How to Type Tilde Accent (~, ñ, ã, õ, ẽ, ĩ, ũ, ỹ, Ñ, Ã, Õ) — Shortcuts, Alt Codes & Mac

Q: What is the Alt code for the tilde accent on Windows?

For the standalone tilde symbol (~), press Shift + ` or use Alt + 126 (or Alt + 0126). For individual letters: lowercase ñ is Alt + 164 (or Alt + 0241); capital Ñ is Alt + 165 (or Alt + 0209); lowercase ã is Alt + 0227; capital Ã is Alt + 0195; lowercase õ is Alt + 0245; and capital Õ is Alt + 0213. For Vietnamese/Guaraní: ẽ is Alt + 7869; ĩ is Alt + 0297; ũ is Alt + 0361; and ỹ is Alt + 7929.

Q: How do you type a tilde accent on a Mac keyboard?

On macOS, press Option + n, release both keys, and immediately type the letter you want to accent (e.g. Option + n then n gives ñ; Option + n then a gives ã; Option + n then o gives õ; Option + n then Space gives standalone ~). You can also press and hold down the letter key on your keyboard to reveal the numeric diacritics popup menu.

Q: How do you type tilde accents in Microsoft Word?

In Microsoft Word, press Ctrl + Shift + ~ (the tilde key next to 1 on the top-left), release all keys, and type the letter you want to accent (e.g. Ctrl + Shift + ~ then n gives ñ; Ctrl + Shift + ~ then a gives ã; Ctrl + Shift + ~ then o gives õ). For capital letters, press Ctrl + Shift + ~ then Shift + N for Ñ. You can also type the 4-digit hexadecimal code followed by Alt + X (e.g. 00F1 + Alt + X = ñ).

Q: How does the US-International keyboard type tildes?

On the US-International keyboard layout, the Shift + ` (~) key acts as a dead key. Press Shift + `, release both keys, and press any compatible letter (n, a, o) to produce ñ, ã, or õ. If you want a literal tilde symbol without combining, press Shift + ` followed by the Spacebar.

Q: What are the HTML entity codes and Unicode values for tilde characters?

The standalone tilde is &tilde; (U+007E) and combining tilde is ̃ (U+0303). For letters: ñ is ñ (U+00F1); Ñ is Ñ (U+00D1); ã is ã (U+00E3); Ã is Ã (U+00C3); õ is õ (U+00F5); and Õ is Õ (U+00D5).

QUICK REFERENCE

Master Tilde Accent Keyboard Shortcut Matrix (All Letters)

The tilde (~) is a versatile diacritical wave mark. In Spanish, it forms the distinctive consonant ñ (/ɲ/); in Portuguese, it marks phonemic nasal vowels (ã, õ); in Vietnamese and Guaraní, it denotes rising pitch tones and nasalization; and in computing, it represents user home directories and mathematical approximation. Below is your complete cross-platform shortcut reference:

Character	Windows Alt Code	Mac Shortcut	Word Shortcut	US-International	Language / Phonetic Role	Unicode / HTML
Standalone (~)	`Shift`+` / `Alt`+`126`	`Opt`+`n`, then `Space` (or `Shift`+`)	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`~`, then `Space`	`Shift`+`, then `Space`	Tilde symbol / Approximation / Home folder	`U+007E` \| `&tilde;`
ñ / Ñ	`Alt`+`164` / `Alt`+`165`	`Opt`+`n`, then `n` / `N`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`~`, then `n` / `N`	`Shift`+`, then `n`	Spanish voiced palatal nasal /ɲ/ (español, año), Tagalog, Breton	`U+00F1` \| `ñ`
ã / Ã	`Alt`+`0227` / `Alt`+`0195`	`Opt`+`n`, then `a` / `A`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`~`, then `a` / `A`	`Shift`+`, then `a`	Portuguese nasal vowel /ɐ̃/ (São Paulo, não, pão, irmã)	`U+00E3` \| `ã`
õ / Õ	`Alt`+`0245` / `Alt`+`0213`	`Opt`+`n`, then `o` / `O`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`~`, then `o` / `O`	`Shift`+`, then `o`	Portuguese nasal vowel /õ/ (corações, lições, põe), Estonian õ	`U+00F5` \| `õ`
ẽ / Ẽ	`Alt`+`7869` / `Alt`+`7868`	`Opt`+`n`, then `e` / `E`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`~`, then `e` / `E`	`Shift`+`, then `e`	Guaraní nasal vowel, Vietnamese glottal rising tone (sẽ)	`U+1EBD` \| `ẽ`
ĩ / Ĩ	`Alt`+`0297` / `Alt`+`0296`	`Opt`+`n`, then `i` / `I`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`~`, then `i` / `I`	`Shift`+`, then `i`	Guaraní nasal vowel, Kikuyu, Vietnamese (nghĩ)	`U+0129` \| `ĩ`
ũ / Ũ	`Alt`+`0361` / `Alt`+`0360`	`Opt`+`n`, then `u` / `U`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`~`, then `u` / `U`	`Shift`+`, then `u`	Guaraní nasal vowel, Vietnamese (cũ "old")	`U+0169` \| `ũ`
ỹ / Ỹ	`Alt`+`7929` / `Alt`+`7928`	`Opt`+`n`, then `y` / `Y`	`Ctrl`+`Shift`+`~`, then `y` / `Y`	`Shift`+`, then `y`	Guaraní nasal /ɨ̃/, Vietnamese (Mỹ "America")	`U+1EF9` \| `ỹ`

