How to type letters with accents on a Mac: é, ñ, ü

Why it happens

Mac keyboards don't have separate keys for accented letters. Instead your Mac shows them when you hold a letter down, and the Option key gives quick shortcuts for common accents. If you write in another language often, a keyboard layout for that language puts the letters on keys.

How to fix it

1. Hold down the letter you want to accent, for example e. A small menu of accented versions appears above it. Click the one you want, or press the number shown under it.

2. On an ABC or U.S. keyboard, there are quick shortcuts too: press Option with a key, let go, then type the letter. Option-E then e gives é, Option-N then n gives ñ, Option-U then u gives ü, Option-I then e gives ê, and Option-` then e gives è.

3. If you type in another language a lot, add a keyboard for it. Open Keyboard settings, click Edit… next to Input Sources, then click the + button.

   Keyboard›Text Input›Edit…

4. Pick a language such as Spanish, French or German, or ABC Extended under English for many accents in one layout. Click Add.

5. Switch between keyboards from the Input menu that appears in the menu bar. The letters you type follow the keyboard you've picked there.

Still not fixed?

1. If holding a key repeats the letter instead of showing accents, the accent menu has been turned off on your Mac, or the app doesn't support it. Use the Option shortcuts above, which work in almost every app.

2. For a letter or symbol you can't find, open Emoji & Symbols from the Edit menu in most apps, or press Control-Command-Space. Search for the letter's name, such as "n tilde", and double-click it.

3. If keys suddenly type the wrong letters, you've probably switched to another keyboard by accident. Check the Input menu in the menu bar and pick your usual one.

4. If some keys don't type anything at all, test them in another app and with another keyboard if you have one. Keys that never respond point to a hardware fault, so contact Apple Support or a repair shop.