Spanish n · eñe · n with tilde
Copy Ñ and ñ
The n with tilde is one click away. Tap a letter below to copy it to your clipboard, then paste it anywhere — no keyboard settings, no alt codes to memorize.
Works on any device and browser — paste with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V.
More Spanish characters
On Windows, hold Alt and type the code on the numeric keypad — every shortcut is in How to type below.
How to type Ñ and ñ on any device
The n with tilde is not on most English keyboards, but every operating system has a shortcut for it. Pick your platform:
Windows
- Turn on Num Lock so the numeric keypad produces digits.
- Hold Alt, type the code on the numeric keypad, release Alt — the character appears at the cursor.
Tip: No numeric keypad? Open the emoji panel with Win + . (or Win + ;) and find ñ under Symbols, or search "Character Map" in the Start menu. Note: the number row above the letters will not work for Alt codes — it must be the keypad.
Mac
- Press Option + N together — a highlighted tilde appears.
- Type n or N; the tilde lands on the letter.
Tip: On macOS you can also press and hold the n key and choose ñ from the accent popup, exactly like on an iPhone — or press Control + Command + Space to open the Character Viewer and search "n tilde".
iPhone & iPad
- Touch and hold the n key on the on-screen keyboard.
- Slide to ñ (or Ñ with caps lock on) in the popup and release.
Tip: The same long-press trick works for other accented letters like é, ü and ç.
Android
- Long-press the n key in Gboard or your default keyboard.
- Tap ñ in the accent menu that appears.
Tip: If ñ is missing, add Spanish as a keyboard language in Settings → System → Languages & input — the ñ gets its own key.
Chromebook
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U to start Unicode input — an underlined "u" appears.
- Type the hex code, then press Enter or Space to confirm.
Tip: Alternatively enable the US International keyboard in Settings → Languages and inputs, then type ~ followed by n.
Linux
- Press Ctrl + Shift + U in most GTK apps.
- Type the hex code point, then press Enter to insert the character.
Tip: With a compose key configured, Compose + ~ + n produces ñ on any desktop environment.
In Word, Excel & other office apps
Office software adds its own shortcuts on top of the system ones above.
Microsoft Word
- Press Ctrl + Shift + ~, then the letter.
- Alternative: type 00f1 and press Alt + X — the code turns into ñ.
- Or go to Insert → Symbol → More Symbols → Latin-1 Supplement.
- Type it often? Set up AutoCorrect: File → Options → Proofing → AutoCorrect Options → replace "n~" with ñ.
Tip: Ctrl + Shift + ~ and Alt + X also work in Outlook and PowerPoint, but not in Excel. On a Mac, the system-wide Option + N shortcut works in every Office app.
Microsoft Excel
- Click the cell (or press F2 to edit it).
- Hold Alt, type the code on the numeric keypad, release Alt — the character appears in the cell.
- Formula option: =UNICHAR(241) returns ñ and =UNICHAR(209) returns Ñ (CHAR(241) works in older Windows Excel).
Tip: No numeric keypad? Use Insert → Symbol, or copy ñ from this page and paste it into the formula bar. Excel does not support Word's Ctrl + Shift + ~ or Alt + X shortcuts.
Google Docs
- Go to Insert → Special characters.
- Search "n with tilde" (or draw the shape) and click ñ or Ñ.
Tip: Faster for repeated use: copy ñ once from this page and paste with Ctrl+V — or set up Tools → Preferences → Substitutions to auto-replace "n~" with ñ. In Google Sheets, the formula =UNICHAR(241) produces ñ.
Rather not memorize shortcuts?
Bookmark this page and copy the letter whenever you need it — it is faster than any alt code.
Ñ and ñ codes for developers
Every encoding of the n with tilde in one place — Unicode, HTML entities, CSS, JavaScript and URL encoding. Click any chip to copy it.
Unicode
| Format | Ñ uppercase | ñ lowercase |
|---|---|---|
| Code point | ||
| Official name | ||
| UTF-8 bytes | ||
| UTF-16 |
HTML & XML
| Format | Ñ uppercase | ñ lowercase |
|---|---|---|
| Named entity | ||
| Decimal entity | ||
| Hex entity |
Programming
| Format | Ñ uppercase | ñ lowercase |
|---|---|---|
| CSS content | ||
| JavaScript / JSON | ||
| Python | ||
| URL percent-encoding |
Keyboard entry
| Format | Ñ uppercase | ñ lowercase |
|---|---|---|
| Windows alt code | ||
| Windows alt code (legacy) | ||
| Mac shortcut |
- Ñ and ñ live in the Latin-1 Supplement Unicode block, which mirrors the old ISO-8859-1 encoding — that is why they render correctly almost everywhere, even in legacy systems.
