Below is the complete list of keyboard shortcuts using Windows ALT codes for letters with accents or diacritics that are used in the Estonian alphabet. If you are new to ALT codes and need detailed instructions on how to use them, please read How to Use ALT Codes to Enter Special Characters.
| Accented Letter | ALT Code | Accented Letter Name |
|---|---|---|
| Ä | ALT 142 or ALT 0196 | Latin capital letter A with diaeresis, A with umlaut |
| ä | ALT 132 or ALT 0228 | Latin small letter a with diaeresis, a with umlaut |
| Ö | ALT 153 or ALT 0214 | Latin capital letter O with diaeresis, O with umlaut |
| ö | ALT 148 or ALT 0246 | Latin small letter o with diaeresis, o with umlaut |
| Ü | ALT 154 or ALT 0220 | Latin capital letter U with diaeresis, U with umlaut |
| ü | ALT 129 or ALT 0252 | Latin small letter u with diaeresis, u with umlaut |
| Õ | ALT 0213 | Latin capital letter O with tilde |
| õ | ALT 0245 | Latin small letter o with tilde |
| Š | ALT 0138 | Latin capital letter S with caron |
| š | ALT 0154 | Latin small letter s with caron |
| Ž | ALT 0142 | Latin capital letter Z with caron |
| ž | ALT 0158 | Latin small letter z with caron |
In the Estonian language, there are three letters with diacritics or accents: Ä, Ö, and Ü. These letters are known as vowels with umlauts and are considered separate letters in the Estonian alphabet.
- Ä (a with umlaut): Pronounced as a short vowel, similar to the “a” sound in “cat.”
- Ö (o with umlaut): Pronounced as a rounded vowel, similar to the German “ö” sound in “öfter” or the French “eu” sound in “peur.”
- Ü (u with umlaut): Pronounced as a rounded vowel, similar to the German “ü” sound in “über” or the French “u” sound in “lune.”
These vowels with umlauts play a crucial role in distinguishing different words and their meanings in Estonian. For example:
- Ära (away) vs. Aara (scraper)
- Öö (night) vs. Oo (flock) vs. Õõs (wasp)
- Üks (one) vs. Uks (door)
In written Estonian, these letters are used alongside other vowels like A, E, I, O, and U. The diacritical marks (the umlaut dots) above these letters indicate the change in pronunciation, making them distinct sounds from their non-umlauted counterparts.
For ALT codes for letters with accents or diacritical marks that are used in other foreign languages, visit ALT Codes for Latin Letters with Accents or Diacritical Marks used in Foreign Languages. For the the complete list of the first 256 Windows ALT Codes, visit Windows ALT Codes for Special Characters & Symbols.
