How to Type B with Accent (ḃ, ḅ, ḇ, ƀ, ɓ): Windows, Mac, Word & Mobile Shortcuts

Master B-Accent Keyboard Shortcut Matrix (All Variations)

While vowels are the most commonly accented letters in European languages, consonant accents—specifically on the letter B—are vital across specialized linguistic orthographies, historical scripts, and academic transliteration systems. These include ḃ (used in traditional Irish Gaelic to denote lenition), ḅ (used in Sanskrit IAST and Indic romanization), ḇ (used in Biblical Hebrew and Semitic transliteration), ɓ (the voiced bilabial implosive in African languages like Hausa and Fula), and ƀ (used in Austronesian languages like Jarai). Below is your complete cross-platform reference table:

How to Type B with Accent on Windows (5 Methods)

Because B-accent characters reside in the Unicode Latin Extended-Additional block, Windows personal computers offer several precise pathways to generate them:

Method 1: Microsoft Word & WordPad Unicode Hex Converter (Fastest & Most Reliable)

In Microsoft Word, WordPad, and Outlook, you can convert hexadecimal Unicode values directly into accented characters using Alt + X:

• ḃ (B with Dot Above): Type 1E03 and immediately press Alt + X | Ḃ (Capital): Type 1E02 then Alt + X
• ḅ (B with Dot Below): Type 1E05 and immediately press Alt + X | Ḅ (Capital): Type 1E04 then Alt + X
• ḇ (B with Line Below): Type 1E07 and immediately press Alt + X | Ḇ (Capital): Type 1E06 then Alt + X
• ɓ (B with Hook / Implosive): Type 0253 and press Alt + X | Ɓ (Capital): Type 0181 then Alt + X
• ƀ (B with Stroke): Type 0180 and press Alt + X | Ƀ (Capital): Type 0243 then Alt + X

Method 2: Windows Alt Codes (Numeric Keypad)

Using the separate 10-key numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard:

Method 3: Unicode Combining Diacritical Marks

If an application doesn't support precomposed B-accents, you can combine the standard letter b with a combining diacritic:

• Combining Dot Above (b + U+0307): Type b, then type 0307 and press Alt + X → gives ḃ.
• Combining Dot Below (b + U+0323): Type b, then type 0323 and press Alt + X → gives ḅ.
• Combining Macron Below (b + U+0331): Type b, then type 0331 and press Alt + X → gives ḇ.

Method 4: Windows Character Map (charmap.exe)

• Press Win + R, type charmap, and hit Enter.
• Check Advanced view, set Group by to Unicode Subrange, select Latin, search for latin small letter b with dot, and click Copy.

How to Type B with Accent on Mac (macOS)

Because B is a consonant, holding down the 'b' key on standard macOS layouts typically does not display an accent popup. Here are the verified methods to type B with accents on a Mac:

Method 1: macOS Character Viewer (Fastest Universal Method)

Method 2: ABC Extended Keyboard (Combining Diacritics)

If you enable the ABC Extended input source in System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources:

• Dot Above (ḃ): Press Option + Shift + H, then press b → gives ḃ.
• Dot Below (ḅ): Press Option + Shift + X, then press b → gives ḅ.
• Macron / Line Below (ḇ): Press Option + Shift + _ (Underscore), then press b → gives ḇ.

Method 3: macOS Text Replacements

In System Settings → Keyboard → Text Replacements, create custom shortcuts:

• Replace \b. with ḃ
• Replace \b_ with ḇ
• Replace \b! with ḅ

How to Type B with Accent in Microsoft Word, PowerPoint & Excel

Microsoft Word

• Unicode Hex Converter: Type 1E03 and press Alt + X for ḃ, 1E05 + Alt + X for ḅ, 1E07 + Alt + X for ḇ, and 0253 + Alt + X for ɓ.
• Insert Symbol: Go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols. In the Subset dropdown, choose Latin Extended Additional to locate all B-accent letters.

