How to Type Accents with the Spanish Keyboard on Windows

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Write in Spanish with this guide to special characters

Written by Hannah Dillon

Last Updated: December 10, 2025 Fact Checked

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Using a Spanish Keyboard

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Using the Ctrl Key

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Using Alt Codes

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Using the Character Picker

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If you're trying to write in Spanish on your computer, you might be wondering how you can type the accents that aren't normally on your keyboard. The methods vary slightly depending on whether you're using a Spanish keyboard or not, but all of the ways to type Spanish accented letters are easy. Keep reading to learn how.

Typing Spanish Accented Letters

Press the apostrophe key and then the letter key if you're using a Spanish keyboard.
Press Ctrl + ' + [letter] if you're not using a Spanish keyboard and you're not using a web application.
Use an Alt code or the character picker to type accents in any application.

Method 1

Method 1 of 4:

Using a Spanish Keyboard

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This method will work in any application, whether it's online or a Windows application. However, you must have a Spanish keyboard installed and selected to make this method work.
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Press the ' (apostrophe) key. You'll notice that, unlike an English keyboard, nothing happens.
- If you want to type an eñe, press the ; (semicolon) key. If you want to type a diéresis, press the " key.
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For example, if you want to type É, you'd press '+⇧ Shift+E.^{[1]
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Method 2

Method 2 of 4:

Using the Ctrl Key

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This method will only work in Windows applications (like Microsoft Word). If you're using an online app such as Google Docs, this method won't work.
If you're typing an eñe, hold down the ~ (tilde) button instead. If you're typing a diéresis, hold : (colon) instead.
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Type the letter you want accented. For example, if you want to type É, you'd press Ctrl+'+⇧ Shift+E.
- If you're typing ¡, you'll instead press Alt+Ctrl+⇧ Shift+1. If you're typing ¿, you'll press Alt+Ctrl+⇧ Shift+/.

Method 3

Method 3 of 4:

Using Alt Codes

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1
Place your cursor in the spot where you want to write. This method will work in both online applications as well as Windows applications. However, to type an Alt code, you must have a keyboard with a keypad on the right-hand side, or your keyboard must support an alternative Alt layout (such as on a laptop when some of the letter keys are also mapped to a keypad key).
- You can also use Alt codes to type other symbols.
NumLock should be on for this method to work. Your keyboard should have a light to display whether or not NumLock is on or off. If you don't have an indicator light, try pressing NumLock and try the steps below. If they don't work, press NumLock again to try again.
You can hold down either the left or right Alt key.
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Type the corresponding Alt code for the character you want to type. The Alt codes for Spanish accented letters are as follows:^{[2]
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- Á: Alt + 0193
- á: Alt + 0225
- É: Alt + 0201
- é: Alt + 0233
- Í: Alt + 0205
- í: Alt + 0237
- Ó: Alt+0211
- ó: Alt + 0243
- Ú: Alt + 0218
- ú: Alt + 0250
- Ñ: Alt + 0209
- ñ: Alt + 0241
- ü: Alt + 0252
- ¡: Alt + 0161
- ¿: Alt + 0191

Method 4

Method 4 of 4:

Using the Character Picker

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This method will work in both online applications as well as Windows applications.
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Press ⊞ Win. This will open the character picker, also called "Emoji and more."
- You can use this tool to type all sorts of symbols, including Spanish accented letters, on Windows 10 and 11.
The icon for this tab has a percent sign, an arrow, a triangle, and a plus sign.
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Choose the Latin symbols tab. You'll have to scroll across the horizontal tab list to find this option, or just keep scrolling down through the list of symbols.
- If you want to type ¡ or ¿, you'll have to choose the General punctuation tab instead.
You'll find all the accented Latin alphabet symbols in this menu, not only the ones needed for Spanish, so you may have to spend a bit of time to find the right symbol (though they are sorted alphabetically).