Accent Marks

Type Unicode characters in Microsoft Word with Alt+X

In Microsoft Word for Windows, type a character’s hexadecimal Unicode value, then press Alt+X together to convert it. This is a Word application input method, not a legacy Windows Alt+numpad code or a system-wide Windows shortcut.

Enter a Unicode value in Word

Use Word for Windows and a font that includes the desired character. Microsoft’s character-code instructions cover Word for Microsoft 365, 2024, 2021, 2019, and 2016.

  1. Place the insertion point in the document where the character belongs.
  2. Type the hexadecimal digits, such as 00E1, without the U+ prefix.
  3. Select just those digits, especially when other text immediately precedes them.
  4. Press Alt+X together. The selected 00E1 converts to á.
Unicode code point
U+00E1
Hexadecimal text to enter
00E1
Conversion keys
Alt+X

Reverse conversion and avoid ambiguity

Select a character, or place the insertion point immediately after it, and press Alt+X to show its hexadecimal value. Press the combination again to convert it back.

Adjacent hexadecimal text can make the intended range ambiguous. Select only the code you mean to convert. If the result does not display correctly, check that the selected font contains the character.

Check the accented A example in the Unicode reference

Sources