- In UTF-8, both characters take two bytes (C3 91 and C3 B1). If you see
ñon a page, the text is UTF-8 being read as Latin-1 — a charset mismatch, not a problem with the letter itself. - Both characters also have a decomposed form: the letter n followed by combining tilde U+0303. Use the precomposed code points above unless you have a specific reason not to — they compare and search more reliably.
The Spanish n: the letter called eñe
A letter of its own
In Spanish, ñ is not an "n with an accent" — it is a completely separate letter, the fifteenth in the alphabet, sitting right after n. Spanish dictionaries file niño after all the words starting with n, and changing n to ñ changes a word's meaning entirely: ano is an anatomical term, whileaño means "year". Getting the tilde right is not decoration; it is spelling.
How it sounds
The ñ represents a palatal nasal — a sound made by pressing the middle of the tongue against the hard palate. English speakers already know it: it is the "ny" in canyon, which English borrowed from the Spanish cañón, and the "ni" in onion. Say señor as "sen-yor" and you are most of the way there.
A shortcut that became a symbol
The eñe was born from thrift. Medieval Spanish scribes, copying Latin manuscripts onto expensive parchment, saved space by writing a double "nn" as one n with a second, smaller n floating on top — the Latinannus became año. By the 13th century, King Alfonso X "the Wise" had adopted the ñ in his official spelling reforms, and the little floating n settled into the wavy tilde (~) we use today.
The letter's status was tested in 1991, when a European Community report sought to repeal a Spanish law that banned the sale of computers lacking full Ñ support — Brussels saw protectionism; Madrid saw an attack on the language itself. The Royal Spanish Academy called it exactly that, and Nobel laureate Gabriel García Márquez famously dismissed the idea, calling the Ñ "not an archaeological piece of junk" but a cultural leap. Spain won; the ñ stayed. It remains a point of cultural pride — Google dedicated its 2021 Doodle to the letter on April 23, UN Spanish Language Day (Día del Idioma).
Words you can't write without ñ
Click any word to copy it:
Beyond Spanish
The eñe traveled with Spanish across the world and was adopted by Filipino, Asturian, Galician, Basque, Quechua, Guaraní and many other languages. In Filipino it lives on in Spanish-derived words and family names such as Ibañez — so beloved that it has its own Filipino name: enye. In Basque it spells native words like baino("than"); in Quechua it writes core vocabulary such asñuqa ("I") and ñawi("eye"). Wherever it appears, the tilde carries the same sound it has represented for eight centuries.
Frequently asked questions
How do I copy the ñ symbol?
Click the Ñ or ñ card at the top of this page and the character is copied to your clipboard instantly. Then paste it anywhere with Ctrl+V (Windows) or Cmd+V (Mac).
What is the alt code for ñ?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0241 on the numeric keypad for lowercase ñ, or Alt + 0209 for uppercase Ñ. On a Mac, press Option + N, then type N for Ñ or n for ñ.
How do I type ñ in Word or Excel?
In Microsoft Word, press Ctrl + Shift + ~ and then n for ñ (or type 00f1 and press Alt + X). In Excel, use the Windows alt code Alt + 0241 inside the cell, or Insert → Symbol. In Google Docs, use Insert → Special characters and search "n with tilde".
How do I write ñ in HTML?
Use the named entities Ñ and ñ, or the numeric entities Ñ and ñ. All four are part of the original HTML standard and work in every browser and email template.
What is the ñ called?
The letter ñ is called "eñe" in Spanish. It is the fifteenth letter of the Spanish alphabet and represents a palatal nasal sound, similar to the "ny" in "canyon" — a word English borrowed from the Spanish "cañón".
How do you pronounce ñ?
Like the "ny" in "canyon": a single palatal nasal made with the middle of the tongue pressed flat against the roof of the mouth. Say "señor" as "sen-yor" and you are most of the way there.
What is the Unicode for Ñ and ñ?
Uppercase Ñ is U+00D1 (Latin Capital Letter N with Tilde) and lowercase ñ is U+00F1 (Latin Small Letter N with Tilde). In HTML you can write them as Ñ / Ñ and ñ / ñ.
Is ñ a separate letter from n?
Yes. In Spanish, ñ is a distinct letter, not an accented n. It has its own place in the alphabet (after n) and changes a word's meaning: "ano" means anus while "año" means year.
Why is the Alt code not working?
Three common causes: you must use the numeric keypad (the number row above the letters does not work), Num Lock must be on, and you need the full 4-digit code (0241, not 241). On laptops without a keypad, look for an Fn-activated embedded numpad — or skip the fuss and copy ñ directly from the top of this page.
Which keyboards have a physical ñ key?
Spanish (Spain) and Latin American keyboard layouts have a dedicated ñ key, usually immediately right of the L key. You can also add the Spanish layout to your current system: on Windows go to Settings → Time & language → Language & region and switch anytime with Win + Space; on a Mac add it in System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources and switch with Control + Space.
