Musical notes and characters you can make with common text fonts: Courier, Arial, Times New Roman
Here are the Windows keyboard symbols for Alt Key, Unicode and HTML formats. If you’re using the Alt Key symbols, you’ll need to use your numerical keypad with Numlock on.
It’s easy to make dingbats and arrows with text fonts.
Easily create fun graphics, including hearts and smiley faces… with Arial and Times New Roman.
If you need some cool bullets, arrows and other Dingbat style graphics, but you don’t have the Wingding or Zapf Dingbat fonts installed on your computer, here’s how you can make them using Times New Roman, Arial and other common text fonts.
They don’t, however, usually work with Verdana and other fonts designed for web use.
Alt Key symbols work best in print materials and often on your website, but not in emails. HTML codes will generally show up on web pages.
For Alt Key symbols, hold the Alt Key, then press the numbers in succession, while still holding down the Alt key.
For Unicode symbols, type capital letter U, then the plus sign (+) and next the numbers and letters shown in succession. Then hold down the Alt Key and press lower case letter x. Let up the Alt Key.
For HTML codes, type the Ampersand symbol followed by the Number sign – – and then type the numbers in order – followed by a semi-colon.
List and Instructions for Making French, German and Spanish Accented Letters on Your Computer Keyboard
Hold down the Alt key, then type in 0 (zero), followed by the last three numbers – using the numeric keypad on the right of your keyboard. Then you can let up the Alt key. If you don’t have a numeric keypad, you’ll find two alternate methods here.
¡ – 0161
¿ – 0191
À – 0192
Á – 0193
 – 0194
à – 0195
Ä – 0196
Å – 0197
Æ – 0198
Ç – 0199
È – 0200
É – 0201
Ê – 0202
Ë – 0203
Ì – 0204
Í – 0205
Î – 0206
Ï – 0207
Ð – 0208
Ñ – 0209
Ò – 0210
Ó – 0211
Ô – 0212
Õ – 0213
Ö – 0214
Ø – 0216
Ù – 0217
Ú – 0218
Û – 0219
Ü – 0220
Ý – 0221
Þ – 0222
ß – 0223
à – 0224
á – 0225
â – 0226
ã – 0227
ä – 0228
å – 0229
æ – 0230
ç – 0231
è – 0232
é – 0233
ê – 0234
ë – 0235
ì – 0236
í – 0237
î – 0238
ï – 0239
ð – 0240
ñ – 0241
ò – 0242
ó – 0243
ô – 0244
õ – 0245
ö – 0246
ù – 0249
ú – 0250
û – 0251
ü – 0252
ý – 0253
þ – 0254
ÿ – 0255
Practice your Alt Key symbols on popular French sayings
Place your curser where you want the accented letter and use the Alt Key + numbers as indicated.
bête noir – a person or thing strongly detested or avoided; literally “black beast” (ê – 0234)
chacun à son goût – everyone to his own taste (à – 0224; û – 0251)
coup de grâce – a stroke of mercy, a decisive finishing blow (â – 0226)
coup d’état – a sudden, decisive exercise of force in politics (é – 0233)
pièce de résistance – a showpiece; the chief dish of a meal (è – 0232; é – 0233)
raison d’être – reason for being (ê – 0234)
tête-à-tête – a private conversation between two people (ê – 0234; à – 0224)
How to Make Keyboard Symbols Using Alt Key, HTML and Unicode Characters
Here is a handy list of Alt Key, HTML and Unicode symbols you can make with standard text fonts on your computer keyboard with how-to instructions to make it easy.
It helps if you have a numeric keypad, but if you don’t there are two other methods you can use for making French, Spanish and German accents, copyright symbols, m-dashes, real bullets and oodles more.
Years ago, I started collecting shortcut codes for characters that don’t appear on my computer keyboard. I was publishing print books at the time and really needed to know how to make the copyright sign, a proper ellipsis, bullets, and “n” and “m” dashes.
When I created the first tutorial on my website in 2006, my symbols all used the Alt Key and numeric keypad for Windows computers. I didn’t know much about HTML codes back then.
Over the years, I added to my list of useful shortcuts and eventually had enough to create an extensive tutorial. My tutorial has been on an early version of NewRadiance.com, Squidoo, HubPages, and is now back on my blog.
In this tutorial, you’ll learn how to make cool and useful characters and non-English letters using: (1) the Insert function in Microsoft Word (and Google Docs) and (2) the original Alt Key shortcuts as well as (4) HTML and Unicode signs for the most requested symbols.
