Every letter with the macron: codes and shortcuts
Windows Alt codes exist only for letters in the Latin-1 range. For the others, type the hex code in Word and press Alt+X, or copy the letter from the grid above.
7 letters · 6 languages
Letters with the macron
A straight bar above the letter marking a long vowel. Used in Latvian, Māori, Hawaiian and in romanised Japanese and Latin.
Shortcuts for the macron
- Mac (US layout)
- —
- Mac (ABC Extended)
- Option+A
- Word (Windows)
- —
- Combining mark
- U+0304
Press the shortcut, release, then type the letter.
Lowercase · click to copy
ā U+0101
ē U+0113
ḡ U+1E21
ī U+012B
ō U+014D
ū U+016B
ȳ U+0233
Uppercase
Ā U+0100
Ē U+0112
Ḡ U+1E20
Ī U+012A
Ō U+014C
Ū U+016A
Ȳ U+0232
| Letter | Name | Unicode | Alt code | Word (Alt+X) | Mac | Word shortcut | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capital A with Macron | U+0100 | — | 0100 | Option+A, Shift+A (ABC Extended) | — | Ā | |
| A with Macron | U+0101 | — | 0101 | Option+A, A (ABC Extended) | — | ā | |
| Capital E with Macron | U+0112 | — | 0112 | Option+A, Shift+E (ABC Extended) | — | Ē | |
| E with Macron | U+0113 | — | 0113 | Option+A, E (ABC Extended) | — | ē | |
| Capital G with Macron | U+1E20 | — | 1E20 | Option+A, Shift+G (ABC Extended) | — | Ḡ | |
| G with Macron | U+1E21 | — | 1E21 | Option+A, G (ABC Extended) | — | ḡ | |
| Capital I with Macron | U+012A | — | 012A | Option+A, Shift+I (ABC Extended) | — | Ī | |
| I with Macron | U+012B | — | 012B | Option+A, I (ABC Extended) | — | ī | |
| Capital O with Macron | U+014C | — | 014C | Option+A, Shift+O (ABC Extended) | — | Ō | |
| O with Macron | U+014D | — | 014D | Option+A, O (ABC Extended) | — | ō | |
| Capital U with Macron | U+016A | — | 016A | Option+A, Shift+U (ABC Extended) | — | Ū | |
| U with Macron | U+016B | — | 016B | Option+A, U (ABC Extended) | — | ū | |
| Capital Y with Macron | U+0232 | — | 0232 | Option+A, Shift+Y (ABC Extended) | — | Ȳ | |
| Y with Macron | U+0233 | — | 0233 | Option+A, Y (ABC Extended) | — | ȳ |
How to type the macron on Windows
Alt codes. Hold Alt and type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad, then release. Every letter in the Latin-1 range (à through ÿ) has one; the tables on this page list them. Codes only work on the numpad, so laptops without one need another method.
United States-International layout. Add it under Settings → Time & Language → Language → your language → Options. It turns ', `, ^, ~ and " into dead keys: press the mark, then the letter. Typing ' then e gives é. To type the plain mark, press it followed by Space.
Emoji and symbol panel. Press Win+., open the Symbols tab (Ω) and choose Latin symbols, or search by name.
Touch keyboard. On a touchscreen or with the on-screen keyboard, press and hold a letter to see its accented forms.
How to type the macron on a Mac
Press and hold. Hold the base letter for a second and a pop-up shows its accented forms. Press the number under the one you want, or click it. This works in every app and covers most European letters.
Option dead keys. On the US layout: Option+E for acute, Option+` for grave, Option+I for circumflex, Option+N for tilde and Option+U for umlaut. Press the combination, release, then type the letter.
ABC Extended layout. The macron is not on the standard US layout. Add ABC Extended under System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources, then press Option+A followed by the letter.
Character Viewer. Press Control+⌘+Space, search for the letter by name (for example "a with macron") and double-click it.
How to type the macron on iPhone and Android
Press and hold the base letter on the keyboard. A row of accented versions pops up; slide your finger to the one you want and release. This works on the iOS keyboard, Gboard and the Samsung keyboard, and covers every common European accent. For rarer letters, add the language's keyboard under Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards (iOS) or Gboard → Languages (Android).
How to type the macron in Microsoft Word
Word has its own shortcuts that work on any keyboard, no numpad needed. Press the shortcut, release, then type the letter:
| Accent | Shortcut, then letter | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Acute | Ctrl + ' | Ctrl+' then e → é |
| Grave | Ctrl + ` | Ctrl+` then a → à |
| Circumflex | Ctrl + Shift + ^ | Ctrl+Shift+^ then o → ô |
| Tilde | Ctrl + Shift + ~ | Ctrl+Shift+~ then n → ñ |
| Umlaut | Ctrl + Shift + : | Ctrl+Shift+: then u → ü |
| Cedilla | Ctrl + , | Ctrl+, then c → ç |
| Ring | Ctrl + Shift + @ | Ctrl+Shift+@ then a → å |
| Stroke (ø) | Ctrl + / | Ctrl+/ then o → ø |
| æ, œ, ß | Ctrl + Shift + & | Ctrl+Shift+& then a → æ |
For any other letter, type its Unicode hex code and press Alt+X. On a Mac, the Option dead keys above work inside Word too.
How to type the macron in Google Docs
Docs has no accent shortcuts of its own, so use the operating system method (Alt codes, US-International, Option dead keys, press and hold). Alternatively, open Insert → Special characters, choose Latin, and search for the letter, or add a language keyboard under Tools → Preferences.
Frequently asked questions
What is the macron accent? +
A straight bar above the letter marking a long vowel. Used in Latvian, Māori, Hawaiian and in romanised Japanese and Latin.
Which languages use the macron? +
Latvian, Lithuanian, Māori, Hawaiian, Latin, Japanese (romaji).
How do I type ā on Windows? +
ā has no classic Alt code. In Word, type 0101 and press Alt + X. Elsewhere, add the language's keyboard layout or copy the letter from this page.
How do I type ā on a Mac? +
Press Option+A, A (ABC Extended) after adding the ABC Extended input source. You can also hold the A key and pick it from the pop-up.