To type U with an accent, the fastest method is to copy the exact glyph you need — ù, ú, û, ü, ũ, ū, ŭ, ů, ű, ų and their capitals, from the buttons below. On Windows, four of these have genuine Alt codes you type on the numeric keypad; the rest are reached through Word’s Alt+X method or Character Map. On Mac, most accents come from a dead-key shortcut followed by the letter U, and every platform below has a built-in route that takes only a few keystrokes.
Every accented U at a glance
The table below lists all twenty precomposed accented forms of U, both lowercase and uppercase. Only four lowercase and four uppercase forms have a real Windows Alt code; for the others, use the Word Alt+X column instead. The HTML column works in web pages and many rich-text editors.
| Glyph | Name | Code point | Windows Alt code | Word Alt+X | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ù | U with grave | U+00F9 | Alt+0249 | 00F9, Alt+X | ù |
| ú | U with acute | U+00FA | Alt+0250 | 00FA, Alt+X | ú |
| û | U with circumflex | U+00FB | Alt+0251 | 00FB, Alt+X | û |
| ü | U with diaeresis | U+00FC | Alt+0252 | 00FC, Alt+X | ü |
| ũ | U with tilde | U+0169 | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 0169 then Alt+X | 0169, Alt+X | ũ |
| ū | U with macron | U+016B | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 016B then Alt+X | 016B, Alt+X | ū |
| ŭ | U with breve | U+016D | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 016D then Alt+X | 016D, Alt+X | ŭ |
| ů | U with ring above | U+016F | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 016F then Alt+X | 016F, Alt+X | ů |
| ű | U with double acute | U+0171 | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 0171 then Alt+X | 0171, Alt+X | ű |
| ų | U with ogonek | U+0173 | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 0173 then Alt+X | 0173, Alt+X | ų |
| Ù | U with grave | U+00D9 | Alt+0217 | 00D9, Alt+X | Ù |
| Ú | U with acute | U+00DA | Alt+0218 | 00DA, Alt+X | Ú |
| Û | U with circumflex | U+00DB | Alt+0219 | 00DB, Alt+X | Û |
| Ü | U with diaeresis | U+00DC | Alt+0220 | 00DC, Alt+X | Ü |
| Ũ | U with tilde | U+0168 | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 0168 then Alt+X | 0168, Alt+X | Ũ |
| Ū | U with macron | U+016A | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 016A then Alt+X | 016A, Alt+X | Ū |
| Ŭ | U with breve | U+016C | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 016C then Alt+X | 016C, Alt+X | Ŭ |
| Ů | U with ring above | U+016E | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 016E then Alt+X | 016E, Alt+X | Ů |
| Ű | U with double acute | U+0170 | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 0170 then Alt+X | 0170, Alt+X | Ű |
| Ų | U with ogonek | U+0172 | No standard Windows Alt code; Word: 0172 then Alt+X | 0172, Alt+X | Ų |
How these accent marks differ
All ten marks in this set sit on the same base letter U, but each diacritic is a distinct Unicode character with its own name and code point. The grave (ù) and acute (ú) lean in opposite directions, while the circumflex (û) is a small peak and the diaeresis (ü) is two dots.
The remaining six marks are less common on U but no less real: the tilde (ũ), the macron or bar (ū), the curved breve (ŭ), the ring above (ů), the double acute (ű), and the ogonek hook (ų). Because they are separate characters, ü and ű are never interchangeable even though both carry marks above the letter.
Uppercase and lowercase forms are paired but independent code points. For example, ù is U+00F9 while its capital Ù is U+00D9, so software that changes case swaps one code point for the other rather than merely resizing the same glyph.
Type accented U on every platform
Windows
For the eight forms with a real Alt code, hold Alt, type the four-digit number on the numeric keypad, then release Alt, for instance Alt+0252 gives ü and Alt+0220 gives Ü. This requires an active numeric keypad, so on a laptop enable Num Lock or use the on-screen keyboard.
The forms marked “No standard Alt code” (ũ ū ŭ ů ű ų and their capitals) cannot be typed this way. Open Character Map, search by name, and copy the glyph, or use the Word Alt+X route described below.
Mac
macOS uses dead keys for the four common accents: press Option+` then U for ù, Option+e then U for ú, Option+i then U for û, and Option+u then U for ü. Hold Shift while typing the letter to get the capital.
For the tilde, macron, breve, ring, double acute, and ogonek, open Edit > Emoji & Symbols (Control+Command+Space), search the character name, and double-click to insert. Enabling the Unicode Hex Input source also lets you hold Option and type the four-digit hex code directly.
Microsoft Word
Word offers the most complete keyboard route through Alt+X. Type the hexadecimal code point from the table, for example 016F — then immediately press Alt+X, and Word converts it to ů. The same trick turns 0170 into Ű.
Word also honours the accent shortcuts: Ctrl+` then U for ù, Ctrl+’ then U for ú, Ctrl+Shift+^ then U for û, and Ctrl+Shift+: then U for ü. Anything else is available under Insert > Symbol > More Symbols.
Excel and PowerPoint
Excel and PowerPoint share the Windows Alt-code method, so Alt+0250 produces ú in any cell or text box. Neither app supports Word’s Alt+X conversion, so for the code-less forms use Insert > Symbol and pick the glyph by its Unicode name.
A reliable shortcut for spreadsheets is to keep this page open and copy the exact character from the buttons above. Pasting into Excel preserves the precise code point, which matters when the cell feeds a lookup or filter.
