Below is the complete list of keyboard shortcuts using Windows ALT codes for letters with accents or diacritics that are used in the Spanish 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 |
|---|---|---|
| Á | ALT 0193 | Latin capital letter A with acute, el acento agudo |
| á | ALT 160 or ALT 0225 | Latin small letter a with acute, el acento agudo |
| É | ALT 144 or ALT 0201 | Latin capital letter E with acute, el acento agudo |
| é | ALT 130 or ALT 0233 | Latin small letter e with acute, el acento agudo |
| Í | ALT 0205 | Latin capital letter I with acute, el acento agudo |
| í | ALT 161 or ALT 0237 | Latin small letter i with acute, el acento agudo |
| Ñ | ALT 165 or ALT 0209 | Latin capital letter N with tilde, Enye, Eñe |
| ñ | ALT 164 or ALT 0241 | Latin small letter n with tilde, enye, eñe |
| Ó | ALT 0211 | Latin capital letter O with acute, el acento agudo |
| ó | ALT 162 or ALT 0243 | Latin small letter o with acute, el acento agudo |
| Ê | ALT 0202 | Latin capital letter E with circumflex |
| ê | ALT 136 or ALT 0234 | Latin small letter e with circumflex |
| Ú | ALT 0218 | Latin capital letter U with acute, el acento agudo |
| ú | ALT 163 or ALT 0250 | Latin small letter u with acute, el acento agudo |
| 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 |
| Ý | ALT 0221 | Latin capital letter Y with acute, el acento agudo |
| ý | ALT 0253 | Latin small letter y with acute, el acento agudo |
| ¡ | ALT 173 or ALT 0161 | Inverted exclamation mark, el punto exclamativo |
| ¿ | ALT 168 or ALT 0191 | Inverted question mark, turned question mark, el punto interrogativo |
| ª | ALT 166 or ALT 0170 | Feminine ordinal indicator |
| º | ALT 167 or ALT 0186 | Masculine ordinal indicator |
| » | ALT 175 or ALT 0187 | Right Angle Quote, right-pointing double angle quotation mark, right guillemet, las comillas |
| « | ALT 174 or ALT 0171 | Left Angle Quote, left-pointing double angle quotation mark, left guillemet, las comillas, chevrons (in typography) |
In the Spanish language, there are five letters that can have accents or diacritical marks, which are used to indicate stress or change the pronunciation of the letters. These accented letters are known as “vocales con acento” (accented vowels) and are as follows:
- Á (a acute): Pronounced as /a/. Example: “más” (more).
- É (e acute): Pronounced as /e/. Example: “papel” (paper).
- Í (i acute): Pronounced as /i/. Example: “sí” (yes).
- Ó (o acute): Pronounced as /o/. Example: “tóxico” (toxic).
- Ú (u acute): Pronounced as /u/. Example: “tú” (you).
It’s important to note that these accent marks serve two main purposes in Spanish:
- Stress: In words with more than one syllable, the accent mark indicates which syllable receives the primary stress.
- Differentiation: In certain cases, the accent mark is used to differentiate words that would otherwise be spelled the same but have different meanings or grammatical functions. For example, “el” (the) and “él” (he).
Other diacritical marks, such as the diaeresis (ü) and the tilde (ñ), are also used in Spanish, but they do not appear directly on vowels as accents. The diaeresis is used to indicate that the u in “güe” and “güi” is pronounced (e.g., “pingüino” – penguin). The tilde is used on the letter “ñ” to create the unique sound of /ɲ/ (e.g., “niño” – child).
Accents are a crucial aspect of Spanish spelling and pronunciation, and their correct usage ensures clarity and accuracy in written communication.
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.