WINDOWS OS

How to Type Tilde Accents on Windows (4 Fast Methods)

Method 1: Windows Alt Codes (Numeric Keypad)

Using the separate 10-key numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard (ensure Num Lock is active), hold down Alt and type the code:

Standalone Tilde (~): Shift + ` or Alt + 126 (or Alt + 0126)
ñ (Lowercase N Tilde / Eñe): Alt + 164 or Alt + 0241 | Ñ (Capital N Tilde): Alt + 165 or Alt + 0209
ã (Lowercase A Tilde): Alt + 0227 | Ã (Capital A Tilde): Alt + 0195
õ (Lowercase O Tilde): Alt + 0245 | Õ (Capital O Tilde): Alt + 0213
ẽ: Alt + 7869 | ĩ: Alt + 0297 | ũ: Alt + 0361 | ỹ: Alt + 7929

Method 2: US-International Keyboard (Dead Key System)

On the US-International keyboard layout in Windows, the Shift + ` (~) key acts as a dead key:

Press Shift + `, release, then type n → gives ñ (Capital: Shift+` then Shift+N = Ñ).
Press Shift + `, release, then type a → gives ã (Capital: Shift+` then Shift+A = Ã).
Press Shift + `, release, then type o → gives õ (Capital: Shift+` then Shift+O = Õ).
Press Shift + `, release, then press Space → gives a literal standalone tilde symbol (~).

Method 3: Windows Emoji & Symbol Panel (`Win` + `.`)

Press Win + . (Windows Key + Period) → click the Symbols (Ω) icon → select Latin Symbols → click any tilde character to insert it.

APPLE MACOS

How to Type Tilde Accents on Mac (macOS)

On all MacBooks, iMacs, and Apple Magic Keyboards, macOS features a built-in Option dead key specifically for tildes:

The Mac `Option` + `n` Shortcut

1

Hold down the Option (or Alt) key and press the letter n.

2

Release both keys (a highlighted yellow tilde diacritic mark ˜ will appear on screen).

3

Immediately type the letter you want to accent:

Press n → outputs ñ (For capital Ñ, press Shift + N).
Press a → outputs ã (For capital Ã, press Shift + A).
Press o → outputs õ (For capital Õ, press Shift + O).
Press Space → outputs the standalone tilde mark (~).

The Press-and-Hold Diacritics Menu

Alternatively, press and hold down the n, a, or o key. A numbered popup strip will appear. Press the number corresponding to the tilde (typically 1 for ñ) or click the character.

MICROSOFT WORD

How to Type Tilde Accents in Microsoft Word & Office Suite

The Word `Ctrl` + `Shift` + `~` Combination

In Microsoft Word on Windows and macOS, the universal shortcut for tildes is:

Press Ctrl + Shift + ~ (the tilde key next to 1), release all keys, then type the letter:
- Ctrl + Shift + ~, then n → ñ (Capital: Ctrl + Shift + ~, then Shift+N → Ñ)
- Ctrl + Shift + ~, then a → ã (Capital: Ctrl + Shift + ~, then Shift+A → Ã)
- Ctrl + Shift + ~, then o → õ (Capital: Ctrl + Shift + ~, then Shift+O → Õ)
- Ctrl + Shift + ~, then Space → standalone ~

