Spanish Symbols

How to type Spanish symbols on your keyboard

 

We strongly recommend that you learn how to type these
characters on your computer.

Using the US-International Keyboard

Window Users - general information

You have two basic options: type in cryptic codes or set up your
keyboard differently. Typing in cryptic codes is cumbersome and
frustrating. Usually, setting up your keyboard is the best way to go.

Setting up your keyboard actually means re-configuring your system so
that it is easy to use your keyboard to create accented characters.
"Re-configuring your system" may sound ominous, but it is really quite
simple.


Windows 3.11

Close all of your programs.
Shut your system down.
Re-start your system.
Click on the "Control Panel" icon.
Click on the "Keyboard" icon.
For Keyboard Layout choose "International - US" from the menu.
You may be required to insert one of your Windows diskettes or CD-ROM.
When finished, shut down your system.
Restart your system.
Read the instructions for "Using the U.S. - International Keyboard" below.

Window 95-98 and beyond

Close all of your programs.
Shut your system down.
Re-start your system.
Open Control Panel. (Start - Settings - Control Panel)
Double-click "Keyboard" icon.
Click on "Language" tab.
Click on "Properties" button.
Choose "United States - International" from the menu.
Click on "OK" button.
You may be required to insert your Windows CD-ROM.
When finished, shut down your system.
Restart your system.
Read the instructions for "Using the U.S. - International Keyboard" below.

Windows XP

Log On
Click the Start button
Click on Control Panel
Click Regional and Language Options - a new window will pop up
Click the Languages tab
Click on the Details button
Click the Add button - a new window will pop up
Select United States-International (keyboard layout menu)
Click OK
Click Apply
Read the instructions for "Using the U.S. - International Keyboard" below.

Note: You will now have a keyboard icon on the taskbar (usually on the
right side). To switch between keyboard layouts click the keyboard
icon on the task bar and choose which layout you want to use. Changing
the keyboard layout will only affect the log on profile used. No other
users will be affected.

Windows Vista

Start-->Control Panel-->Clock, Language, Region-->Change Keyboards
New Window: Click the Change Keyboards button
New Window: Click the Add button
Select United States-International keyboard
Click OK
From drop down menu (Default Input Language) select United States

International

Using the U.S. - International Keyboard

If you followed the above directions carefully, your keyboard will now
react slightly differently than it did before. First of all, notice
that if you strike the single apostrophe (') key, nothing happens. To
type the single apostrophe now, you must strike the single apostrophe
key and then strike the space bar. When you strike the spacebar, the
apostrophe will appear.

The next thing to note is that the quotes (") key behaves the same way
as the apostrophe key. You must first strike the quotes key and then
strike the space bar in order to create the (") symbol. These two
minor inconveniences are more than made up for by the ease with which
you can now type the special characters.

To type the special characters, two keystrokes are required. To type
the á, you need only strike the apostrophe key and then the letter a.
The other characters are just as easy:

á = ' + a
é = ' + e
í = ' + i
ó = ' + o
ú = ' + u
ñ = ~ + n
ü = " + u

To type the special punctuation characters, you need to hold down on
the Alt key while you strike the appropriate punctuation mark. On some
keyboards, only one of the two Alt keys will work for this.

¡ = Alt (hold down) + !
¿ = Alt (hold down) + ?

Using Cryptic Codes

If, for some reason, you don't want to change your keyboard, you can
always type in the troublesome cryptic codes. Using this arcane
system, the following codes apply:

á = Alt + 0225
é = Alt + 0233
í = Alt + 0237
ó = Alt + 0243
ú = Alt + 0250
ñ = Alt + 0241
ü = Alt + 0252

¡ = Alt + 0161
¿ Alt + 0191

When using this utterly out-dated system, there are two important
things to remember. First, when you type in the numbers, some
keyboards require that you use the "numeric keypad" located to the
side, rather than the numbers along the top. Second, on some
keyboards, only one of the two Alt keys will work for this.

Mac Users

To get accents on the Mac, hold down the Option key, and while holding
it down, type the letter e; then release those keys and type the
letter that you want the accent to appear on:

á = Opt + e, then a
é = Opt + e, then e
í = Opt + e, then i
ó = Opt + e, then o
ú = Opt + e, then u

For the ñ, hold down the Option key while you type the n; release and
type n again.

ñ = Opt + n, then n

To place the diaeresis over the u, hold down the Option key while
pressing the u key; release and type u again.

ü = Opt + u, then u

The inverted punctuation marks are achieved as follows:

¡ = Opt + 1
¿ Opt + shift + ?