Swedish keyboard: type å, ä, ö online

How to type å, ä and ö on Windows

Alt codes work on any Windows computer with a numeric keypad. Turn Num Lock on, hold down the left Alt key, type the four digits on the keypad (not the number row), then release Alt.

The four-digit codes come from the Windows character set and work everywhere; the short codes come from the old DOS code page and work in most programs. On a laptop without a keypad, Alt codes are awkward, so use one of the options below.

US International layout. If you add the English (United States) International keyboard, the right Alt key (AltGr) gives Swedish letters directly: AltGr+W for å, AltGr+Q for ä, AltGr+P for ö, and AltGr+E for é. Hold Shift as well for capitals. The rest of the keyboard stays where you are used to it.

Add the Swedish layout if you write Swedish every day. In Windows 11 open Settings, Time & language, Language & region, click the three dots next to your language, choose Language options, then Add a keyboard and pick Swedish. Switch between layouts with Windows key + Space. On the Swedish layout å is to the right of P, ö to the right of L, and ä to the right of ö, where an English keyboard has the semicolon and apostrophe. Many symbols move too: @ is AltGr+2 and the slash is Shift+7.

How to type å, ä and ö on a Mac

Option+U puts two dots over the next letter you type. Alternatively, hold down the A or O key until a small menu of accented letters appears and pick the one you need with its number. To add the Swedish layout, open System Settings, Keyboard, Text Input, click Edit, then the plus button, and choose Swedish. Switch layouts from the menu bar or with Control + Space.

On iPhone, iPad and Android

On both iOS and Android, press and hold the a key and slide to å or ä; hold o for ö. To get Swedish autocorrect and suggestions as well, add a Swedish keyboard: on iPhone in Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards, Add New Keyboard; on Android in Gboard's settings under Languages. Tap the globe key to switch.

Å, ä and ö are letters of their own

The Swedish alphabet has 29 letters. After z come three more: å, ä, ö, in that order. They are not decorated versions of a and o, and Swedes do not think of them as accents. Two practical consequences:

• Sorting. In a Swedish dictionary, åka, äta and öga come after every word starting with z. Looking up a word with ö? Go to the very end.
• Meaning. Leaving off the ring or dots gives you a different word, or none at all.

When the letters really cannot be used, as in some web addresses and email addresses, Swedes simply drop the marks: Göteborg becomes goteborg, Malmö becomes malmo.

How to pronounce å, ä and ö

Every Swedish vowel has a long and a short version: the vowel is long when it is followed by a single consonant or none, and short before a double consonant.

• Å sounds like the vowel in British English more or law when long: år (year), båt (boat). Short, it is close to the o in British hot: åtta (eight).
• Ä is like the e in bed: äta (eat), äpple (apple). Before r it opens up towards the a in bad: här (here), ära (honour).
• Ö has no English equivalent. Say the vowel of British bird and round your lips as if to whistle: öl (beer), öga (eye). Before r it opens, as in dörr (door).

The best way to learn the sounds is to hear them in real speech and copy them. Type a word above and press Listen, or watch the first free lessons of Complete Swedish, where every word in the video can be tapped and heard again.

Frequently asked questions