How to Write Letters with Symbols Above in Microsoft Office

Adding accent marks or other symbols above letters in Microsoft Word or Outlook can enhance your documents and messages. However typing these characters directly can be challenging. Fortunately Microsoft Office provides easy shortcuts to insert symbols and special characters into your text.

In this comprehensive guide, you’ll learn multiple methods to write letters with symbols above in Word Outlook and other Office apps.

Why Use Symbols Above Letters

Here are some common reasons for adding symbols above letters in Office documents:

• Accent marks – To type foreign words or names correctly, like résumé or Sørensen.
• Phonetic symbols – For academic papers in linguistics, phonetics, or speech therapy.
• IPA characters – For pronunciations in dictionaries, phrasebooks, or language lessons.
• Math and science symbols – For academic papers and reports with equations.
• Currency symbols – Such as ¥, € or £ in financial documents.
• Text decoration – For highlighting or emphasizing text.

Using the right symbols and special characters makes your documents more accurate, professional, and visually appealing.

How to Insert Symbols in Microsoft Word

Here are the steps to add symbols and special characters above letters in MS Word:

1. Position Cursor Where You Want the Symbol

Place your cursor where you want the symbol to be inserted. Make sure you are not in the middle of a word, or it will split the word with the symbol.

2. Go to Insert Tab and Find Symbol Icon

In the ribbon at the top, click on the Insert tab. Find and select the Symbol icon, which looks like a lowercase omega sign ω.

3. Select Font and Set from Symbol

In the Symbol window, choose the font you want, like Times New Roman. Next, select “Set” as “Symbol”.

4. Search for the Symbol

Scroll down the symbols list to find the character you need. Or type its name in the search box.

5. Insert the Symbol and Close Window

When you find the right symbol, double click to insert it. Then select Close to return to your document.

The symbol will now appear above the letter! You can repeat these steps to add multiple symbols throughout your document.

How to Insert Symbols in Microsoft Outlook

Adding symbols in Outlook email messages and calendar items is very similar:

1. Position Cursor and Open Insert Tab

Place your cursor where you want the symbol inserted in your message or item. Go to the Insert tab in the ribbon.

2. Select Symbol Icon

Find and click on the Symbol icon, just like in Word.

3. Choose Font, Set As Symbol

In the Symbol window, select your desired font and set as Symbol.

4. Search for and Insert the Symbol

Browse or search for the symbol, then double click to insert it. Close the window when finished.

Now your symbol will display correctly in Outlook!

Top Keyboard Shortcuts for Accent Marks

For common accent marks, Microsoft Word provides handy keyboard shortcuts. These include:

• Acute accent ( ́) – Ctrl + ‘ + letter
• Grave accent () - Ctrl + + letter
• Circumflex (ˆ) – Ctrl + Shift + ^ + letter
• Tilde ( ̃) – Ctrl + Shift + ~ + letter
• Umlaut/Diaeresis ( ̈) – Ctrl + Shift + : + letter

For example, to type é, press Ctrl + ‘ + e.

These shortcuts work the same in Outlook to quickly add accent marks as you type messages.

How to Copy-Paste Symbols from Character Map

Another option is using the Character Map utility:

1. Open Character Map

Go to Start and search for “Character Map” to open it.

2. Select Font and Search for Symbol

Choose your desired font, then scroll or search to find the symbol.

3. Copy and Paste Symbol

Double click the symbol, then hit Select and Copy. Switch back to your Office app and paste it in.

This method allows copying multiple symbols at once to use repeatedly.

Tips for Using Symbols in Office

Follow these tips for seamlessly adding symbols and special characters in Word, Outlook, and other Office apps:

• Use keyboard shortcuts for common marks like accent marks to save time.

• If a symbol displays incorrectly after pasting, change the text font to a Unicode font like Arial Unicode MS.

• To reuse symbols frequently, create a library document with your most needed symbols for easy copying.

• When using phonetic alphabets, ensure the font supports those symbols, like Times New Roman or Arial Unicode.

• For math and science symbols, use equation editors like Microsoft Equation Editor or MathType plugins for more capabilities.

• If your language requires multiple accent marks on one letter, add the symbols consecutively rather than simultaneously.

With the methods above, you can easily spice up your Office documents by writing letters with symbols above! Accurate communication is only a few clicks away.

Common Accent Marks and Special Characters to Use

Here are some of the most popular accent marks and special characters to insert in Microsoft Word and Outlook:

Accent Marks

• Acute – É, Á, Ú, Ć, etc.
• Grave – À, È, Ì, Ò, etc.
• Circumflex – Ê, Ô, Û, Ŷ, etc.
• Umlaut/Diaeresis – Ä, Ë, Ö, Ü, etc.
• Tilde – Ã, Ñ, Õ, Ĩ, etc.

Currency Symbols

• Dollar – $
• Euro – €
• Pound – £
• Yen – ¥

Math Symbols

• Plus – +
• Minus – −
• Equals – =
• Approximately – ≈
• Therefore – ∴

Science Symbols

• Degree – °
• Pi – π
• Delta – Δ
• Micro – μ

Phonetic Alphabets

• International Phonetic Alphabet (IPA)
• Americanist Phonetic Alphabet
• Uralic Phonetic Alphabet

Text Decorations

• Asterisk – *
• Underscore – _
• Dash – ‒
• Ellipsis – …

Take your documents to the next level by leveraging these symbols in Microsoft Office!