How to Type ä, ö, ü and ß on Any Keyboard
Short answer. On a phone, press and hold a, o, u or s and pick ä, ö, ü or ß. On a Mac, hold the letter, or type Option+U then the vowel, and Option+S for ß. On Windows, add the US-International keyboard and use AltGr+Q (ä), AltGr+P (ö), AltGr+Y (ü) and AltGr+S (ß).
If you are learning German, you will type these letters constantly. In Wortweg's word list, 14% of all words contain ä, ö, ü or ß. That is one word in seven: schön, für, die Straße, der Schlüssel. Here is the quickest way on every device, plus when "ae" and "ss" are acceptable and when they are simply wrong.
How to type umlauts on iPhone and Android
Both systems hide them behind the base letter.
- Umlauts: press and hold a, o or u, slide to ä, ö or ü, release.
- ß: press and hold s and pick ß.
- Better: add German as a second keyboard language (iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards; Android with Gboard: Gboard settings → Languages). The available keys and suggestions depend on the keyboard layout and app. Check the spelling rather than relying on autocorrect.
How to type umlauts on a Mac
| Letter | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| ä / Ä | Option+U, then a (or Shift+A) |
| ö / Ö | Option+U, then o (or Shift+O) |
| ü / Ü | Option+U, then u (or Shift+U) |
| ß | Option+S |
Easier still: press and hold a, o or u for a moment, and a small menu offers the accented versions with number keys.
How to type umlauts on Windows
Option 1: US-International keyboard (best for regular typing)
Open Settings → Time & language → Language & region, open the options for your English language, add the keyboard United States-International, then switch to it with Windows+Space. Your letters stay where they are, and these work:
| Letter | Shortcut |
|---|---|
| ä | AltGr+Q |
| ö | AltGr+P |
| ü | AltGr+Y |
| ß | AltGr+S |
Typing " then a vowel also gives an umlaut on this layout. The catch: to type a plain quotation mark, press " then Space.
Option 2: Alt codes (no setup, needs a number pad)
Hold Alt and type the number on the numeric keypad: ä 0228 · ö 0246 · ü 0252 · Ä 0196 · Ö 0214 · Ü 0220 · ß 0223. Support depends on the app and numeric-keypad setup. If it fails, use the international keyboard or Windows Character Map.
Option 3: the German layout (QWERTZ)
Adding German (Germany) as a keyboard puts ä, ö, ü and ß on their own keys, but it also swaps Y and Z and moves most symbols. Worth it if you will write a lot of German; confusing if you switch back and forth.
Linux and Chromebook
- Linux: set a Compose key in your desktop keyboard settings, then type Compose, ", a for ä and Compose, s, s for ß.
- Chromebook: add the US International keyboard in Settings → Device → Keyboard and inputs, then type the double-quote key followed by a, o or u for an umlaut. For ß use right Alt+S. Check the layout-specific shortcuts in Chromebook Help.
Can you write ae, oe, ue instead of ä, ö, ü?
Only when the real letter is truly unavailable: an old system, an email address, a domain name. Germans will understand "Schluessel". But in anything you write to learn, write the umlaut, because the umlaut changes the word:
- schon (already) vs schön (beautiful)
- der Bruder vs die Brüder: the umlaut is the only change to the noun
- zahlen (to pay) vs zählen (to count)
If your notes say "Brueder", your eye learns a word nobody prints. That is why Wortweg treats Ä, Ö, Ü and ß as single tiles on the board and never spells them out.
When do you write ß and when ss?
Since the 1996 spelling reform the rule is about the vowel before it:
- ß after a long vowel or a diphthong: die Straße, der Fuß, heißen, groß
- ss after a short vowel: das Wasser, der Fluss, dass, essen
Two exceptions to know. Swiss Standard German does not use ß at all, so "Strasse" is correct in Switzerland. In ALL CAPS, both SS and capital ẞ are permitted: STRASSE or STRAẞE.
Wortweg is a free daily German word puzzle where ä, ö, ü and ß are letters like any other. Each word you find shows its article, plural, meaning and an example sentence.
Questions learners ask
How do I type ä, ö, ü on an English keyboard?
On Windows, add the US-International keyboard and press AltGr+Q for ä, AltGr+P for ö and AltGr+Y for ü. On a Mac, press Option+U and then the vowel. On phones, press and hold a, o or u.
How do I type ß?
On a Mac press Option+S. On Windows with the US-International keyboard press AltGr+S, or hold Alt and type 0223 on the number pad. On a phone, press and hold the s key.
Is it OK to write ae instead of ä?
Only when the umlaut is technically unavailable, such as in an email address or domain name. In normal writing and especially while learning, use ä, ö and ü, because the umlaut can change the meaning, as in schon and schön.
When do you use ß instead of ss?
Use ß after a long vowel or a diphthong (Straße, heißen) and ss after a short vowel (Wasser, dass). Switzerland does not use ß at all.
Is there a capital ß?
Yes. A capital ẞ has been officially allowed in German spelling since 2017, but writing SS in all-caps text is still common and correct.
Sources
- GNOME: Compose key and special characters
- Microsoft: selecting a keyboard layout
- Apple: accent menu on Mac
- Google: Chromebook keyboard layouts and special characters
- Official German spelling rules: ß and ss
How the vocabulary statistics were counted: corpus counts on this page are computed from Wortweg's own word list (3,306 CEFR-tagged words, 1,842 of them nouns with article and plural), the same list the game draws from. It is a learner's core vocabulary, not the whole German language, so treat the percentages as what you will meet in practice, not as grammar law.
Notice umlauts on an A1 board
Trace words with their real German letters, then read the word cards. The puzzle uses letter paths rather than typing, so use another text field to practise the keyboard shortcuts.
Play A1 vocabularyNo account needed. Choose another level in the game.