Creating Special Characters for Foreign Languages
Windows PC Options
Option 1: Set your keyboard to United States-International
Microsoft makes it easy to type international characters by switching your keyboard to 'United States-International.'
Proceed as follows:
- In the Start menu, enter the term “Control Panel” to open the Control Panel application.
- In the Clock, Language and Region settings, click the link for Change Input Methods. You should see a list of activated keyboards.
- Next to the box for English (United States) click the Options link.
- In the list, scroll to and select United States – International.
- Click Save.
Other non-English keyboards can be activated similarly.
Instructions for older versions of Windows can be found at the following link: http://support.microsoft.com/kb/306560. Links to an external site.
Once you have installed the United States-International keyboard layout, be sure to scroll down on the Microsoft page linked above to the section titled "Creating international characters."
You should now find the process quite simple. For instance, to type an á, you would now just need to type an apostrophe (') followed by an a.
Notice with this layout that if you want to type an apostrophe or quotation mark, you will have to hit the appropriate key followed by the space key. It may seem complicated, but it works well once you get used to it.
Note: Once you install the US-International keyboard, a little language toolbar will appear at the bottom right of your screen (look for the tiny keyboard icon). When you mouse over it, it will give you the ability to switch between US and US-International keyboards.
Option 2: Use the 'ALT-key' codes for special characters
Special characters can also be created from Microsoft's ANSI character set, by using 'ALT-key' codes. This should work on any Windows PC, and for any program.
To use these codes, be sure that Num Lock is on. Hold down the Alt key and type a number on the right‑hand keypad, then release the Alt key. (The number keys at the top of your keyboard will not work.)
If you are using a notebook computer, you will need to use the alternate number-pad keys that are mapped on the right side of your keyboard (usually shown in blue on your keys). For most notebooks, you need to press Fn + Alt + the keypad numbers above.
Here are some useful codes:
| Spanish | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| German | ||||||||||||||||||||
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| French | ||||||||||||||||||||
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Additional 'Alt-key' sequences can be found at various places online, including here Links to an external site..
Option 3: Use the keystrokes built in to Microsoft Word
Microsoft Word features its own keystrokes for entering special characters. Some useful ones are as follows:
| Character | Keystrokes |
| á, é, í, ó, ú | Press Ctrl-apostrophe, release, then press desired vowel |
| ä, ë, ï, ö, ü | Press Ctrl-Shift-colon(:), release, then press desired vowel |
| ñ | Press Ctrl-Shift-~. Release and press n |
| ¿, ¡ | Press Alt-Ctrl-Shift and, keeping them pressed, press ? or ! |
Macintosh Options
Macintosh operating systems feature their own set of keystrokes for producing special characters. These keystrokes apply to all programs on a Mac.
| Character | Keystrokes |
| á, é, í, ó, ú | Press Option‑e + vowel that goes under the accent |
| ä, ë, ï, ö, ü | Press Option‑u + vowel that goes under the accent |
| ñ | Press Option‑n + n |
| ¿ | Press Shift‑Option ‑? |
| ¡ | Press Option‑1 |
Additional keystroke shortcuts can be found here Links to an external site. and here Links to an external site., or by simply searching on the web.