Microsoft Excel Formulas

In Excel formulas and financial models, dynamically output B-accent characters using UNICHAR:

• =UNICHAR(7683) outputs ḃ | =UNICHAR(7682) outputs Ḃ
• =UNICHAR(7685) outputs ḅ | =UNICHAR(7684) outputs Ḅ
• =UNICHAR(7687) outputs ḇ | =UNICHAR(7686) outputs Ḇ
• =UNICHAR(595) outputs ɓ | =UNICHAR(385) outputs Ɓ

How to Type B with Accent on iPhone, iPad & Android

iOS (Apple iPhone and iPad)

• Text Replacement Shortcut (Recommended): Open Settings → General → Keyboard → Text Replacement. Tap +, set Phrase: ḃ and Shortcut: b.. Whenever you type b., iOS will offer ḃ.
• One-Click Copy: Tap the ḃ copy card at the top of this guide on your phone's browser and paste it anywhere.

Android (Google Gboard & Samsung Keyboard)

• International / Hausa Keyboard: In Gboard Settings, add Hausa or Fula to type the implosive ɓ / Ɓ directly.
• Personal Dictionary: Go to Settings → System → Languages & input → Personal dictionary, and add ḃ with shortcut b..

Linguistic, Historical & Academic Significance of B-Accent Marks

The diacritical marks applied to the letter B represent rich linguistic histories across Celtic philology, African phonetic alphabets, Semitic transliteration, and Asian Austronesian orthography:

Traditional Irish Gaelic: The Ponc Séimhithe (ḃ / Ḃ)

In classical Gaelic uncial script (Cló Gaelach), the dot placed directly above a consonant is known in the Irish language as the ponc séimhithe (or historically as the buailte). When placed over the letter B (ḃ), it indicates lenition (softening or aspiration) of the consonant:

• Phonetic Pronunciation: The unlenited 'b' is pronounced /b/, but the lenited ḃ is pronounced as a voiced bilabial or labiodental fricative /v/ or /w/ (similar to the 'v' in English vote).
• Modern Irish Orthography: Following the mid-20th-century spelling reforms (Caighdeán Oifigiúil), the historical dot ḃ was replaced in standard roman type with the digraph bh (e.g. historical mo ḃróg became modern mo bhróg "my shoe"). However, ḃ remains widely used in historical manuscripts, commemorative stone inscriptions, heraldry, and academic Celtic scholarship.

African Languages & Phonetics: The Implosive Hook B (ɓ / Ɓ)

In the International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA) and official orthographies across West and Central Africa (including Hausa in Nigeria/Niger, Fula/Fulani across the Sahel, and the Pan-Nigerian Alphabet), ɓ (capital Ɓ) represents a voiced bilabial implosive consonant (/ɓ/):

• Unlike the standard English explosive /b/ (which releases air outward), the implosive /ɓ/ is produced by lowering the glottis during closure, momentarily drawing air inward into the oral cavity.
• In Hausa, ɓ contrasts phonemically with standard b: for example, ɓarawo ("thief") vs baki ("black/mouth").

Sanskrit & Indic Romanization (IAST): Underdot B (ḅ / Ḅ)

In the International Alphabet of Sanskrit Transliteration (IAST), the National Library at Kolkata romanization, and Dravidian linguistic studies, the underdot (nuqta / retroflex marker) on ḅ is used in phonetic transcriptions of specific regional dialects to denote emphatic or retroflex articulation.

Biblical Hebrew & Semitic Transliteration: Underline B (ḇ / Ḇ)

In Semitic philology and Hebrew grammatical transliteration, the Hebrew letter Bet (ב) exhibits two pronunciations under the Begadkefat phonetic rule:

• When written with a central dot (dagesh), it represents the plosive stop /b/.
• When written without a dagesh (or with a rafe overline), it spirantizes into the soft fricative /v/, transliterated in academic Hebrew as ḇ (B with line/macron below).

Austronesian Languages: B with Stroke (ƀ / Ƀ)

In the Jarai language (spoken by the Chamic people of Vietnam and Cambodia), ƀ (capital Ƀ) represents the voiced labial-velar approximant or bilabial fricative /β/.

Developer & Technical Reference (Unicode, HTML, CSS & LaTeX)

For software developers, computational linguists, font designers, and web engineers, below is the complete technical character specification for all B-accent variations:

Frequently Asked Questions About Typing B with Accents

A to Z Accent Letters Hub & Related Diacritics Guides

Need to type other accented letters, umlauts, tildes, cedillas, or special characters? Explore our dedicated accent directories and interactive typing tools below: