Short answer: On Windows, hold Alt and type 0241 for ñ or 0231 for ç on the numeric keypad. On a Mac, press Option + N then n for ñ, and Option + C for ç. On a phone, press and hold the n or c key.
Tap to copy ñ, ç and accents
The ñ (n with tilde) turns up in Spanish words like mañana and señor, and the ç (c with cedilla) in French and Portuguese words like français and ação. Neither is on a US keyboard, so here’s the fastest method on each platform for both — lowercase and capital. This is part of the Letters & Accents hub; for the full set of accents, see accents on a US keyboard.
Quick reference
| Letter | Windows (keypad) | Mac | Word | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ñ | Alt + 0241 | Option + N, then n | Ctrl + Shift + ~, then n | ñ |
| Ñ | Alt + 0209 | Option + N, then Shift + N | Ctrl + Shift + ~, then N | Ñ |
| ç | Alt + 0231 | Option + C | Ctrl + , then c | ç |
| Ç | Alt + 0199 | Option + Shift + C | Ctrl + , then Shift + C | Ç |
Windows
Alt codes (with a numeric keypad): turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type the four-digit code — 0241 for ñ, 0209 for Ñ, 0231 for ç, 0199 for Ç. Use the keypad, not the top-row numbers.
Type Spanish often? Switch to the US-International layout (Settings → Time & Language → Language & Region → add US-International). Then ñ is just the ~ key followed by n — no codes to memorise. If an Alt code returns the wrong character, you’re on the number row — see why Alt codes don’t work.
Mac
macOS uses dead keys, and the two letters behave differently:
- ñ: press Option + N — nothing visible appears yet (that’s the tilde waiting) — then press n for ñ, or Shift + N for Ñ.
- ç: press Option + C directly for ç, or Option + Shift + C for Ç. No second keystroke needed.
If you forget, open the Character Viewer with Control + Command + Space and search n tilde or c cedilla.
iPhone and Android
Both use the same press-and-hold trick:
- ñ: press and hold the n key; a pop-up shows ñ (and Ñ if you’re holding Shift/caps). Slide onto it.
- ç: press and hold the c key; ç appears alongside other c variants.
Adding a Spanish, French or Portuguese keyboard (Settings → General → Keyboard on iPhone; language settings on Android) makes these even quicker and adds ¿ ¡ on long-press too.
Word, Google Docs and the web
Microsoft Word: the accent shortcuts work in any Word document — Ctrl + Shift + ~ then n gives ñ; Ctrl + , (comma) then c gives ç. Press the letter quickly after releasing the shortcut. You can also type 00F1 (ñ) or 00E7 (ç) and press Alt + X. Note: Word for the web doesn’t support these shortcuts — use Insert → Symbol there.
Google Docs: go to Insert → Special characters and search n tilde or c cedilla. The Mac Option keys and the Windows US-International layout also work directly in a document, since they’re handled by the operating system.
Chromebook / Linux: press Ctrl + Shift + U, type the hex (00f1 for ñ, 00e7 for ç), then Enter.
HTML / web: use the named entities ñ (ñ), Ñ (Ñ), ç (ç) and Ç (Ç). The Unicode code points are U+00F1 and U+00E7.
ñ is its own letter
Worth knowing if you care about getting Spanish right: ñ isn’t just an accented n — it’s a separate letter of the Spanish alphabet, with its own dictionary position after n, and it represents a different sound (the “ny” in canyon). Swapping año (year) for ano changes the meaning entirely, so the tilde isn’t optional. In filenames, passwords and code, ñ and n are treated as different characters too.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Alt + 0241 does nothing | Num Lock off, or you used the top-row numbers. Use the numeric keypad and the full four digits. |
| Laptop has no numpad | Switch to US-International (~ then n), copy from the tool above, or use Word’s shortcut. |
| Mac Option + N seems to do nothing | That’s expected — the tilde is waiting. Press n next to complete ñ. |
I get ñ as two characters | You typed a combining tilde. Use the single-letter ñ (Alt + 0241 / Option + N then n) instead. |
| ñ or ç shows as a box ▯ | The font lacks the glyph. Switch to Arial, Calibri or Times New Roman. More: symbol showing as a box. |
Frequently asked questions
How do you type ñ on Windows?
Turn on Num Lock, hold Alt, and type 0241 on the numeric keypad for ñ (0209 for Ñ), then release Alt. If you type Spanish often, switch to the US-International layout, where ñ is the ~ key followed by n.
How do you type ç on Windows?
Hold Alt and type 0231 on the numeric keypad for ç, or 0199 for Ç. In Microsoft Word you can instead press Ctrl + , (comma) and then the letter c. The number row won’t work for Alt codes — use the keypad.
How do you type ñ and ç on a Mac?
For ñ, press Option + N (nothing appears yet), then press n — or Shift + N for Ñ. For ç, press Option + C directly, or Option + Shift + C for Ç.
How do you type ñ or ç on a phone?
Press and hold the n key and a pop-up shows ñ; press and hold the c key for ç. Slide onto the character you want. Adding a Spanish, French or Portuguese keyboard makes them quicker to reach.
Is ñ a separate letter or just an accented n?
In Spanish, ñ is a separate letter of the alphabet with its own dictionary position and a distinct “ny” sound. It changes meaning — año (year) versus ano — so it’s not interchangeable with n, including in filenames, passwords and code.
What are the Unicode code points and HTML entities for ñ and ç?
What are the Unicode code points and HTML entities for ñ and ç? ñ is U+00F1 (HTML ñ) and Ñ is U+00D1 (Ñ); ç is U+00E7 (ç) and Ç is U+00C7 (Ç).
Recap
- ñ → Windows Alt + 0241; Mac Option + N then n; phone hold n.
- ç → Windows Alt + 0231; Mac Option + C; phone hold c.
- Type it a lot → US-International layout, or a language keyboard on your phone.
Written by Igor R.. Tested on Windows 11, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Word and Google Docs. Last updated July 2026. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard.