How to Type Á, À, and A with Apostrophe on Top
If you’ve ever wondered how to type “a with apostrophe on top”, you’re not alone. People often use that phrase when they mean an accented A — like á or à — which shows up in Spanish, French, Portuguese, and other languages.
These accented forms aren’t decorative. They change the pronunciation, stress, or meaning of a word. For example:
- Spanish: más (more) vs mas (but)
- French: à la carte (on the menu)
- Portuguese: já (already)
In this guide, you’ll learn every way to type a with apostrophe (á, à, Á, À, ʼ) — whether you’re on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, or writing HTML. You’ll also find a copy-paste list, alt codes, and quick pronunciation tips.
What Does “A with Apostrophe” Mean?
The phrase can refer to a few different things:
- Accented letter a (á, à)
When someone says “a with apostrophe over it” or “a with apostrophe on top,” they usually mean an accent mark. Examples:- á (a with acute) → In Spanish, meaning stress on that syllable (más, café).
- à (a with grave) → In French, meaning “to/at” (à la carte).
- Letter a plus apostrophe (a’)
Just a plainafollowed by'. This shows up in shortcuts, casual writing, or when people don’t know how to type an accent. - Modifier letter apostrophe (ʼ, U+02BC)
A special symbol used in linguistics and some languages (like Hawaiian or certain Native American languages) to mark glottal stops.
So when someone asks “what does a with apostrophe mean” or “a with apostrophe pronunciation,” the answer depends on the context. If it’s Spanish or French, it’s an accent mark A. If it’s English, it’s usually just an apostrophe.
A with Apostrophe Alt Codes (Windows)
On Windows, the easiest way to type á or à is with Alt codes on the numeric keypad. Make sure Num Lock is ON.
| Character | Alt Code |
|---|---|
| á (lowercase, acute) | Alt + 0225 |
| à (lowercase, grave) | Alt + 0224 |
| Á (uppercase, acute) | Alt + 0193 |
| À (uppercase, grave) | Alt + 0192 |
| ʼ (modifier apostrophe) | 02BC + Alt + X |
Steps to Use Alt Code:
- Place your cursor where you want the letter.
- Hold down Alt.
- Type the code on the number pad.
- Release Alt, and the apostrophe A will appear.
This works in Word, Excel, browsers, and most of the Windows apps.
Shortcuts for letter A with Apostrophe on Mac
On macOS, you don’t need Alt codes — just use Option key combos:
- á → Option + e, then a
- à → Option + ` (backtick), then a
- Á → Option + E, then Shift + A
- À → Option + `, then Shift + A
Or you can simply hold down the A key until a small menu pops up with all accent choices.
Typing Apostrophe A on Mobile
Typing accents on phones and tablets is even easier:
- On iPhone/iPad: Press and hold the letter a, then slide to pick á, à, etc.
- On Android: Long-press the a key, then tap the accented version you want.
This works across texting apps, social media, emails, and documents.
Unicode & HTML Codes
For web design, coding, or writing in HTML you can follow below table:
| Character | Unicode | HTML Code |
|---|---|---|
| á | U+00E1 | á or á |
| à | U+00E0 | à or à |
| Á | U+00C1 | Á or Á |
| À | U+00C0 | À or À |
| ʼ | U+02BC | ʼ or ʼ |
Copy & Paste Apostrophe A
Here’s a quick list you can copy right now:
| Letter | Name | Copy |
|---|---|---|
| á | a with Acute | |
| à | a with Grave | |
| Á | Capital A with Acute | |
| À | Capital A with Grave |
How to Type Capital A with Apostrophe
Need a capital a with apostrophe on top? Here are the simple keyboard shortcuts:
- On Windows, hold the Alt key and type the numeric code on the number pad:
- Alt + 0193 gives Á (A with acute)
- Alt + 0192 gives À (A with grave)
- On a Mac, press Option + e, Shift + a for Á, or Option + `, Shift + a for À.
This works for both accented versions and is essential if you’re writing titles or names in Spanish/French correctly.
Apostrophe A vs A + Apostrophe (a’)
Many people type a’ when they want á or à.
But there’s a difference:
- á, à = letters with accents (used in real words, languages).
- a’ = just the letter A followed by an apostrophe symbol (used in contractions, names, or transliterations).
For example:
- Hawaiian ʻokina → written with the modifier apostrophe (ʼ).
- O’Brien → uses a normal apostrophe after O.
Quick Reference Table
| You want… | Character | Shortcut / Code |
|---|---|---|
| a with apostrophe acute | á (U+00E1) | Windows: Alt+0225 / Mac: Option+e, a |
| a with apostrophe grave | à (U+00E0) | Windows: Alt+0224 / Mac: Option+` , a |
| capital a with apostrophe (acute) | Á (U+00C1) | Windows: Alt+0193 / Mac: Option+e, Shift+a |
| capital a with apostrophe (grave) | À (U+00C0) | Windows: Alt+0192 / Mac: Option+`, Shift+a |
| typographic apostrophe | ’ (U+2019) | HTML: ’ |
| modifier letter apostrophe symbol | ʼ (U+02BC) | Word: 02BC + Alt+X / HTML: ʼ |
FAQs About “A with Apostrophe”
What does á mean?
The letter á is an a with acute accent. In Spanish, it shows stress on that syllable (e.g., más, café). In Irish, it’s called a fada. It changes both pronunciation and meaning.
How do you pronounce this Á?
Capital Á is pronounced the same way as á, just uppercase. For example, in Spanish Ángel (Án-gel) has the stress on the first syllable.
What is the apostrophe over a letter called?
It’s usually not an apostrophe at all. Over letters, it’s called an accent mark (acute ´ or grave `). A real apostrophe (’) comes after a letter, not above it.
How to put a fada on a letter on a laptop?
A fada is the Irish name for the acute accent (á, é, í, ó, ú). On Windows, type Alt + 0225 for á. On Mac, press Option + e, a. On laptops without a numpad, enable the on-screen keyboard or use the character viewer.
Final Thoughts
Typing a with apostrophe can feel tricky, but now you know the difference between accents, apostrophes, and special symbols. Whether you need it for Spanish, French, or just a clean apostrophe in English, you’ve got the shortcuts, alt codes, and copy-paste options ready.