How to type n with tilde on Mac
To type n with tilde on Mac, hold down Option and press N, release both keys, and then press N again: lowercase ñ appears. For capital Ñ, press Option + N followed by Shift + N. You can also simply hold down the N key until the accent menu pops up.
Quick answer
Press Option + N, release, then press N → ñ. For capital Ñ, press Option + N then Shift + N.
Step by step
Press the dead key shortcut
Hold down the Option (⌥) key and tap the letter N. A highlighted tilde (˜) appears at the cursor.
Release both keys
Let go of Option and N. The dead key indicator waits for your next keystroke.
Type the letter N
Press N on your keyboard. The tilde joins the letter to form ñ (or press Shift + N for Ñ).
The Option + N dead-key shortcut
On macOS, Apple handles accents using dead keys—modifier combinations that generate an accent mark and wait for a base character. Pressing Option + N primes the tilde accent. As soon as you type N, macOS combines the two elements into lowercase ñ. If you need capital Ñ, press Option + N, release both, and press Shift + N. The same dead key also works with vowels such as a and o to produce ã and õ. Our comprehensive Mac Option key shortcuts guide details every dead key on the Mac keyboard.
The press-and-hold accent menu
Modern versions of macOS feature an iOS-style accent bubble that activates whenever you hold down a letter key. In any word processor or browser text box, hold down the N key for about one second until a small numbered pop-up menu appears above the cursor. The letter ñ is assigned to number 1. Press the 1 key on your keyboard or click ñ with your mouse to insert it. For capital Ñ, hold Shift while pressing and holding N.
Using the macOS Character Viewer
In terminal windows or specialized programming IDEs where the press-and-hold feature is disabled in favor of key repeating, you can use the Character Viewer. Press Control + Command + Space to open the symbol palette, search for “tilde” or “eñe”, and double-click the character. Discover advanced symbol lookup techniques in our Mac Character Viewer guide.
Language usage and PC comparisons
The letter ñ is fundamental to Spanish orthography (español, niño, señor) and appears in Galician, Basque, Tagalog, and Chamorro. Failing to include the tilde mark changes pronunciation and spelling fundamentally. If you also type on Windows machines, read our tutorial on typing n with tilde on Windows. Explore character codes and Unicode definitions on our n with tilde symbol page, and discover other accented variants in our n with accent collection.
Frequently asked questions
What is the Mac shortcut for ñ?
Press Option + N, release both keys, and then press N. For capital Ñ, press Option + N followed by Shift + N.
Why does holding down the N key not show the accent menu on my Mac?
Key repeat may be enabled instead of the accent menu. You can reset it in Terminal with defaults write -g ApplePressAndHoldEnabled -bool true, or use Option + N.
How do I type ñ on an iPad with an external keyboard?
The hardware keyboard on iPadOS uses the exact same Mac shortcut: press Option + N, then press N to get ñ.