Quick Tip: Typing Umlauts and Other Accented Characters

Let’s say you’re having a Scandinavian-themed party, and you want to spell Smörgåsbord correctly on the invitations. How do you type the umlaut above the o, and the overring above the a?

Here’s how to do it quickly and easily:

Start typing Smörgåsbord. When you get to the first accented character, press and hold the O Key until you see a bubble with all the possible accented characters for that letter. Choose the one with the umlaut. You can click on it, or type the number below. The accented character appears in your word.

Continue typing. When you get to your next accented character, press and hold the A Key until the bubble appears. Choose the one with the overring. Finish typing your word.

Voilà!

Try this technique with your favorite accented words such as piña colada, déjà vu, and fête.