Google Docs and Sheets
In Google Docs, open Insert > Special characters, then either search a name like “latin small letter u with macron” or draw the mark in the sketch box. Click the result to drop ū into your document.
Google Sheets has no special-character menu, so the practical path is to insert the glyph in Docs or copy it from the widget above and paste it into the cell. You can also build a helper column with a formula such as =UNICHAR(363) to output ū from its decimal value.
iPhone and Android
On both mobile keyboards, press and hold the U key. A small popup shows ù, ú, û, ü, ũ and related variants; slide your finger to the one you want and release.
The long-press popup covers the common accents but rarely offers the breve, ring, or ogonek. For those, copy the glyph from this page, or add a language keyboard (such as Lithuanian for ų) that exposes the mark directly.
Chromebook
ChromeOS uses Unicode hex entry: hold Ctrl+Shift, press U, then type the hex code point (for example 00fc) and press Enter or Space to get ü. Turning on the US International keyboard also enables accent dead keys similar to the Mac.
Notion, Slack, Discord, and Canva
These apps have no dedicated accent picker, so they inherit whatever your operating system provides. Windows Alt codes, Mac Option keys, or ChromeOS hex entry all work inside their text fields. Pasting a copied glyph is the most dependable method across all four.
In Canva specifically, type or paste the character into a text element; it keeps the accent as long as the chosen font includes that glyph. If the mark disappears, switch to a broad font such as Arial or Noto Sans, which cover the full set above.
Precomposed characters versus combining marks
Every glyph in this guide is a precomposed character: a single Unicode code point that already carries its accent, such as ü at U+00FC. The alternative is a base letter u followed by a separate combining mark, which two code points render to look identical on screen.
The visual match hides a real difference. A precomposed ü and a “u + combining diaeresis” ü can fail to match each other in a search box, sort differently, or count as different filenames, because the underlying code points are not the same.
This is why copy and paste sometimes behaves oddly between systems. Applying Unicode normalization. NFC to compose, NFD to decompose, forces both versions into one consistent form, which is the safest fix before comparing, storing, or de-duplicating text.
Troubleshooting
The character shows as a box or question mark. The font lacks that glyph rather than the text being wrong. Switch to a wide-coverage font such as Arial, Calibri, or Noto Sans, and the accented U will appear.
You got the wrong variant. It is easy to confuse ü, ű, and ũ. Confirm the code point against the table — U+00FC, U+0171, and U+0169 respectively, before inserting.
The Alt code does nothing. Alt codes need the numeric keypad with Num Lock on, not the top-row numbers. On keyboards without a keypad, use Character Map or the Word Alt+X method instead.
There is no Alt code at all. Six of these marks (tilde, macron, breve, ring, double acute, ogonek) have no genuine Windows Alt code. Type the hex value and press Alt+X in Word, or copy the glyph from the widget above.
Accents vanish in a filename or search. That is usually a normalization mismatch between precomposed and combining forms. Retype the name from one source, or normalize the text to NFC so both ends use the same encoding.
Quick examples
To type the French “où,” enter Alt+0249 on Windows for ù, or press Option+` then U on Mac. For the Hungarian “hűtő,” use Word’s 0171 then Alt+X to place the double-acute ű that no Alt code covers.
To capture a Lithuanian ų, the ogonek form has no Alt code, so copy it from the buttons above or type 0173 then Alt+X in Word. Mixing several, say ū and ů in one line, is easiest by clicking each glyph in the widget in turn.
Related guides and resources
If you switch between many diacritics, the on-screen accent keyboard tool lets you click any marked letter and copy it instantly. For the bigger picture, our complete guide to typing accented letters explains every method in one place, and you can browse more accented-letter guides for individual characters.
Readers who work with U often need neighbouring letters too. See how to type V with an accent mark, T with an accent, S with an accent, W with an accent, and R with accents using the same platform-by-platform approach.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Alt code for ü on Windows?
Hold Alt and type 0252 on the numeric keypad for lowercase ü, or 0220 for uppercase Ü. Both need Num Lock enabled on the keypad, not the top-row number keys.
Why does ű have no Windows Alt code?
The double-acute ű (U+0171) sits outside the range Windows maps to Alt codes, so there is no genuine numeric shortcut. Type 0171 then press Alt+X in Word, or copy the glyph from the widget above.
How do I type accented U on a Mac?
Use the dead keys: Option+` then U for ù, Option+e then U for ú, Option+i then U for û, and Option+u then U for ü. For rarer marks, open Emoji & Symbols with Control+Command+Space and search the name.
How is ü different from an u with a combining diaeresis?
Precomposed ü is one code point (U+00FC), while the combining version is a plain u plus a separate mark, making two code points. They look identical but can behave differently in search, sorting, and filenames unless the text is normalized.
How do I type these on iPhone or Android?
Press and hold the U key until the accent popup appears, then slide to ù, ú, û, ü, or ũ. Marks that are missing from the popup, such as the ogonek, are easiest to paste from this page.
Which font should I use so the accent shows?
Choose a broad Unicode font like Arial, Calibri, Noto Sans, or Times New Roman. If a glyph appears as a box, the current font lacks it, and switching fonts restores the accented U.
How can I insert accented U in Google Sheets?
Sheets has no symbol menu, so paste the glyph from the widget or from Google Docs’ Insert > Special characters. Alternatively, use a formula such as =UNICHAR(363) to output ū from its decimal code.