How to type ă
Shortcuts verified against Microsoft, Apple and X.Org documentation.
Windows
- Alt code
- No Alt code exists for ă (it is outside code page 1252). Use Alt+X in Word, the US-International layout, or copy it here.
- Alt+X in Word and Outlook
- Type 0103 then press Alt+X. The code turns into ă.
- Character Map
- Open Character Map (search “charmap” in the Start menu), find ă, click Select then Copy.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with breve” or draw ă. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
Mac
- Option key
- There is no Option shortcut for ă on the US keyboard layout.
- Press and hold
- ă does not appear in the press-and-hold menu of the English keyboard.
- ABC Extended input source
- Switch to ABC Extended (System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources) and press Option+b, then a.
- Unicode Hex Input
- Switch to Unicode Hex Input, hold Option and type 0103.
- Character Viewer
- Press Control+Command+Space, search “a with breve” and double-click ă.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with breve” or draw ă. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
iPhone and iPad
- iPhone keyboard
- Touch and hold the a key, slide to ă, release.
- Tip: iOS 17 and later. Gboard has no ă in any AOSP Latin set. add the Romanian or Vietnamese keyboard..
- Or just copy it
- Tap ă at the top of this page and paste it anywhere.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with breve” or draw ă. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
Android
- Android keyboard (Gboard)
- ă is not in the English keyboard pop-up on Gboard.
- Tip: iOS 17 and later. Gboard has no ă in any AOSP Latin set. add the Romanian or Vietnamese keyboard..
- Or just copy it
- Tap ă at the top of this page and paste it anywhere.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with breve” or draw ă. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
Linux
- Compose key
- Press Compose b a (enable the Compose key in your keyboard settings first).
- Unicode entry (GTK apps and Chromebook)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 103, then press Space or Enter.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with breve” or draw ă. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
Chromebook
- Chromebook
- Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type 103, press Enter. Or add the US International keyboard in Settings.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with breve” or draw ă. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
Codes for developers
Click any value to copy it
- Unicode
- Unicode name
- HTML named entity
- HTML decimal
- HTML hex
- CSS
- JavaScript
- Python
- Java / C# / Kotlin
- URL encoded (UTF-8)
- UTF-8 bytes
- LaTeX
- Decomposed (NFD)
ă can be written as one code point (U+0103) or as a plus a combining mark. Normalise to NFC before comparing strings.
Words with ă
Romanian
Vietnamese
Questions about ă
What is ă?
ă is the latin small letter a with breve (Unicode U+0103). It is the letter a with breve. It is used in Romanian and Vietnamese.
How do I type ă on Windows?
ă has no Alt code because it is not in Windows code page 1252. In Word type 0103 then press Alt+X, or copy the character from this page.
How do I type ă on a Mac?
Hold the a key on your Mac keyboard and pick ă from the pop-up accent menu, or use the Character Viewer (Control+Command+Space).
How do I type ă on my phone?
On iPhone and Android, press and hold the a key and slide to ă.
What is the HTML code for ă?
Use ă or the numeric entity ă (hex ă). In CSS write \103, in JavaScript \u0103.