Using US-Int'l Keyboard Layout to Type Accented Characters

ID: Q97728

The information in this article applies to:

Microsoft Word for Windows, versions 2.0, 2.0a, 2.0a-CD, 2.0b, 2.0c, 6.0, 6.0a, 6.0c

SUMMARY

This article describes how to use the US-International keyboard layout to create international characters. In Word for Windows, when you want to create international--or accented--characters, you can use this method as an alternative to typing the ANSI character code, using the Insert Symbol command, inserting EQ fields, or changing to a different Windows keyboard layout.

MORE INFORMATION

When you use the US-International keyboard layout, you should also use the English (International) language setting. To change these settings, choose the Regional Settings icon (in Windows 3.x, choose the International icon) in the Control Panel window.

The US-International keyboard layout does not remap your standard US keyboard layout. Instead it creates international characters by assigning certain characters a strikeover function so you can use them to add an accent or diacritical mark to a character. It also assigns new functions to the RIGHT ALT key. The following describes the features of the US-International keyboard layout:

When you press any of the following keys, nothing appears on the screen until you press the next key: the APOSTROPHE ('), QUOTATION MARK ("), ACCENT GRAVE (`), TILDE (~), and accent circumflex or CARET (^) key. If you press one of the letters designated as eligible to take an accent mark, the accented version of the letter appears. If you press an ineligible key, two separate characters appear. In other words, the US-International keyboard layout DLL automatically accents letters that customarily take an accent mark but does not automatically accent letters that do not customarily take an accent mark.
The RIGHT ALT key activates additional functions for the APOSTROPHE (') and QUOTATION MARK (") key. As a result, the RIGHT ALT key no longer performs Windows functions. You must use the LEFT ALT key to perform Windows functions and as part of key combinations in Windows (such as ALT+TAB or ALT+F4) or Windows-based applications (such as ALT+F1 in Word for Windows).

You can press the RIGHT ALT key plus another character to produce some common extended characters. Most keys on the keyboard produce one or two extended characters in combination with the RIGHT ALT key. The following table lists some of the extended characters you can produce with the RIGHT ALT+<character> key combination:

    Note: This is an incomplete list due to the difficulty of
    displaying extended characters in some environments.

      Key Combination   Result
      ---------------   ------

      RIGHT ALT+r       Registered trademark symbol

      RIGHT ALT+c       Copyright symbol

      RIGHT ALT+z       ae symbol

      RIGHT ALT+Z       AE symbol

If you want to type an apostrophe, quotation mark, caret, tilde, or accent grave followed by an unaccented letter, press the SPACEBAR after you press the key. For example, to type "A girl named Sally", press the QUOTATION MARK key, then press the SPACEBAR, then press A.

The following table lists the accented characters you can create using the US-International keyboard layout:

   Press          Then Press
   This Key             This Key           Result
   --------             ----------         ------

   APOSTROPHE (')       c                  c, cedilla

   APOSTROPHE (')       e, y, u, i, o, a   <letter>, accent acute

   APOSTROPHE (')       SPACEBAR           apostrophe (')

   APOSTROPHE (')       all others         apostrophe followed by
                                           the letter (two separate
                                           characters)

   RIGHT ALT+           n/a                accent acute
   APOSTROPHE (')

   QUOTATION MARK (")   e, u, i, o, a      <letter>, dieresis

   QUOTATION MARK (")   SPACEBAR           quotation mark (")

   QUOTATION MARK (")   all others         quotation mark followed
                                           by the letter (two
                                           separate characters)

   RIGHT ALT+QUOTATION  n/a         dieresis
   MARK (RIGHT ALT+
   SHIFT+APOSTROPHE)

   ACCENT GRAVE (`)     e, u, i, o         <letter>, accent grave

   ACCENT GRAVE (`)     SPACEBAR           accent grave

   ACCENT GRAVE (`)     all others         accent grave followed by
                                           the letter (two separate
                                           characters)

   TILDE (~)            o, n               <letter>, tilde

   TILDE (~)            SPACEBAR           tilde

   TILDE (~)            all others         tilde followed by
                                           the letter (two separate
                                           characters)

   CARET (^)            e, u, i, o, a      <letter>, caret

   CARET (^)            SPACEBAR           caret

   CARET (^)            all others         Caret followed by
                                           the letter (two separate
                                           characters)

For additional information, please see the following article(s) in the Microsoft Knowledge Base:

   ARTICLE-ID: Q120085
   TITLE     : WD: How to Enter Accented Characters from the Keyboard

Reference(s):

"Microsoft Windows User's Guide," version 3.1, pages 169-171

KBCategory: kbusage KBSubcategory: kbfont Additional query words: 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c 6.0 winword2 word6 winword overstrike strikeover nothing win31 different u.s.

Keywords          : kbFont 
Version           : 2.0 2.0a 2.0a-CD 2.0b 2.0c
Platform          : WINDOWS

Last Reviewed: February 6, 1998