Utilities

German Umlauts & ß Alt Codes & Unicode Cheatsheet

Copy/paste German umlauts and ß fast. Alt codes, Unicode points, and instant copy buttons for ä, ö, ü, ß and their capitals.

Characters & shortcuts

Alt codes & Unicode table

CharacterNameAlt codeUnicodeCopy
äa umlautAlt + 0228U+00E4
öo umlautAlt + 0246U+00F6
üu umlautAlt + 0252U+00FC
ßeszett / scharfes SAlt + 0223U+00DF
ÄA umlautAlt + 0196U+00C4
ÖO umlautAlt + 0214U+00D6
ÜU umlautAlt + 0220U+00DC
capital eszettAlt + 7838U+1E9E

FAQ

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I type German umlauts on Windows?

Hold Alt, type the number on the numpad (Num Lock on), then release Alt. Examples: ä Alt+0228, ö Alt+0246, ü Alt+0252, ß Alt+0223.

How do I type umlauts on Mac?

Use Option+u, then the letter: ä (Option+u, a), ö (Option+u, o), ü (Option+u, u); ß is Option+s.

Can I copy characters directly?

Yes—click Copy in the table and paste anywhere. No installation needed.

Do these work with the German online keyboard?

Yes. Open the German keyboard online and type or paste them directly. Everything runs in your browser.

Why don't the Alt codes work on my laptop?

Alt codes need a numeric keypad with Num Lock on. Most laptops don't have a separate numpad, so the codes fail. Use the copy buttons above instead, or enable the laptop's Fn-layer numpad if it has one.

When should I write ß versus ss?

In modern German spelling, ß (eszett) follows a long vowel or diphthong (Straße, heißen), while ss follows a short vowel (Fluss, dass). Switzerland and Liechtenstein drop ß entirely and always use ss.

How do I type the capital ẞ (capital eszett)?

The capital ß (ẞ, U+1E9E) was added to German orthography in 2017 for all-caps text (STRAẞE). It has no standard Alt code — copy it from the table above, or on Windows type 1E9E then press Alt+X in supported apps.

How do I type German characters on a phone or tablet?

On iOS and Android, press and hold the base letter (a, o, u, s) on the on-screen keyboard to reveal ä, ö, ü and ß. Or open this page in your mobile browser and tap Copy.