Esperanto has six letters with hats: ĉ, ĝ, ĥ, ĵ, ŝ with a circumflex and ŭ with a breve.
How to type Esperanto letters on Windows
None of the Esperanto letters are in the Windows-1252 code page, so there are no classic Alt codes. Use one of the methods below instead.
Add the Esperanto keyboard layout
Go to Settings → Time & Language → Language & region, add Esperanto (or open Options under your language and add a keyboard), and choose Canadian Multilingual Standard (has ĉ ĝ ĥ ĵ ŝ ŭ dead keys). Switch layouts with Win+Space. The Esperanto layout has all of its letters on dedicated keys or dead keys; the on-screen keyboard (Win + Ctrl + O) shows you where.
US-International dead keys
If you would rather keep a US layout, add United States-International. Press the accent key, release it, then press the letter:
- Shift+6 (^) then the letter for the circumflex (gives ĉ)
Emoji and symbol panel
Press Win+., open the Symbols tab (Ω) and choose Latin symbols, or search the letter's name. Works in every app and needs no numpad.
When they cannot be typed, the x-system (cx, gx, ux) or h-system (ch, gh) is used instead.
How to type Esperanto letters on a Mac
The English press-and-hold menu does not include the Esperanto letters, so use a dead key, the Character Viewer or the ABC Extended input source.
Option dead keys
Press the Option combination, release it, then press the letter:
The breve is not on the US layout. Add ABC Extended (System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources), which adds dead keys: Option+B for the breve.
Esperanto input source and Character Viewer
For regular Esperanto typing add ABC Extended under System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources and switch with Control+Space. For a one-off letter, press Control+⌘+Space to open the Character Viewer, search the letter's name and double-click it.
Windows has no Esperanto layout built in; use the Canadian Multilingual layout or Alt+X in Word. macOS ABC Extended types ĉ with Option+6 then C.
How to type Esperanto letters on iPhone, iPad and Android
The default English keyboard has no Esperanto letters under press-and-hold, so add the Esperanto keyboard.
To add the keyboard on iPhone go to Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard → Esperanto (third-party keyboard) and switch with the globe key. On Android open Gboard → Settings → Languages → Add keyboard → Esperanto (Gboard). For a letter you type often, save a shortcut under Text Replacement (iPhone) or the Personal dictionary (Gboard).
Word, Excel and Google Docs
Microsoft Word
For any letter, type its Unicode hex code and press Alt+X: 0109 → ĉ, 011D → ĝ, 0125 → ĥ, 0135 → ĵ, and so on (the table above has every code). Insert → Symbol → More Symbols lists them under Latin-1 Supplement and Latin Extended-A. With AutoCorrect (File → Options → Proofing) you can make Word replace a code of your choosing, such as c~, with ĉ as you type.
Excel and Google Sheets
Alt codes and paste work in cells. For a formula, use =UNICHAR(265) in Excel or =CHAR(265) in Google Sheets to get ĉ.
Google Docs
Use Insert → Special characters and search the letter's name, or draw it in the sketch box. Docs accepts Alt codes on Windows and Option dead keys on a Mac, and Tools → Preferences → Substitutions can auto-replace a short code with the letter.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type Esperanto letters on an English keyboard? +
On Windows, press Win + . and search the symbol panel, or add the US-International layout for dead keys. On a Mac use the Character Viewer (Control + Command + Space); on phones add the Esperanto (third-party keyboard) keyboard. Or click any letter on this page to copy it.
Which keyboard layout do I add for Esperanto? +
Windows: Canadian Multilingual Standard (has ĉ ĝ ĥ ĵ ŝ ŭ dead keys). Mac: ABC Extended. iPhone and iPad: Esperanto (third-party keyboard). Android (Gboard): Esperanto (Gboard).
Do Esperanto letters have Alt codes? +
No. Esperanto letters are outside the Windows-1252 code page, so there are no classic Alt codes. In Word type the hex code then Alt + X (0109 for ĉ); elsewhere use Win + . or copy from this page.
How do I type Esperanto accents in Microsoft Word? +
For any letter, type its Unicode hex code and press Alt + X (0109 becomes ĉ), or use Insert → Symbol.
Will copied Esperanto letters work in Word, Google Docs and social media? +
Yes. They are standard Unicode characters, so they paste as real text into any app that supports Unicode, which includes Word, Docs, Excel, WhatsApp, Instagram and email.