Two ways for creating keyboard symbols
1. IN MICROSOFT WORD, YOU CAN USE THE INSERT FUNCTION:
Microsoft Word includes an “insert” function that makes it very easy to add text characters such as copyright, French accents – you name it.
In Word, click on the Insert tab, then click on the symbol icon (at the far right). A small box pops up which shows a few characters and the words “More Symbols.” Click on that and then a bigger box pops up with all kinds of cool characters, depending on which font you have open. Browse the drop-down menu to see what’s available… multiple languages, currency symbols, dingbats… oodles of options.
2. HERE’S HOW TO USE THE NUMERIC KEYPAD, IF YOU HAVE ONE:
If you don’t have a numeric keypad, you’ll need to use the insert function… or try the Unicode characters or HTML numeric codes. A number of these are shown below so you can see what works best for you.
The most frequently requested keyboard symbols
Alt Key shortcuts work best with common text fonts: Arial, Courier New and Times New Roman
(1) Creating Alt Key symbols in Windows Using the numeric keypad on the right side of your keyboard – with NumLock on – press the Alt Key and the numbers shown in succession. After that, let up the Alt Key.
(2) How to insert Unicode characters First type the capital letter U, then the plus sign (+) and next the numbers and letters shown – in succession. Then you hold down the Alt Key and press lower case letter x. Then let up the Alt Key.
(3) Using HTML Numeric Codes Type the Ampersand symbol first, followed by the Number sign – – and then type the numbers in order – followed by a semi-colon.
Do commas, periods, colons, semi-colons, exclamation points and question marks go before or after quotation marks?
There are many different ways to use quotation marks and, in this tutorial, we’ll look at sentence punctuation in relationship to quotations. In other words, does the comma, period, question mark or exclamation point come before or after the quotation marks?
Rule for commas and periods
With commas and periods, the quotation marks go after the comma or period:
“I love you,” said Mary.
John replied, “I would follow you to the moon.”
Rule for semi-colons and colons
If you’re using a semicolon or colon, you place the quotation marks before the semicolon or colon:
I asked you the “question of the year”: do you love me?
Malcolm was “fit to be tied”; he had just missed the last bus home.
Where to put question marks and exclamation points
With a question or exclamatory sentence, place the quotation marks after the the question mark or exclamation point:
“Do you love me?” asked Mary.
“You do love me!” Mary gushed.
Exception
However… if you’re using a question mark or an exclamation point around a specific word, rather than enclosing a sentence, the quotation marks go before.
A common word usage question is when to use “lie” versus “lay.” Here’s a quick tutorial with the meanings and rules for lie and lay.
Lie:
One usage of the verb “lie” means “to recline”
I am going to lie down on the sofa for awhile.
Watch the lion lie down on the grass.
However… the past tense of “lie” is “lay”
I only lay in bed for half an hour.
The lion lay there until he got hungry.
And… the past participle is “lain”
I have lain in bed longer than I should have.
Had the lion lain there all day, he would have missed supper.
Lay:
A common usage of the verb “lay” means “to put or set down”
I am planning to lay my purse on that table.
Past tense is “laid”
I laid my purse on that table just ten minutes ago.
Past participle is also “laid”
I have laid my purse on that table every day for a month.
Of course “lie” also means to fib, but that’s not the one we confuse with “lay.” And we could “lay a bet” or “lay a plan” or “lay the table for dinner,” but these are not confused with “lie.”
Bottom line:
You don’t “lay down” in bed, nor would you have “laid in bed for a nap.”
You LIE down but you LAY something else down, when speaking in the present tense, which is where most of the mistakes come from with the lie-lay situation.
When to Use “Loan” versus “Lend”
Loan and lend are misused so frequently – even in print and TV advertising – that it’s no wonder so many of us get the word usages mixed up. Loan is a noun; lend is a verb. That’s the bottom line.
Loan is a noun:
I asked the bank for a loan.
Lend is a verb:
Will you lend me some money?
Incorrect: The bank will loan me $100,000 to buy a house.
Correct: The bank will lend me $100,000 – or – The loan from the bank is for $100,000.
Incorrect: I loaned her my best sweater.
Correct: I lent her my best sweater.
When I’m in doubt about a correct word usage, I look in my The Chicago Manual of Style. It’s got everything.
