How to Type German Special Characters: ä, ö, ü, and ß
When learning German or moving to Germany, you may notice that the German keyboard (QWERTZ) is quite different from the English keyboard (QWERTY) you’re used to. This article will guide you step-by-step on how to find the @ symbol, type special characters like Ä, Ö, Ü, ß on a German keyboard, and quickly input German letters on an English keyboard.
Major Differences in the German Keyboard
Have you noticed any differences between the German keyboard (QWERTZ) and the English keyboard (QWERTY) that we usually use?
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Alright! Let’s reveal the mystery!
One noticeable difference is that the Y and Z keys are swapped.
Additionally, in German, three letters have two dots above them: Ä, Ö, Ü, which are called Umlauts in German.
There’s also a letter that doesn’t exist in English: ß, called Eszett in German, which can be understood as an extended “s” sound (and no, it’s not Beta!).
These letters can all be found on the right side of the German keyboard.
Furthermore, many common punctuation marks are in different places, and when typing an email address, you might spend a long time looking for the @ symbol—only to find it but not know how to type it!
FAQ: Common Issues When Using a German Keyboard
Where is the @ symbol? How to type @ on a German keyboard
German: Das At-Zeichen @
It can feel like searching forever for the @ symbol on a German keyboard! Turns out, it’s right next to the letter Q.
When I was learning German back in Hong Kong, I never had this problem with input methods since I used an English keyboard. I would simply press Shift + 2, and that’s it!
I still remember when I first arrived in Germany, trying to fill out a registration form at the language center. I had no idea how to type the @ symbol when entering my email address, and in the end, I had to ask the staff for help. Similarly, on his first day at work in Germany, my husband also struggled with the swapped Y and Z keys on the office keyboard, needing time to adjust.
I’ve discovered that for German input on an Apple MacBook keyboard, pressing Alt + L or Option + Q will type the @ symbol.
On a Logitech German keyboard, you can press Ctrl (Strg) + L.
On some other computers I’ve encountered, it’s AltGr + Q or Ctrl (Strg) + Alt + Q.
Hopefully, the above helps!
How to Type Special German Letters Ä, Ö, Ü
When using a German keyboard, these special letters are located on the right side of the keyboard.
To type lowercase ä, ö, ü, simply press the corresponding key directly!
For uppercase Ä, Ö, Ü, the process is the same as with an English keyboard—just press Shift to capitalize the letters.
- Shift + ä = Ä
- Shift + ö = Ö
- Shift + ü = Ü
How to Type ß
The ß symbol is located to the right of the number “0.” Just press that key to type ß.
What if a system doesn’t support Ä, Ö, Ü, ß when filling out forms online?
In some situations, such as entering passport details or shopping on German websites, you might need to type street names like “Straße” (which means Street in English) but if the system doesn’t support the letter ß, you can replace it with “ss.” For example, “Straße” can be written as “Strasse” instead, and the postal service will still understand.
As for ä, ö, ü, you can replace them with ae, oe, ue respectively. For instance, the German city Köln can be written as “Koeln” if the system doesn’t support Umlauts.
| German Special Letters | Substitutions | Examples |
| ä | ae | Bärnau can be written as Baernau |
| ö | oe | Köln can be written as Koeln |
| ü | ue | München can be written as Muenchen |
| ß | ss | Straße can be written as Strasse |
I previously visited the Cologne Cathedral in Germany and compiled a list of interesting sights and recommended restaurants in Cologne. If you’re interested, you can check out the link below:
(Working in progress: I am currently translating my Chinese blog posts into English)
How to Type German Special Letters on an English Keyboard
If you’re using an English keyboard, simply long-press the letter, and a selection box will appear. You can then press the corresponding number to input the special German letter.
For example, long-pressing the letter a will bring up the option for ä, and you can press “1” to select it.
Similarly, long-pressing the letter s will show the option for ß, and you can press “1” to select it.
On a mobile phone, long-pressing the letter A will allow you to type Ä.
No German Keyboard? Use These Tools to Type German Letters
It’s a good idea to install a German input method on your computer if you’re learning German, as this will be useful when looking up words in online dictionaries or writing assignments for your teacher.
If the above method of long-pressing the letter A won’t give you the option for Ä, or you’re using a public computer that doesn’t have an English or German input method, you can use the input tools available on German dictionary websites like LEO or Linguee. Simply click the special German letters using your mouse on the website, and then Copy and Paste them wherever needed.
(Stay tuned for a roundup of great online resources for learning German, which I’ll be sharing soon. Subscribe to receive the latest posts!)
I hope the above information helps those learning German or newcomers to Germany.
(Working in progress: I am currently translating my Chinese blog posts into English)
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