S With Accent: Copy, Paste & Type

S with an accent: small differences worth checking

Ś, Š, and Ŝ have different accents

Ś and ś have an acute accent, Š and š have a caron, and Ŝ and ŝ have a circumflex. The caron looks like a small v; the circumflex points the other way, like a roof. Choose the exact mark used in the word or name.

Ş has a cedilla; Ș has a comma

The marks below ş and ș can look very close in some fonts. They are still different characters. Ş and ş have a cedilla, as used in Turkish. Ș and ș have a comma below, as used in Romanian. Copying the correct character matters even when the difference is hard to see.

ß is German sharp s

The letter ß is often called sharp s or Eszett. It is not a Greek beta or an s with an accent. Its capital form ẞ is included in the uppercase group. Whether a particular text uses ẞ or SS in capitals depends on the spelling and style being followed.

For a single letter, use the copy buttons above. Paste with Ctrl + V on Windows or Command + V on Mac; on a phone, touch and hold a text field and choose Paste. To write a longer message, open the online accent keyboard. You can also browse all accent letters from A to Z.

ALT codes and typing help for s with an accent

Windows ALT shortcuts and Unicode decimal values are different ways of referring to characters. Entries marked “Unicode decimal” below are reference numbers, not standard Windows ALT shortcuts. For those letters, copy the character or use the Word method below.

How to type s with an accent on Windows

Using a numeric keypad

There isn’t one Windows ALT shortcut for every marked s. A Unicode decimal number doesn’t automatically work as an ALT code. To enter š, use the Word steps below or copy it from the grid.

Type š with Alt + X in Word

Word for Windows can turn a Unicode hexadecimal code into a letter. For š, use 0161. You don’t need a numeric keypad for this method.

• Click where the letter belongs in your Word document.
• Type 0161, without the U+ prefix.
• Select just that code and press ALT + X.
• The selected code changes to š.

See Microsoft’s character-code instructions for more about these two methods. To look up another letter, use the ALT code directory.

On a Mac, phone, or tablet

In supported Mac apps, holding a letter key opens an accent menu. The choices depend on the letter, and less common forms may be missing. You can always copy š from this page and paste it with Command + V. On a phone or tablet, tap a copy button here, then use Paste in the app where you’re writing.

Unicode and HTML codes for accented s

Use this table when you need the character’s code rather than the letter itself. Unicode identifies the character; the HTML, CSS, and JavaScript columns show ways to write it in code. For a normal message or document, copying the letter is enough.