When to Use “Affect” versus “Effect”
When to use affect vs. effect is confusing – for good reason. Since the 1400s, these words have been more or less interchangeable, with meanings passing back and forth between them. Here’s today’s accepted word usage.
Affect
“Affect” is mostly used a verb that means “to influence” or “to change.”
The state of the economy can affect a person’s buying habits.
In many circles, your clothing affects how you are perceived.
However… “affect” as a noun describes a feeling or emotion and is a term used most often in psychology.
Effect
“Effect” is most often used a noun meaning “result.”
The effect of his naval training was a well-run ship.
Every cause has an effect.
However… “effect” is sometimes used as a verb meaning “to accomplish” or “to bring about.”
They hope to effect a settlement of the dispute before the weekend.
He effected a studious demeanor, thinking it would impress his teachers.
Here’s a quickie tutorial for one of the most common spelling mistakes: knowing the spelling rule for “your” versus “you’re.”
Your is the second person singular adjective that relates to something “you” possess:
Your clothes. Your car. Your outlook on life.
You’re is a contraction for “you are.”
You’re going to be impressed. You’re on the right road. You’re going to love this post.
The apostrophe essentially takes the place of the letter “a” here.
Spelling Rule for “Its” versus “It’s”
Are you unsure when to use an apostrophe for the word “it’s?” Here’s the spelling rule for its versus it’s. This spelling mistake is so common now, it has everyone second-guessing which one is correct.
“Its” without an apostrophe – is a possessive, third person, singular adjective that typically relates to something other than a person. The noun it refers to was probably mentioned just previously (in this sentence, “it” refers to the noun “noun”), so you know what “it” is.
“Its” refers to something “it” possesses:
The dog was so agitated, its barks were deafening.
I picked a daffodil and its color reminded me of sunshine.
“It’s” with an apostrophe – is an abbreviation for (1) it is or (2) it has:
It’s a foregone conclusion. It’s raining.
It’s been proven long ago. Look at the daffodil; it’s gone to seed.
The main rule to remember here is – the apostrophe takes the place of missing letters and represents a shortened version of a pronoun and a verb: “it is” or “it has.”
No apostrophe means ownership of some kind -– and no missing letters.
Spelling Rule for “Their”, “There”, and “They’re”
Many people get confused by the three different spellings for these three words that sound exactly the same: their, there, and they’re. Here are the rules.
“Their” is a possessive, third person, plural adjective relating to “something belonging to them” – as in: their house, their political party, their stupid rules of grammar – and the entities involved have been named earlier, so it’s implied that you know who or what “they” are. What is being pointed out now is the house, party or rules “owned” by “them.” You can just as easily be talking about daffodils, with “their” flowers shimmering in the sun.
“There” has a few meanings. It can mean a physical place: over there, go there – or it can mean a virtual place: stop right there before you say something you’ll regret.
Sometimes “there” is used to express satisfaction, sympathy or even defiance:
There, it’s finished!
There, there, you’ll soon feel better.
There! You do it!
And “there” is frequently used to introduce a sentence or clause: “There comes a time…”
“Hi there” and “you, there” are sometimes used when we don’t remember someone’s name right away.
And let’s not forget They’re:
To confuse the issue even more, there’s a third usage that sounds the same but is spelled differently – “they’re.” Here the apostrophe indicates a missing letter. “They’re” is an abbreviation for “they are” – as in “they’re coming” or “they’re not so big.”
Spelling Rule for “Whose” and “Who’s”
Do you sometimes choose the wrong spelling for these two words that sound the same: “whose” and “who’s?” Here are the spelling rules to remember:
“Whose” is an adjective that essentially asks a question about the ownership of something:
> Whose shoes are they? > Whose science project won? > I don’t know whose idea that was.
Who’s is simply an abbreviation for “who is” or “who has.” The apostrophe indicates missing letters.
For example, “Who’s coming with me?” or “Who’s the man?”
“Who’s” – as in “Who’s got the tickets” is a contraction for “who has.” We could have said, “Who has the tickets,” but we just as often say, “Who’s got…” (which is short for “who has got”).
As an Amazon associate and Clarke Courses affiliate, I earn a fee from qualifying purchases. My Senior Side Hustle is designing for a print on demand site called Zazzle. I receive a royalty on my designs when you click a link to purchase on Zazzle.com. Thanks for visiting… I hope you found the info on my website helpful. –Barbara
