In our previous lesson on German Alphabets, we mentioned that we will tell you how to type German characters. Below are the ways to type umlauts and sharp s on your English keyboard. If you like taking language notes on your computer, this lesson will help you, so keep reading!
If you are using a keyboard that is in the English language, the German characters are not available on it. The German keyboard is different from the English keyboard. If your system language is English and you are using the English keyboard, you can make use of special keys on your keyboard to type the special characters.
Type German Characters on Windows
You can type German characters if you are using an English keyboard without changing the language settings on your Windows system. To do the same, simply type in the below shortcuts with the Num Lock on.
German Character | Windows Shortcut |
ä | Alt + 0228 |
Ä | Alt + 0196 |
ö | Alt + 0246 |
Ö | Alt + 0214 |
ü | Alt + 0252 |
Ü | Alt + 0220 |
ß | Alt + 0223 |

Type German Characters on Mac
To type on Mac, follow the codes below.
German Character | Windows Shortcut |
ä | option + u, then a |
Ä | option + u, then A |
ö | option + u, then o |
Ö | option + u, then O |
ü | option + u, then u |
Ü | option + u, then U |
ß | option + s |
Now that you know how to type in German on your keyboard, comment below with a word consisting of an umlaut.
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