I have Microsoft Excel for Mac, Version 16.16.27. On my MacBook Pro 16", I am trying to type a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) with a short vowel symbol over it (i.e. the symbol that looks like an upside-down crescent), but cannot find this option in Excel. Please help.
Many thanks!
MacBook Pro 16″, macOS 13.2
BoppleDeDop045 wrote:
I have Microsoft Excel for Mac, Version 16.16.27. On my MacBook Pro 16", I am trying to type a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) with a short vowel symbol over it (i.e. the symbol that looks like an upside-down crescent)
For the ˘ diacritic you need to go to system settings > keyboard > input sources and use the + button to add ABC Extended. When you choose that in the Input Menu in the Menu Bar at the top right of the screen, you will get it by typing option b and then the base letter: ă ĕ ĭ ŏ ŭ
BoppleDeDop045 wrote:
I have Microsoft Excel for Mac, Version 16.16.27. On my MacBook Pro 16", I am trying to type a vowel (a, e, i, o, u) with a short vowel symbol over it (i.e. the symbol that looks like an upside-down crescent)
For the ˘ diacritic you need to go to system settings > keyboard > input sources and use the + button to add ABC Extended. When you choose that in the Input Menu in the Menu Bar at the top right of the screen, you will get it by typing option b and then the base letter: ă ĕ ĭ ŏ ŭ
Sorry, here is more detailed instructions . ABC Extended will be under English
Try Alt-i followed by a,e I,o,u for â ê î ô û
Alt-e for á etc
Alt-u for ä
Alt-n for ã
hope this helps, Tony
Many thanks, Grant, however, the symbols available by doing this are not the one I'm looking for. The symbol for a short vowel can be described as an concave, rounded crescent, not a v-shaped crescent. It looks like Tom Gewecke (see below) is showing this symbol in his response.
Tom, When I went to System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources, I could not find a place on the "Keyboard" page where I could "use the +button to add ABC Extended", as you suggested: can you let me know where to do this?
Many thanks!
Got it: thanks! My memory may be flawed, but I seem to recall that the short vowel option was much more easily produced in earlier version of Microsoft products: the process now seems unnecessarily complicated. I very much appreciate your assistance.
BoppleDeDop045 wrote:
I seem to recall that the short vowel option was much more easily produced in earlier version of Microsoft products: the process now seems unnecessarily complicated.
Apple systems for typing accented characters apply to all apps. To see if there's something special for Excel, you can try its own forum at
Short vowel symbol
