Spanish Accent Marks and How to Type Them

Learning a new language is no task for the light-hearted: from acquiring vocabulary to memorizing the complex grammar- and if you’re learning Spanish – getting the hang of accent marks. Typing accent marks can be difficult to master at first but the task becomes much easier once you get a little practice and find a method that works best for you.

To type an accent mark tap ‘Ctrl’ on PC or ‘Option/Alt’ on Mac, then a sequence of letters depending on the accent. You may also input a series of numbers called character codes. If you use accents frequently, consider changing your keyboard layout to Spanish. With the new layout, you will tap two keys at most to input an accent.

There are multiple ways to type the same accent. Generally, you will have a series of keystrokes to input for each accent, but you can also simply copy and paste accented letters instead of generating them yourself.

Typing accents is an essential part of using your Spanish skills. Mastering how to type, and when to use accents, will push you towards language mastery and fluency. Make sure to try all methods out before settling on one. You should also practice whatever method you choose frequently, and adjust if you find it’s not working best for you.

Spanish Accent Marks and How to Type Them Using Keystrokes

In Spanish, there are a total of three accent marks used:

The tilde (ñ)

The diaeresis (ü)
The acute accent (á).

Besides that, there are two distinctive punctuation marks used in Spanish. One of the first ways to produce these special characters is with keystrokes aka shortcuts. These strokes will differ depending on whether you are a PC or Mac user, and what accent you want to type.

If you are a Mac user you will always start by tapping the ‘Option/Alt’ button first to initiate your shortcut. To type the tilde accent you will then tap the letter ‘n’ twice in a row. On a PC you will start by tapping the ‘Ctrl’ button. For the tilde, you will tap the tilde key ‘~’ then the letter ‘n’. You will only ever use the tilde on the letter ‘n’.

Next, the diaeresis accent. On a Mac, you will start again with ‘Option/Alt’ followed by the letter ‘u’ twice. If you’re a PC user, you will need to use a character code. Start by clicking the ‘Alt’ button then the sequence ‘0252’ or ‘129’. Make sure to be using the keypad to the right of your keyboard, and not the keys on the top row when using this character code.

Finally, to produce vowels with an acute accent on a Mac, you will tap ‘Option/Alt’, click the letter ‘e’, then the vowel that you want to accent directly after. PC users will always start by tapping the ‘Ctrl’ button first, then the apostrophe key (‘), and finally the letter you desire to accent.

In addition to keystrokes, many keyboards offer the option of simply holding down the key you want to accent. This will prompt an accent box to appear for you to choose from. You may also utilize character codes. A major pro for using this method is it’s universal across both Mac and PC, however it can be cumbersome. More on that in a second.

Keystrokes for Punctuation Marks

In addition to the three accent marks in Spanish, two punctuation marks require special attention too:

The inverted question mark (¿): we use this punctuation mark to – surprise- ask questions. To produce this on a Mac, hold down the ‘Option/Alt’, ‘Shift’ and ‘?’ key all at once. On a PC you will have to use a character code. First press ‘Alt’ then type ‘0191’.

The inverted exclamation point (¡): This punctuation mark is used to make exclamatory statements. On a Mac simultaneously press the ‘Option/Alt’, ‘Shift’, and ‘?’ keys. On a PC you will use a character code. Tap ‘Alt’ then the sequence ‘0161’ or ‘173’.

Both the inverted question mark and exclamation point are placed before and after a question or statement for emphasis.

Typing Accents with Character Codes

As we have seen, it is possible to produce the same three accents and two punctuation marks using character codes. If you do not frequently use Spanish accents on your keyboard, this may be a good option for you. To successfully type accents using character codes you must exclusively use the keypad to the right of your computer.

Character codes require you to initiate the sequence by pressing ‘Option/Alt’ on a Mac or ‘Alt’ on a PC, followed by a series of numbers. Each letter has its character or ‘Alt’ code, so you will need to memorize each of the following number arrangements :

Accented letter	Lowercase ‘Alt’ Code	Uppercase ‘Alt’ Code
á	Alt + 0225	Alt + 0193
é	Alt + 0233	Alt + 0201
í	Alt + 0237	Alt + 0205
ó	Alt + 0243	Alt + 0211
ú	Alt + 0250	Alt + 0218
ü	Alt + 0252	Alt + 0220
ñ	Alt + 0241	Alt + 0209

This method is impractical for many users as it requires extensive memorization and can be time-consuming to type. Keystrokes may be the better alternative if you are only using accented characters every so often in your writing. However, if you are frequently using Spanish accents, you should consider entirely switching your keyboard over to Spanish.

