How to Make Keyboard Symbols Using the "Alt" Key

If you need to make symbols and letters that aren't on your computer keyboard - such as © for Copyright or the Trademark, cents, Euro, or one-half symbols - or a real bullet instead of an asterisk - here's a handy tutorial to bookmark.

You'll find French, German and Spanish accents, including à, é, ü and ñ. 

If you're a writer, you can make proper "en" and "em" dashes instead of the less professional-looking -- double hyphen.

Of course, for really cool symbols (stars, fancy bullets, astrological glyphs, etc.), you'll want to check out the Alt Key shortcuts for Wingdings and Dingbats (below).

In this tutorial, you'll learn how to make symbols and non-English letters using: (1) the Insert function in Microsoft Word, Publisher and FrontPage, (2) The Character Map for copying and pasting symbols into your document, and (3) the Alt Key shortcuts for the same symbols.

You'll also find free lists below with dozens of alt key symbols, including copyright, trademark, registered, French, German and Spanish accents, bullets and more - plus shortcuts for common Wingdings and Dingbats.

(1) How to Use the "Insert" Function:

In Microsoft Word (and Publisher/FrontPage), there's an easy way to insert symbols for copyright, trademark, cents and French, German and Spanish accents. You never again have to use e', when what you really want is é.

On the top of the screen of your open Word 2003 document, you'll see the headings: File, Edit, View, Insert, Format, etc. Click on "Insert" and on the drop-down list, click on "Symbol." A symbol box will pop up. Click on the symbol you want to insert into your text, then click on the insert button and close the box.

In Word 2007, click on the Insert tab, then click on the symbol icon (at the far right). A little box pops up which shows a few symbols and the words "More Symbols." If you click on "more symbols," a bigger box pops up with all kinds of symbols, depending on what font you're working in.

(2) How to Use the "Character Map" in Windows: 

Another method is to use the "Character Map" to copy and paste the required symbols. In Windows (XP), you'll find the Character Map by clicking on the Windows Start Menu, then All Programs, then Accessories, System Tools and Character Map. The Character Map box pops up.

Choose the font you wish to use from the drop-down menu at the top. Place your curser where you'd like to insert the symbol, click on the symbol you wish to insert, click on the Select Button, then the Copy Button and then paste the symbol onto your page (using Edit, Paste or the "Control v" shortcut). You'll also see the Alt Key shortcut at the bottom of the Character Map, for future reference.

(3) How to Make Keyboard Symbols with the "Alt" Key and Numeric Keypad: 

Another way is to use the "Alt" key and numbers - making sure to use your numeric keypad, not the numbers on the top of the keyboard. NumLock needs to be ON.
 
Using the numeric keypad, hold down the Alt key, and hit the numbers (in succession) shown below for the symbol you want to use. For example for ©Copyright, hold down Alt, press the number 0, then press the numbers 1, 6, 9. Then you can let up the Alt key.

LAPTOP USERS: If you don't have a numeric keypad, you'll need to use either the insert function or Character Map method.