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

On this page:

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

Inserting symbols within Word

Word 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. The Symbol dialog box will appear. Use your mouse to 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. Notice that 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 display in the dialog box.

Note: The user interface for Office 2007 programs is significantly different from that of older versions, and new terms and concepts apply to this Office suite. For information about the new terminology and features, see For Office 2007, what are some new interface features?

Word 2003 and earlier

To insert individual characters from the available symbols that come with Microsoft Word, from the Insert menu, choose Symbol... . The Symbol dialog box will appear. Use your mouse to 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. Notice that 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 display 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 settings

If the character is not available in any of the fonts you have, you may wish to acquire additional fonts. You can also try changing the keyboard settings. To access these settings, in the Control Panel, double-click the Keyboard icon. You can find most Roman alphabet keyboards in the Keyboard control panel, but if you need either Cyrillic or Greek-based keyboards, you'll need to add the Multilanguage Support Component. Changing the international settings will give you access to character sets used in many languages. You can then use the characters in applications other than Microsoft Word. Follow the instructions below for your version of Windows:

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 the Microsoft Unlimited Potential web site. Not all languages are available, and some languages are only available for a specific product (some languages on this site will only work in Office, some work only on the Windows interface). For Vista, the language files are almost always downloaded as .exe files. Once the file has been installed, you can use the instructions below to actually make the language change.

Windows Vista and XP

1. From the Windows XP default or Vista default or classic Start menu, select Control Panel or Control. If the Windows XP 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 Keyboards and Languages tab in Windows Vista, or the Language tab in Windows XP.
   
   
4. This is the final step for Windows Vista. For Windows XP, continue with the rest of the steps.
   
   
   • For Windows Vista, select the desired language from the drop-down menu in the Display language section.
   • For Windows XP, under "Text services and input languages", click Details... .
   
   
5. Under "Installed services", click Add.
   
   
6. In the "Input language:" list, click the language you want to add.
   
   
7. Select the checkbox for the type of text service you want to install, if multiple options are available, and then click a service in the list. Click OK to finish.

Windows 2000

1. From the Start menu, choose Settings, and then Control Panel.
   
   
2. In the Control Panel window, double-click the Regional Options icon.
   
   
3. In the window that comes up, click the General tab.
   
   
4. In the bottom half of the window, a section titled "Language settings for the system" will contain a list of supported languages. Check the boxes next to the desired languages, and then click OK.

Windows 95 or 98

1. From the Start menu, select Settings, and then Control Panel.
   
   
2. Double-click the Add/Remove Programs icon.
   
   
3. Click the Windows Setup tab.
   
   
4. Scroll through the list of components, and then check the box beside Multilanguage Support.
   
   
5. Click Apply, and then click OK.

Also see:

• For Microsoft Word, how can I proofread text other than English?
• In Windows, how can I configure my computer to use a non-English keyboard?