How to Switch your Keyboard to Spanish

You have seen how to type out Spanish accents using a series of keystrokes and ‘Alt’ codes. However, for the more expert user of Spanish accents, there is yet a better option to consider: switching over your keyboard to Spanish. The process is straightforward for both Mac and PC users but requires getting accustomed to a new keyboard setup.

Using the Spanish keyboard is easier in that it requires fewer keystrokes to produce accent marks, therefore making your typing more efficient. However, if your actual keyboard is in English you may have trouble getting used to the new setup. Over time the new keyboard will come naturally, but it also helps to buy a Spanish keyboard skin, like this one from Amazon.

So how exactly do you switch your keyboard to Spanish? Depending on your computer and software, you will take different measures. If you are a Mac user follow these three simple steps to switch over your keyboard to Spanish:

Step 1: Navigate to your ‘System Preferences’. Click on ‘Keyboard’, then ‘Input Sources’.

Step 2: Add a new keyboard by clicking the (+) in the bottom left-hand corner and choosing Spanish.

Step 3: Click ‘Add’. You will be able to toggle between your English and Spanish keyboard in the input menu of your menu bar.

If you’re a PC user using Windows 10 software, follow these instructions to switch your keyboard:

Step 1: Click on your settings icon in the ‘Start’ menu, then choose ‘Time & Language’.

Step 2: Click on ‘Language’, then under the ‘Preferred languages’ section click on ‘Options’.

Step 3: Scroll down to ‘Keyboards’, click ‘Add a keyboard’ and choose Spanish as your language. You will be able to switch between languages in the taskbar using the language control button.

Using your Spanish Keyboard

Now that you’ve switched your keyboard, it’s time to learn your way around it. The Spanish keyboard rearranges the placement of a few essential punctuation marks, like apostrophes and question marks. Thankfully, in terms of typing accents, your life gets a whole lot easier.

To produce the acute accent using your Spanish keyboard, you will first type (‘) then the letter that you wish to accent. For example, to type the letter ‘á’, you will choose (‘) then ‘a’. To produce the diaeresis accent, you will click the double apostrophe key (“), then the letter ‘u’. The tilde accent over the letter ‘n’ has its own key altogether, streamlining the process.

With the new arrangement of your keyboard, you will have to get to know the placement of punctuation marks as well. Here are a few keystrokes to keep in mind:

Apostrophe: The apostrophe key is now located directly to the right of the key used for the number 0.

Question Mark: Click ‘Shift’, then the key located directly to the right of the number 0.

Double Quotes: Click ‘Shift’, then the number 2.

Semicolon: Click ‘Shift’, then the comma key (,).

Once you are familiar with the new setup of your keyboard, you will be able to type accent marks as naturally as you would on your English keyboard. It’s a good idea to start with a keyboard skin, which reflects the actual placement of the keys for your Spanish keyboard. Eventually, you won’t need the reference, and typing accents will become second nature.

What’s the Point of Accents?

Now that you have three different methods to choose from, it is up to you to decide which way to type Spanish accents works best for you. Yet while typing accents have gotten clearer, why we even use them in the first place has not. We have to go through all this trouble to type them, but do accent marks even serve a purpose?

The first thing to note is that what we refer to as accent marks are technically called diacritics, or a mark added above or below a letter. Therefore in Spanish, there are three diacritics: the tilde, the diaeresis, and the acute accent. Each one serves its separate purpose and has its own rules of employment.

In general, diacritics play a crucial role in any language. They serve many functions, like indicating different meanings of a word. For example, the word año in Spanish means ‘year’. If one makes the regrettable mistake of leaving off the tilde accent, therefore typing ano, the meaning of the word completely changes to ‘anus’. As you see, accents are important.

Diacritics also give us cues in pronunciation. They are a guide in accent, tone, or stress. For example in the word mañana (tomorrow) the tilde diacritic indicates to the reader that the letter ‘ñ’ must be pronounced differently than ‘n’. With the tilde the ‘n’ becomes palatal, meaning you must touch your tongue to the roof of your mouth to make the sound.

