I am trying to type an accented character (e.g., a circumflex over a letter). Everything I find online says type and hold "OPTION-i", release, then type the letter, but it doesn't work. Instead I get the accent over empty space, next to the letter. This is MS Word for Mac 2008 software on a MacBook Pro. Any ideas?
MacBook Pro, Mac OS X (10.6.8)
Try it in TextEdit.
Is this the character?
I just did this on my iMac running 10.6.8 and Word 2008 using the option i command. Are you using the built-in keyboard or a third-party external?
Thanks for the suggestions - I just realized the problem is that I'm trying to put a "hat" over a consonant (for a math formula), rather than an accent on a vowel. Looks like the software only allows the circumflex over vowels. Option-i does work on my computer for vowels. (Built-in keyboard). I guess I will have to use the Equation Editor.
> the problem is that I'm trying to put a "hat" over a consonant
I suspect you'll find that, the more precise and specific your question, the more greater the likelihood of getting a speedy and helpful answer.
> Looks like the software only allows the circumflex over vowels.
> Option-i does work on my computer for vowels. (Built-in
> keyboard).
Nonsense. Nothing to do with your keyboard. Btw, you still haven't told us what character you're trying to insert.
> I guess I will have to use the Equation Editor.
That's an option, but not the only one. Just for the sake of argument, let's assume it's p-hat (not the party hat, but the symbol for sample proportion).
(1) Specifically in Word, you can use fields (overstrike). Go to Insert > Field… > Equations and Formulas > Eq; then type
EQ \O (p,^)
and confirm. (Note that "EQ" will be inserted by Word automatically, you don't need to type it again.)
Once you get the hang of it, you won't need to insert it using menu & submenu commands, but by typing and applying styles.
(2) The right way is Unicode. Currently, Unicode defines >100k codepoints, so, for obvious reasons, it's neither necessary nor practical for most keyboard layouts to be able to access anything but a small subset. You can enter Unicode characters using Character Viewer (aka Special Characters), or, more efficiently, using the Unicode Hex Input keyboard layout.
If the character is already defined as such in Unicode, eg, for all (upside down A), then hold down Option and type its Unicode hex code, ie 2200 -- ∀. However, p-hat isn't defined as such, so it must be entered as a combining character sequence. The sequence is ((Latin small letter p) + (combining circumflex accent)), or (p + 0302) -- p̂.
Unfortunately, all is not sweetness and light. Although this is how it should be done, the display may disappoint. Questions 12b and 12c in the respective Unicode FAQ explain what happens and why.
katletters wrote:
Looks like the software only allows the circumflex over vowels.
If you will switch keyboard layouts, you can do this kind of thing. Go to system prefs/language & text/input sources and check the box for US Extended, plus the box for Show Input Menu in Menu Bar, plus the box for Keyboard Viewer. Then select US Extended in the "flag" menu at the top right of the screen. Here is a chart of what that layout can do:
http://homepage.mac.com/thgewecke/diacritics.html
To make p-hat, you would type p then option/alt + shift + 6. p̂ Some fonts will look better than others for such a combination (try Lucida Grande). An equation editor may be preferable for the best appearance.
This should work with normal apps, but whether Word 2008 falls into that category I can't say.
> Then select US Extended
Good of you to mention this layout. I prefer Hex input, but I'm sure many, if not most, users would go for US Extended.
About using Word's fields, I forgot to mention that fiddling with sizes and spacings will be necessary; the caret is probably best formatted as superscript.
> Some fonts will look better than others for such a combination
> (try Lucida Grande).
The OP will decide what font works for her, but we must keep in mind that, if the text is math or stats, then it needs to be Italic, and Lucida Grande is sans serif. Unfortunately, it's not easy to find a font properly updated to support the sequence, especially in the Italic variation. I would suggest Palatino; Gentium and Deja Vu are two free fonts which might work.
> An equation editor may be preferable for the best appearance.
Unfortunately, there is no optimum solution. An equation editor will insert the caracter as an image; the shortcomings of using fields are obvious; and the Unicode solution, which is best for compatibility and future use, comes up against fonts which have not been properly updated.
I have to say it, for good quality typography under the circumstances, the magic word is LaTeX.
Accented characters in Word for Mac: Option-i doesn't work
