How to Type Accents on Chromebook, From Setup to Dead Keys
To type accents on a Chromebook, add the English (US) with International keyboard in Settings and switch to it. Then type the mark first and the letter second: ' then E gives é, and ` then A gives à. Shift+6 starts a circumflex (ô), Shift+' an umlaut (ü) and Shift+` a tilde (ñ).
How to type accents on a Chromebook, step by step
Step 1: Open the input settings
Select the time at the bottom right, then Settings. Under Device, select Keyboard, then Change input settings.
Step 2: Add the international keyboard
Under Input methods, select Add and choose English (US) with International keyboard. Google's help says Enabled then shows under the current keyboard.
Step 3: Put the keyboard code on the shelf
Under Inputs and keyboards, turn on Show input options in the shelf. Select the code that appears next to the time and pick the international keyboard.
Step 4: Type the mark, then the letter
Press ' and let go, then press E: é. Press ` before A for à.
Step 5: Use Shift for the other marks and for capitals
Shift+6, then O gives ô. For a capital, hold Shift on the letter key: ' then Shift+E gives É.
Where is the US International keyboard in Chromebook settings?
The US International keyboard is added in Settings: select the time at the bottom right, then Settings, then Keyboard under Device, then Change input settings. Learning how to type accents on Chromebook starts there, because Google's keyboard language help (opens in a new tab) lists accent keys for one input method only: English (US) with International keyboard.
Google's on-screen keyboard help (opens in a new tab) adds that the US keyboard must be swapped for another before it types accented letters. Adding a keyboard does not remove the US one: Google's help describes switching between the keyboards you have added. The setting names on this page are the ones on Google's help as fetched on 2026-10-17.
Two input methods are only useful if switching is quick. With Show input options in the shelf turned on, the current keyboard's code sits next to the time, and one click on it opens the list. Google's page also gives a key combination that cycles through the keyboards.
Google's page mentions a second name too, the US International (PC) keyboard, and says the apostrophe followed by a letter works there as well. The table below follows the English (US) with International keyboard, the one Google's full list of accent keys is written for.
Which accent menu opens when you hold a key on a Chromebook?
The physical keyboard has a second way to add accents, and Google documents it on the same page as the international keyboard. Hold down the letter key until a menu of accented forms opens. Press Tab or the right arrow to enter it, move with the arrow keys, then press Enter or Space, or keep typing, to insert the highlighted letter. Pressing the number key of the letter you want, or clicking it, also works.
Google warns that accents are not available for every character, and it does not say which letters the menu offers. That is why the table on this page lists the dead keys only. If the menu gets in the way, Google gives a setting that turns it off; the FAQ below has the path.
How do accents work on the Chromebook on-screen keyboard?
On the Chromebook on-screen keyboard, accents go through its AltGr key, and Google's help says they need a keyboard other than the US one. On a Chromebook folded into tablet mode, the on-screen keyboard opens by itself; on any other, turn it on in Settings, Accessibility, under Keyboard and text input.
Google's help for that keyboard does not describe pressing and holding a key for accents. The route it gives, in its order:
- Open the on-screen keyboard and select its Settings.
- Select Advanced, then Languages and input, then Manage input methods under Input method.
- Pick a keyboard other than the US keyboard. If only the US keyboard is listed, add another keyboard language first.
- At the bottom of the on-screen keyboard, select AltGr, then the accented letter.
Google does not list which letters the AltGr layer shows, so this page does not either. Check the layer on your own screen after you switch.
Which letters have no accent key on a Chromebook?
Google's list of accent keys stops at the acute, grave, tilde, circumflex, umlaut and cedilla. There is no key there for the macron, the caron, the ring or a stroke, so ā, č, å and ł have no Chromebook key on AccentPad. AccentPad lists the cedilla key for ç only, the cedilla letter Google's own examples name, so ş has none either.
For those accents on Chromebook, the quickest route is to copy the letter: each letter page has it ready to paste, and so does AccentPad's home page. The caron page, like every mark page, names each letter that carries its mark, if you are not sure which one you need.
Which keys type each accent on a Chromebook?
26 of the 261 letters in AccentPad's catalogue, counted once for both cases, have a documented method on a Chromebook. Each row is one mark and one way of typing some of its letters, with the steps for the first of them; the others in the row are typed the same way. A capital takes Shift on the last key: É is Switch to the US International keyboard, then ', then Shift+E.
| Mark | Letters | How to type them on a Chromebook |
|---|---|---|
| Acute accent | á é í ó ú ý | For á: Switch to the US International keyboard, then ', then A. |
| Diaeresis (umlaut) | ä ë ï ö ü ÿ | For ä: Switch to the US International keyboard, then Shift+', then A. |
| Grave accent | à è ì ò ù | For à: Switch to the US International keyboard, then `, then A. |
| Circumflex | â ê î ô û | For â: Switch to the US International keyboard, then Shift+6, then A. |
| Tilde | ã ñ õ | For ã: Switch to the US International keyboard, then Shift+`, then A. |
| Cedilla | ç | For ç: Switch to the US International keyboard, then Shift+AltGr+5, then C. |
Frequently asked questions about accents on a Chromebook
Why do the accent keys on my Chromebook type plain punctuation?
Google lists those keys for the English (US) with International keyboard only, so the plain US keyboard is probably still active. Turn on Show input options in the shelf, select the keyboard code next to the time and pick the international keyboard. If it is not in the list, add it under Input methods first.
How do I type a capital letter with an accent on a Chromebook?
Type the mark as usual, then hold Shift on the letter key only: ' then Shift+E gives É. The same holds after a mark typed with Shift: Shift+6, then Shift+O gives Ô.
How do I stop the accent menu from opening when I hold a key on a Chromebook?
Google's help gives a switch for it. Select the time, then Settings. Under Device, select Keyboard, then Change input settings. Next to English (US), select More, and under Physical keyboard turn off accents and special characters.
Is there a Chromebook key for ł, ş or č?
Not in Google's list. It names dead keys for the acute, grave, tilde, circumflex, umlaut and cedilla, and its cedilla example is ç. Copy ł, ş or č from AccentPad's pad instead, or from its letter page.