How to type ä
Shortcuts verified against Microsoft, Apple and X.Org documentation.
Windows
- Alt code
- Hold Alt, type Alt+0228 on the numeric keypad, release Alt.
- Alt code
- The short code Alt+132 also works on US English systems (code page 437).
- Alt codes need the numeric keypad with Num Lock on. On a laptop without one, use the Word method or copy the character.
- Alt+X in Word and Outlook
- Type 00E4 then press Alt+X. The code turns into ä.
- Word shortcut
- Press Ctrl+Shift+: , a.
- US-International keyboard
- With the US-International layout enabled: " then a, or AltGr+q.
- Character Map
- Open Character Map (search “charmap” in the Start menu), find ä, click Select then Copy.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with umlaut” or draw ä. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
Mac
- Option key
- Press Option+u, then a.
- Press and hold
- Hold the a key, then press the number under ä or click it.
- ABC Extended input source
- Switch to ABC Extended (System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources) and press Option+u, then a.
- Unicode Hex Input
- Switch to Unicode Hex Input, hold Option and type 00E4.
- Character Viewer
- Press Control+Command+Space, search “a with umlaut” and double-click ä.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with umlaut” or draw ä. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
iPhone and iPad
- iPhone keyboard
- Touch and hold the a key, slide to ä, release.
- Or just copy it
- Tap ä at the top of this page and paste it anywhere.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with umlaut” or draw ä. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
Android
- Android keyboard (Gboard)
- Touch and hold the a key, slide to ä, release.
- Or just copy it
- Tap ä at the top of this page and paste it anywhere.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with umlaut” or draw ä. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
Linux
- Compose key
- Press Compose " a (enable the Compose key in your keyboard settings first).
- Unicode entry (GTK apps and Chromebook)
- Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type e4, then press Space or Enter.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with umlaut” or draw ä. Your operating system shortcut also works inside Docs.
Chromebook
- Chromebook
- Press Ctrl+Shift+U, type e4, press Enter. Or add the US International keyboard in Settings.
- US-International keyboard
- With the US-International layout enabled: " then a, or AltGr+q.
Google Docs: Insert > Special characters, then type “a with umlaut” or draw ä. 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)
ä can be written as one code point (U+00E4) or as a plus a combining mark. Normalise to NFC before comparing strings.
Words with ä
German
Swedish
Finnish
Estonian
Questions about ä
What is ä?
ä is the latin small letter a with diaeresis (Unicode U+00E4). It is the letter a with umlaut (diaeresis). It is used in German, Swedish, Finnish, Estonian, Slovak, and Welsh.
How do I type ä on Windows?
Hold Alt and type 0228 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. In Word you can also type 00E4 and press Alt+X.
How do I type ä on a Mac?
Press Option+u, then a. You can also hold the a key and pick ä from the accent menu.
How do I type ä on my phone?
On iPhone and Android, press and hold the a key and slide to ä.
What is the HTML code for ä?
Use ä or the numeric entity ä (hex ä). In CSS write \E4, in JavaScript \u00E4.