10 April 2009

How to Create Umlauts on a Mac

Ever wondered how to make an umlaut on a Mac computer? How to write in German using umlauts instead of a substitute vowel + 'e' ending ('ae', 'oe', 'ue')? Well, here is my step-by-step how-to method, adapted from one I found on eHow.com:
  1. Press and hold 'option' + 'u'
    (you should see ¨ appear with an underline)

  2. Release both keys
    (you should still see ¨ with an underline)

  3. Press vowel you wish to have under the umlaut
    (underline will be replaced with letter you have typed)

    Ää, Öö, Üü

Having difficulty? Post a comment below.

Source: How to use an Umlaut on a Mac (eHow.com)

11 comments:

Gil Burgess said...

I guess that clinches it as far as our getting a Mac!

Seth C. Burgess said...

I remember how excited Mr. Thomas was when he discovered the keystroke combination to produce umlauts on his classroom computer at Newark High School.

Anonymous said...

Yay! I finally get it. Thanks!

Anonymous said...

Hmmm, is not working for me. I'm getting an a with a circle above it instead of the two dots or umlaut that I want. :-(

Seth C. Burgess said...

I'm guessing you might be pressing 'option' + 'a' because you want the letter 'a' with two dots about it.

Try pressing AND HOLDING 'option' + 'u' (u for umlaut). Then release both keys simultaneously. The two dots will remain with an underscore (line) below them. Then you press the vowel you wish to appear below the umlauts--try your 'a' at this point to produce the following: ä

amancay said...

this has always worked for me... but today, when I try, NADA.

nothing happens with Option+u, nothing.

Seth C. Burgess said...

Interesting. Option+u is working for me. Which software application are you trying to do the keystroke with?

Aislinn said...

This isn't working for me- I just get ú instead of an umlaut. Any suggestions?

Jonathon Ralfe said...

Thanks, did the job. Really very useful having the date close to the headline. I arrived here after about a dozen visits to "old" sites so many sites info was just out of date.

clairebakke said...

Thanks. Worked like a charm. Good explanation.

Kenneth said...

Hii great reading your blog

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