Each diacritic, or accent, is essential to your mastery of typing in Spanish and in reading texts in the language. Without these accents, learning and using Spanish would be much harder and confusing.

The Tilde

The tilde goes exclusively over the letter ‘n’ in Spanish. However, It’s important to note that the tilde is not technically a diacritic: the Spanish language considers the letter ‘n’ and ‘ñ’ to be two independent letters, with two separate names. For this reason, on the Spanish keyboard, the letter ‘n’ and ‘ñ’ have their distinct keys.

Regardless of the technicalities of this diacritic, the tilde serves two important purposes. The first is differentiating the letter ‘ñ’ from the letter ‘n’. As seen in our infamous example above, you could spell a word the same way and simply add the tilde accent to transform the entire meaning.

The tilde also changes the pronunciation of a word. If unaccented, the letter ‘n’ in Spanish is pronounced much like the letter ‘n’ would be in English. However, when you add the tilde, pronunciation is transformed completely. The accent guides you to position your tongue to touch your mouth’s palate, therefore enunciating the sound successfully.

This accent is more straightforward in use than other accents because the spelling is directly influenced by pronunciation. Anytime a speaker hears the sound [ny] they know that the letter ‘ñ’ must be used in place of the naked ‘n’.

We see the tilde used in many common words in the Spanish language, including:

Señor (sir)
Español (Spanish)
Mañana (tomorrow)

Año (year)

The Diaeresis

The diaeresis, sometimes called umlaut, is the least commonly used diacritic in the Spanish language. The diaeresis is exclusively used with the letter ‘u’ in Spanish. When employed, the diaeresis indicates that the letter ‘u’ should not be silent. More specifically, it should be pronounced independently and in a separate syllable from other letters around it.

The accented ‘ü’ is almost always found after the letter ‘g’, and before the letters ‘e’ or ‘i’. For this reason, it’s important to note the pronunciation rules for the letter ‘g’, which has two general pronunciations:

The hard ‘g’: This ‘g’ is pronounced like the ‘g’ in the English word ‘game’.

The soft ‘g’: This ‘g’ is much different, requiring less stress and effort as it sounds similar to the letter ‘h’ in English. It can sound raspy as it is pronounced more in the throat in certain dialects.

When the letter ‘g’ is followed by the letters ‘a’, ‘u’ or ‘o’, the ‘g’ is pronounced like the hard ‘g’. We see this in the word agotar (to exhaust). Contrastingly, when the letter ‘g’ is followed by ‘e’ or ‘i’, it will be pronounced like the soft ‘g’. We see this in the word general (general). Now, if you want a hard ‘g’ followed by the letter ‘e’ or ‘i’ a silent ‘u’ is placed after the ‘g’.

However, sometimes in certain cases, you don’t want a silent ‘u’ following the ‘g’. Cue the diaeresis. This accent tells us that the ‘u’ is not silent like its unaccent counterpart would be in the word guitarra (guitar). The diaeresis demands to be expressed as a fully articulated letter, separate from the letters around it, like in the word pingüino (penguin).

Though this diacritic is not common in the Spanish language, there still some useful vocabulary words spelled using it, like:

Bilingüe (bilingual)

Lingüista (linguist)
Ambigüedad (ambiguity)

The Acute Accent

Last, but certainly not least, the acute accent mark. This accent or diacritic is the most commonly used in the Spanish language as it can appear above all the vowels: á, é, í, ó, ú. The acute accent can even appear as frequently as once per word!

So what’s it all about? This accent is an indicator of stress. Now, this doesn’t mean you’re going to be anxious pronouncing words. In linguistics, stress has a different meaning and functions as a clue to the reader that a letter should be emphasized. This generally translates to a syllable being enunciated longer than other syllables around it.

Luckily in Spanish spelling and pronunciation are extremely consistent, unlike in French. There are two general rules to follow when you don’t know what syllable to stress when pronouncing a word in Spanish:

With words ending in a vowel, or the letter ‘n’ or ‘s’, you should stress the second-to-last syllable of the word. For example, the word guitarra would be pronounced gui-TAR-ra.

With words ending in a consonant, not including ‘n’ or ‘s’, you will put stress on the last syllable in the word. For example, the word español would be pronounced es-pa-ÑOL.

In addition to these two rules, you will also stress a syllable when you see the acute accent. In other words, the acute accent is the exception to the two previously mentioned pronunciation rules.

