In Microsoft Word for Windows, how do I access foreign or special characters?

On this page:

• Inserting symbols within Word
  • Word 2010 and 2007
  • Word 2003 and earlier
• Using the numeric keypad
• Changing the keyboard language settings

Inserting symbols within Word

Word 2010 and 2007

To insert individual characters from the available symbols that come with Microsoft Word, from the Insert tab, click the Symbol button for the most recently used characters. To access the full list of characters, select More Symbols... from that menu. From the Symbol dialog box that appears, select from the available symbols, and then click Insert. The selected character will appear in the text of your document; when finished, click Close to close the Symbol dialog box.

If you do not find the character you want, you may have to change the font. The "Font:" box lists the current font; you can switch fonts by selecting the down arrow button next to this box. The symbols available in the new font will then appear in the dialog box.

Word 2003 and earlier

To insert individual characters from the available symbols that come with Microsoft Word, from the Insert menu, choose Symbol... . From the Symbol dialog box that appears, select from the available symbols, and then click Insert. The selected character will appear in the text of your document; when finished, click Close to close the Symbol dialog box.

If you do not find the character you want, you may have to change the font. The "Font:" box lists the current font; you can switch fonts by clicking the down arrow next to this box. The symbols available in the new font will then appear in the dialog box.

Using the numeric keypad

To insert symbols using extended ASCII characters, make sure the Num Lock key is on, and then hold down the Alt key and type the symbol's three- or four-digit code on the numeric keypad. For a list of some common ASCII codes, see In Windows, how can I access extended keyboard characters, such as accent marks?

Changing the keyboard language settings

Note: If this doesn't match what you see, refer to About navigation settings in Windows.

If a desired foreign or special character is not available in any of the fonts you have, you may wish to acquire additional fonts or try changing the keyboard language settings. To change your keyboard language settings, read the following information and follow the appropriate instructions below:

Note: Have the appropriate Windows CD on hand in case you are prompted for it. If you do not have the Windows CD available, it may be possible to acquire a language pack from Microsoft Unlimited Potential. Not all languages are available, and some languages are only available for a specific product (some languages on this site only work in Office; some work only in the Windows interface). For Vista, the language files are almost always downloaded as .exe files. Once the file has been installed, use the instructions below to actually make the language change.

Windows 7

1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel.
   
   
2. Click Clock, Language, and Region.
   
   
3. Under "Region and Language", click Change keyboards or other input methods.
   
   
4. In the Keyboards and Languages tab, click Change keyboards... .
   
   
5. Under "Default input language", use the drop-down menu to select the language you want to use. To add more languages to the drop-down menu, click Add... . Select the input language you want to add, and then click OK. The added language should appear in the drop-down menu.

Windows Vista

1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel or Control.
   
   
2. In the Control Panel, double-click the Regional and Language Options icon.
   
   
3. Select the Keyboards and Languages tab.
   
   
4. Select the desired language from the drop-down menu in the Display language section.

Windows XP

1. From the Start menu, select Control Panel or Control. If the Start menu is in classic mode, select Start, then Settings, and then Control Panel.
   
   
2. In the Control Panel, double-click the Regional and Language Options icon.
   
   
3. Select the Language tab. Under "Text services and input languages", click Details... .
   
   
4. Under "Installed services", click Add. In the "Input language:" list, click the language you want to add.
   
   
5. If multiple options are available, select the type of text service you want to install; then click a service in the list. Click OK to finish.

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