Accent marks, also known as diacritical marks, are symbols added to letters to alter their pronunciation or to distinguish between words that are otherwise spelled the same in some languages. They are used in many languages to indicate aspects like stress, tone, length, and special vowel sounds.
Here are some common types of accent marks:
| Accent Mark | Symbol | Usage Example | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acute | ´ | é in résumé | Indicates stress or a higher pitch. |
| Grave | ` | à in à la carte | Used to denote a lower pitch or different syllable emphasis. |
| Circumflex | ˆ | ê in crêpe | Suggests a change in vowel quality or length. |
| Tilde | ˜ | ñ in piñata | Typically marks nasalization or phonetic changes. |
| Umlaut | ¨ | ü in über | Indicates a change in sound, common in German. |
| Cedilla | ¸ | ç in façade | Modifies a letter to produce a soft 's' sound, commonly used with "c". |
This table summarizes the types of accent marks, providing a symbol reference, usage examples, and a brief description of each mark's phonetic influence.
Steps to Insert an Accent Mark from Google Input Tools
Discover how to use Google Docs’ built-in tools to insert special characters and accent marks directly into your text.
Step 1: Sign in to your Google Account and Open Google Docs
Open the docs and move the cursor to where you want to add an accent mark.
Step 2: Go to Insert and Click on Special Character
Now, click on Insert > Special Characters, and a dialog box will be opened.

Step 3: Search for desired Accent Mark
Your Google input tool is open. Here you can find several signs and accent letters. You can search for the desired letter or accent mark.

Step 4: Draw the Accent Mark instead
Or you can also draw the needed accent mark and choose it from there.

How to Type an Accent Letter using Keyboard Shortcut
If your memory tends to be sharp, striking certain keys together is a quick and easy way to write letters with accents. Here are some Accent Keyboard Shortcuts for windows and macOS as well.
| Accent Mark | Windows Shortcut | Mac Shortcut |
|---|---|---|
| Á | Alt+0193 | Option+e, Shift+a |
| á | Alt+0225 | Option+e, a |
| É | Alt+0201 | Option+e, Shift+e |
| é | Alt+0233 | Option+e, e |
| Í | Alt+0205 | Option+e, Shift+i |
| í | Alt+ 0237 | Option+e, i |
| Ó | Alt+0211 | Option+e, Shift+o |
| ó | Alt+ 0243 | Option+e, o |
| Ú | Alt+0218 | Option+e, Shift+u |
| ú | Alt+0250 | Option+e, u |
| Ü | Alt+0220 | Option+u, Shift+u |
| ü | Alt+0252 | Option+u, u |
| Ñ | Alt+0209 | Option+n, Shift+n |
| ñ | Alt+0241 | Option+n, n |
| ¡ | Alt+0161 | Option+1 |
| « | Alt+0171 | Option+\ |
| » | Alt+0187 | Shift+Option+\ |
| ¿ | Alt+0191 | Shift+Option+? |
Steps to Use Add Accent Marks Using Computer’s Built-In Tools
Whether you are on a Windows or macOS system, learn how to access and use the built-in character maps to insert accents.
For Windows
Adding accent marks on a Windows computer is simple with built-in tools. You can use keyboard shortcuts, the character map, or the touch keyboard to easily insert accented letters. Here’s how to do it.
Step 1: In the search bar, find Character Map
In the Search bar, enter the Character Map.

Step 2: Open Character Map Program
Select Character Map to open the Character Map program.

Step 3: Scroll to find a suitable Accent Mark
Scroll through the list until you find your desired symbol or accented letter.
Step 4: Select the symbol and copy
Select the symbol or accented letter, then Select. The character appears in the Characters to Copy field.

Step 5: Copy and Paste it to the desired location
Copy, then Paste the character wherever you need it.

Steps to Add Accent Marks Using Google Docs Add-Ons
Explore how Google Docs Add-ons can simplify adding accents, making it a hassle-free process for any language.
Step 1: Install an add-on that supports accent marks
Install an add-on that supports accent marks (add-ons are a bit like browser extensions, but they only work in Docs). There are a lot of add-ons to pick from; we'll use Easy Accents as an example.
Step 2: Open your Doc file click on Extensions and Select Easy Accents
After installing, Open your doc file and click on Extensions > Easy Accent Doc > Easy Accent Start.

Step 3: Select a language
Choose a language from the new side window.

Step 4: Select a symbol
With the cursor located wherever you want the letter to go, select the corresponding button. To get an uppercase letter, hold Shift while selecting it.