The acute accent is also used to differentiate words from each other. Homonyms or words pronounced the same way but which have different meanings, can be extremely confusing to a language learner. Luckily, acute accents are a huge help.

In this model example, the word sí with an acute accent on the ‘i’ means ‘yes’. Without the accent, however, the word changes to mean ‘if’(si). Though they are pronounced and spelled almost identically, the two are independent words. With just one simple accent change, you can transform the whole meaning of a word or phrase into something entirely different.

How do I grow my Language Skills?

Now that we have learned how and why we type Spanish accents, you may be feeling a little overwhelmed. Learning a language is something that comes with time, and cannot be rushed or mastered overnight. It also demands patience and a lot of practice.

If you want to master Spanish accents, then you also must master other components of the language. Here are three key aspects to focus on if you are interested in advancing your language skills:

Comprehensible input: Put simply, this refers to any Spanish language you are exposed to. Hearing or reading the language, and learning from these experiences, is the most basic step in advancing any skills. The more you list and read, the more that you will grow and master your target language

Comprehensible output: Contrastingly, at some point, you will also have to produce some Spanish yourself. These are your speaking or writing skills and are some of the most difficult to master in a foreign language. These would be considered the hardest skills to grow if you are not fully immersed in the language.

Feedback: Making mistakes is inherently part of the learning process. The faster you get comfortable with making errors, the faster you will be able to progress in your language journey. Feedback means identifying mistakes, and then learning how to correct them- a crucial part of reaching mastery of a language.

Ways to Practice Spanish

If you focus on these three ingredients you will quickly and efficiently reach your language goals, but exactly what should you do to practice? Follow these tips and tricks to apply and exercise essentials language skills in your daily life:

Read, read read! In the age of the internet, there are so many resources just at the tip of your fingers. Look up Spanish blogs, websites, online magazines, and even virtual novels that you could use for practice. Make sure to have a dictionary on hand as a reference when you aren’t familiar with a word so you can grow your vocabulary.

Listen. In addition to written resources, the internet is full of Spanish audio for you to use to your advantage. Look up podcasts in Spanish, listen to music, and watch TV shows and movies. If you have a Netflix subscription you can find numerous foreign-language films- make sure to throw on subtitles for extra help and practice!

Tutor. Speaking and writing is the hardest skill to perfect because it is so hard to utilize. Look up ads for tutors in your area or at local universities. Even getting just a few hours a week in speaking practice can greatly help improve your skills. Also, you will be able to get instant feedback on mistakes you make.

Make a friend. Practicing your writing skills is also difficult if you don’t have someone to help you. Finding a penpal to correspond with is a fun and dynamic way of getting that writing practice you need. Check out My Language Exchange, a resource for safely putting you in touch with a new language partner so you can practice.

Take a class. Check out your local community college or university for Spanish classes. Formal classes will offer you solid structure and natural language progression, with constant feedback for you to grow. Formal courses are the best way to get to employ all the skills required for true fluency in a language.

Overall you should be practicing your target language every day if you are looking to progress quickly. The more that you are exposed to the language, and the more that you put it to use, the quicker you will reach your goals and master the art of the Spanish language.

Summary

When it comes to Spanish accents, there is a lot to keep in mind. Luckily, there are only three accents to focus on: the tilde, the diaeresis, and the acute accent. Also called diacritics, these marks can be typed many ways, including:

Keystrokes

Character codes
Switching your keyboard to Spanish.

Each method is useful, depending on your needs. If you are not a frequent user of Spanish accent marks, you may find keystrokes or character codes more helpful. However, if you are an expert and frequent user of Spanish accents, you may consider switching your keyboard to Spanish. It is a much more efficient and straightforward method of typing.

To be able to type accents, one must be familiar with their purpose in the first place. Generally, accents are used to indicate a special pronunciation or to differentiate words from each other. Accents are guides to speakers and are extremely helpful once you get the hang of them. The most important thing to remember is that pronunciation influences spelling.

Mastering Spanish accents means mastery of the language itself. Reading, writing, and speaking all require extensive knowledge and familiarity with the language itself. If you want to become an expert, practice your language skills frequently. Immersion is the best method in accelerating your skills, and is a great excuse for getting on a plane too!

Overall accents are a crucial part of the Spanish language: using, typing, and speaking them with ease only comes with time and practice.