macOS Shortcuts
4 min readHow to Type Special Characters on macOS: Option Key Guide
Complete cheat sheet for typing accents, currency, and typographical symbols on Apple Mac keyboards
Executive Summary
On macOS, the Option (⌥) key—also marked 'alt'—acts as a versatile modifier that unlocks hundreds of special characters without memorizing numeric codes.
The Power of the Mac Option (⌥) Key
Unlike Windows, where Alt requires typing numeric digits on a keypad, macOS maps intuitive mnemonic shortcuts directly to standard letter keys when combined with Option (⌥) or Option + Shift.
Essential Mac Option Key Shortcuts Reference Table
Here are the most useful Option key combinations on Mac:
| Symbol | Name | Mac Keyboard Shortcut | Windows Equivalent |
|---|---|---|---|
| © | Copyright | Option + G | Alt + 0169 |
| ® | Registered | Option + R | Alt + 0174 |
| ™ | Trademark | Option + 2 | Alt + 0153 |
| € | Euro Sign | Option + Shift + 2 (US) or Option + 2 (UK) | Alt + 0128 |
| £ | Pound Sign | Option + 3 | Alt + 0163 |
| ¥ | Yen Sign | Option + Y | Alt + 0165 |
| ¢ | Cent Sign | Option + 4 | Alt + 0162 |
| ° | Degree Sign | Option + Shift + 8 | Alt + 0176 |
| — | Em Dash | Option + Shift + Hyphen (-) | Alt + 0151 |
| – | En Dash | Option + Hyphen (-) | Alt + 0150 |
| … | Ellipsis | Option + Semicolon (;) | Alt + 0133 |
| • | Bullet Point | Option + 8 | Alt + 0149 |
| ≠ | Not Equal | Option + Equals (=) | Alt + 8800 |
| ≈ | Almost Equal | Option + X | Alt + 247 |
| ∞ | Infinity | Option + 5 | Alt + 236 |
| √ | Square Root | Option + V | Alt + 251 |
| π | Pi | Option + P | Alt + 227 |
Typing Accented Letters with Dead Keys on Mac
To type accented characters on Mac, hold Option and press the accent key, then release both and type the letter:
- Acute (é, á, ó): Option + E, then the vowel.
- Grave (è, à, ù): Option + ` (tilde key), then the vowel.
- Umlaut / Diaeresis (ü, ö, ë): Option + U, then the vowel.
- Circumflex (ê, î, ô): Option + I, then the vowel.
- Tilde (ñ, ã, õ): Option + N, then the letter.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I just press and hold a letter on Mac?
Yes! macOS features a built-in character accent menu: simply press and hold any letter key (like 'e' or 'a') until a numbered popup appears above it, then press the corresponding number.
How do I open the emoji and symbol character viewer on Mac?
Press Control + Command + Space bar (or the Globe key 🌐 on modern Mac keyboards) to open the full macOS Character Viewer.