Microsoft Word Unicode Hex Converter (`Alt` + `X`)

Type the 4-digit hexadecimal code directly into your document and immediately press Alt + X:

00F1 + Alt + X → ñ | 00D1 + Alt + X → Ñ
00E3 + Alt + X → ã | 00C3 + Alt + X → Ã
00F5 + Alt + X → õ | 00D5 + Alt + X → Õ

LINGUISTIC & GRAMMAR RULES

Linguistic, Historical & Phonetic Significance of the Tilde

The word tilde comes from the Latin titulus ("superscript / title"). In medieval scriptoria, parchment was expensive, so scribes wrote a small 'n' above a vowel or consonant to indicate a deleted nasal consonant (n or m):

Spanish: The Eñe (ñ / Ñ) — An Independent Letter

In Spanish, ñ evolved from the Latin double nn (e.g. Latin annus → Spanish año "year", Latin cannabis → cáñamo, Latin pannus → paño):

Official Alphabet Status: In 1803, the Real Academia Española officially established ñ as an autonomous letter between N and O.
Phonetics: Represents the voiced palatal nasal /ɲ/ (identical to Italian/French gn in lasagna/champagne and Portuguese nh in senhor).
Essential Vocabulary: español ("Spanish"), mañana ("tomorrow / morning"), niño ("child"), señor ("mister / sir"), pequeño ("small"), montaña ("mountain").

Portuguese: Phonemic Nasal Vowels (ã, õ)

In Portuguese, the tilde (o til) marks phonological vowel nasalization where air escapes simultaneously through the mouth and nose:

ã (/ɐ̃/): São Paulo, não ("no"), pão ("bread"), irmã ("sister"), mão ("hand"), amanhã ("tomorrow").
õ (/õ/): Plurals and verb forms: corações ("hearts", plural of coração), lições ("lessons"), põe ("puts").
Historical Origin: Latin canem → Galician-Portuguese cãe → modern cão ("dog"); Latin panem → modern pão ("bread").

Vietnamese & Guaraní: Tone and Nasalization

Vietnamese (Ngã Tone): Represents the high-broken rising tone with glottal closure on vowels: sữa ("milk"), mỹ ("beauty / America"), nghĩa ("meaning"), cũ ("old").
Guaraní: Indigenous national language of Paraguay where tildes indicate nasal vowel harmony across ã, ẽ, ĩ, õ, ũ, ỹ (e.g. Guaraní ñe'ẽ "the Guaraní language").
Estonian (õ): The letter õ represents a close-mid back unrounded vowel /ɤ/ (distinct from Russian /ɨ/).

Computing, Mathematics & UNIX Syntax

UNIX / Linux / macOS Shell: Represents the current user's home directory (e.g. cd ~/Documents).
Mathematics: Denotes approximation ($\sim$ or $\approx$), similarity in geometry ($ABC \sim DEF$), and asymptotic equivalence.
Programming: Bitwise NOT operator in C, C++, Java, JavaScript, Python; destructor prefix in C++ (`~ClassName()`); and CSS general sibling combinator (`div ~ p`).

DEVELOPER CHEAT SHEET

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

Character	Unicode Code Point	HTML Named Entity	HTML Decimal / Hex	CSS Escape	JavaScript / JSON
`~` (ASCII Tilde)	`U+007E`	`&tilde;`	`~` / `~`	`\\007E`	`"\\u007E"`
`˜` (Small Tilde Modifier)	`U+02DC`	None	`˜` / `˜`	`\\02DC`	`"\\u02DC"`
`◌̃` (Combining Tilde)	`U+0303`	None	`̃` / `̃`	`\\0303`	`"\\u0303"`
`ñ` (Lowercase N Tilde / Eñe)	`U+00F1`	`ñ`	`ñ` / `ñ`	`\\00F1`	`"\\u00F1"`
`Ñ` (Capital N Tilde)	`U+00D1`	`Ñ`	`Ñ` / `Ñ`	`\\00D1`	`"\\u00D1"`
`ã` (Lowercase A Tilde)	`U+00E3`	`ã`	`ã` / `ã`	`\\00E3`	`"\\u00E3"`
`Ã` (Capital A Tilde)	`U+00C3`	`Ã`	`Ã` / `Ã`	`\\00C3`	`"\\u00C3"`
`õ` (Lowercase O Tilde)	`U+00F5`	`õ`	`õ` / `õ`	`\\00F5`	`"\\u00F5"`
`Õ` (Capital O Tilde)	`U+00D5`	`Õ`	`Õ` / `Õ`	`\\00D5`	`"\\u00D5"`
`ẽ` (Lowercase E Tilde)	`U+1EBD`	None	`ẽ` / `ẽ`	`\\1EBD`	`"\\u1EBD"`
`ĩ` (Lowercase I Tilde)	`U+0129`	None	`ĩ` / `ĩ`	`\\0129`	`"\\u0129"`
`ũ` (Lowercase U Tilde)	`U+0169`	None	`ũ` / `ũ`	`\\0169`	`"\\u0169"`
`ỹ` (Lowercase Y Tilde)	`U+1EF9`	None	`ỹ` / `ỹ`	`\\1EF9`	`"\\u1EF9"`

