How Can I Add Umlauts on My Laptop?

Laptop keyboards do not have a dedicated umlaut key.

The umlaut is an accent mark over vowels. It is used commonly in German and several Scandinavian languages. You can access these special characters by using your keyboard and specific "alt" or alternative codes in order to create the characters. On a laptop, you must first turn on your number lock in order to access the particular number keys that are required to produce the characters.

Instructions

1. Press and hold the "function" or "fn" key while pressing the "num lock" key on your laptop keyboard. Release both keys.

2. Press and hold the "alt" key and use the keys that have the same look as your "function" key to enter the four-digit alt code for the letter you wish to have an umlaut. You cannot use the number keys at the top of your keyboard; instead you must use the number pad within the alphabet. For example, the "1," "2" and "3" keys are usually on the "J," "K" and "L" keys respectively.

   For a capital "A" with an umlaut, press and hold the "alt" key while typing 0196, then release the alt key. For a lower case "a", the four-digit code is 0228. For a capital "E" enter 0203 and for a lower case "e" enter 0235. For a capital "I" enter 0207 and for a lower case "i" enter 0239. For a capital "O" enter 0214 and for a lower case "o" enter 0246. For a capital "U" enter 0220 and for a lower case "u" enter 0252. For a capital "Y" enter 0159 and for a lower case "y" enter 0255.

3. Turn off the number lock by pressing and holding the "function" key while pressing the "num lock" key. Release both keys and continue typing as usual.

References

• Useful Shortcuts: Instructions for using Windows Alt Codes
• Useful Shortcuts: ALT Codes for Foreign Language Letters with Accents