On Windows, switch to the US International keyboard layout and type the accent mark (such as ' or `) followed by the letter A.
On any modern phone, press and hold the A key on the on screen keyboard. A popup of accented options slides up. Drag your finger to the variant you need.
Why the accent on A matters
The accent on an A is rarely cosmetic. In Spanish, papa means "potato" while papá means "dad". In French, ou means "or" while où means "where". In Portuguese, a means "the" while à is the contraction of "to the". Dropping the accent changes the word.
This is especially important for proper names. Spelling someone's name as Ana when it should be Aná, or Andre instead of André, reads as careless in professional communication.
The fast reference table
- á (acute): Mac Option + E then A, Windows Alt + 0225
- Á (acute capital): Mac Option + E then Shift + A, Windows Alt + 0193
- à (grave): Mac Option + ` then A, Windows Alt + 0224
- À (grave capital): Mac Option + ` then Shift + A, Windows Alt + 0192
- â (circumflex): Mac Option + I then A, Windows Alt + 0226
- Â (circumflex capital): Mac Option + I then Shift + A, Windows Alt + 0194
- ä (umlaut or diaeresis): Mac Option + U then A, Windows Alt + 0228
- Ä (umlaut capital): Mac Option + U then Shift + A, Windows Alt + 0196
- ã (tilde): Mac Option + N then A, Windows Alt + 0227
- Ã (tilde capital): Mac Option + N then Shift + A, Windows Alt + 0195
- å (ring): Mac Option + A, Windows Alt + 0229
- Å (ring capital): Mac Option + Shift + A, Windows Alt + 0197
- æ (ligature): Mac Option + apostrophe, Windows Alt + 0230
How to type A with an accent on Mac
The press and hold method
This is the fastest method for occasional accents and the one most macOS power users default to.
- Tap and hold the A key for roughly one second.
- A row of accented variants appears above the cursor, each labelled with a small number.
- Press the number on the top row that matches the variant you want.
The popup works in every native Mac app and in every modern browser based editor. Slack, Notion, Google Docs, Gmail, and Pages all support it.
The dead key method
If you type accents often, the Option key dead key combinations are faster than the popup.
- Option + E then A for á
- Option + grave then A for à
- Option + I then A for â
- Option + U then A for ä
- Option + N then A for ã
Add Shift to the second key press to get the capital version.
How to type A with an accent on Windows
Method 1: Alt codes with a numeric keypad
If you have a numeric keypad, the four digit Alt codes in the table above work in every app.
- Turn on Num Lock.
- Hold the left Alt key.
- Type the four digit code (always include the leading zero).
- Release Alt.
Method 2: the US International layout
The single best long term setup for anyone who types in Spanish, Portuguese, French, German, Italian, or Swedish is the US International keyboard. It looks identical to a normal US keyboard but converts certain punctuation keys into dead keys.
Add it under Settings, Time and Language, Language and Region, English, Options, Add a keyboard, United States International. Switch in and out at any time with Windows + Spacebar.
- Type apostrophe then A for á
- Type grave accent then A for à
- Type Shift + 6 (the caret) then A for â
- Type Shift + apostrophe (double quote) then A for ä
- Type Shift + grave (tilde) then A for ã
If you want a plain apostrophe, quote, or caret, press the key then Spacebar. The Spacebar releases the dead key without combining with a letter.
Method 3: the emoji and symbol picker
Press Windows + period to open the picker, click the omega tab for symbols, search "a acute" or "a grave" and click the result. Slower than a shortcut, but useful when you forget the code.
How to type A with an accent on iPhone and Android
- Tap inside any text field to bring up the keyboard.
- Press and hold the A key.
- A horizontal row of accented variants slides up.
- Slide your finger onto the variant you need and release.
Both iOS and Gboard remember the accent you used most recently and place it directly above the key on the next long press. Heavy users end up with a one tap workflow within a few days.
Linux and Chromebook
The Compose key is the cleanest long term solution on Linux. Enable it under Settings, Keyboard, then press Compose, apostrophe, A for á. The Unicode shortcut also works in any field: Ctrl + Shift + U, type 00E1 for á (or 00E0 for à, 00E2 for â, 00E4 for ä, 00E5 for å), then press Enter.
Microsoft Word shortcuts
Word has its own shortcuts that work without the US International layout.
- Acute: Ctrl + apostrophe then A
- Grave: Ctrl + grave accent then A
- Circumflex: Ctrl + Shift + caret then A
- Umlaut: Ctrl + Shift + colon then A
- Tilde: Ctrl + Shift + tilde then A
- Ring: Ctrl + Shift + at sign then A
Practical examples by language
- Spanish: mamá, papá, está, así, allá. The acute mark indicates the stressed syllable.
- French: à, là, voilà, déjà. The grave accent distinguishes homophones.
- Portuguese: mãe, irmã, não, são. The tilde marks nasal vowels.
- German and Finnish: Mädchen, Bär, äpple. The umlaut marks vowel mutation.
- Swedish, Danish, Norwegian: Åse, Ångström. The ring indicates the long a sound.
FAQs
Why does my keyboard print á when I press the apostrophe?
You have the US International layout active and the apostrophe is acting as a dead key. Press Spacebar after the apostrophe to insert a plain quote, or switch back to the standard US layout with Windows + Spacebar.
Is ä the same as a with a colon over it?
Visually similar but functionally identical in modern fonts. The two dots are called a diaeresis or umlaut depending on the language. Both are encoded as the same Unicode character (U+00E4 for the lowercase).
The takeaway
One layout switch (US International on Windows) or one long press (everywhere else) covers the entire family of accented As. Pick the method that matches the platform you use most and the rest becomes muscle memory inside a week.