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Frequently Asked Questions About the Tilde Accent

The tilde (~) is a wavy diacritical mark originally derived from a superscript 'n' used by medieval scribes as a shorthand abbreviation for a deleted 'n' or 'm'. In Spanish, it creates the distinct consonant letter eñe (ñ /ɲ/). In Portuguese, it marks nasal vowels (ã, õ). In Vietnamese and Guaraní, it represents pitch tones and nasal vowels, and in computing and mathematics, the standalone tilde (~) represents home directories (~/), approximation (~ / $\approx$), and bitwise negation.

For the standalone tilde symbol (~), press Shift + ` or use Alt + 126 (or Alt + 0126). For individual letters: lowercase ñ is Alt + 164 (or Alt + 0241); capital Ñ is Alt + 165 (or Alt + 0209); lowercase ã is Alt + 0227; capital Ã is Alt + 0195; lowercase õ is Alt + 0245; and capital Õ is Alt + 0213. For Vietnamese/Guaraní: ẽ is Alt + 7869; ĩ is Alt + 0297; ũ is Alt + 0361; and ỹ is Alt + 7929.

On macOS, press Option + n, release both keys, and immediately type the letter you want to accent (e.g. Option + n then n gives ñ; Option + n then a gives ã; Option + n then o gives õ; Option + n then Space gives standalone ~). You can also press and hold down the letter key on your keyboard to reveal the numeric diacritics popup menu.

In Microsoft Word, press Ctrl + Shift + ~ (the tilde key next to 1 on the top-left), release all keys, and type the letter you want to accent (e.g. Ctrl + Shift + ~ then n gives ñ; Ctrl + Shift + ~ then a gives ã; Ctrl + Shift + ~ then o gives õ). For capital letters, press Ctrl + Shift + ~ then Shift + N for Ñ. You can also type the 4-digit hexadecimal code followed by Alt + X (e.g. 00F1 + Alt + X = ñ).

On the US-International keyboard layout, the Shift + ` (~) key acts as a dead key. Press Shift + `, release both keys, and press any compatible letter (n, a, o) to produce ñ, ã, or õ. If you want a literal tilde symbol without combining, press Shift + ` followed by the Spacebar.

In Spanish, ñ is not considered an 'n with an accent mark'; it is officially the 15th letter of the Spanish alphabet, with its own unique name (la eñe) and alphabetical placement between N and O in dictionaries. Phonetically, it represents the voiced palatal nasal /ɲ/ (identical to French/Italian gn in lasagna/champagne and Portuguese nh in senhor), historically evolving from Latin double nn (e.g. Latin annus became Spanish año).

The standalone tilde is &tilde; (U+007E) and combining tilde is ̃ (U+0303). For letters: ñ is ñ (U+00F1); Ñ is Ñ (U+00D1); ã is ã (U+00E3); Ã is Ã (U+00C3); õ is õ (U+00F5); and Õ is Õ (U+00D5).

On iOS and Android virtual touchscreen keyboards, press and hold down the letter key (e.g. 'n', 'a', 'o', 'e', 'i', 'u', 'y'). A popup diacritics bubble will appear displaying all available accented variants. Without lifting your finger, slide across to the tilde-accented character (ñ, ã, õ) and release.

COMPLETE A TO Z ACCENTED LETTERS DIRECTORY

Explore All Individual A–Z Accented Letter Guides

Need shortcuts for specific letters or other accent types (acute, grave, circumflex, umlauts, cedillas, carons)? Browse our full suite of 26 dedicated guides:

ñ ń ň ņ ŋ ṅ