How to Type Kwéyòl Accents (é, è, ò) on Any Phone or Computer

Saint Lucian Kwéyòl is written with three accented letters: é, è and ò. They are not decoration. They tell you how to say the vowel, and writing them correctly is part of spelling the word right. Words like Kwéyòl itself use two of them. Here is how to type them on every common device.

iPhone and iPad

1. Touch and hold the e key. A row of accented letters pops up.
2. Slide your finger to é or è and let go.
3. For ò, touch and hold o and slide to ò.

Android phones

On most Android keyboards, including Gboard and the Samsung keyboard, it works the same way: press and hold e or o, then slide to the accented letter you want.

Mac

• é: press Option + E, let go, then press E.
• è: press Option + ` (the key above Tab), let go, then press E.
• ò: press Option + `, let go, then press O.

You can also press and hold a letter key, just like on a phone, and pick the accent from the menu that appears.

Windows

Option 1: the US International keyboard. Add it in Settings under Time and Language, then Language, then your language's options. Once it is switched on:

• é: type ' (apostrophe), then e.
• è: type ` (backtick), then e.
• ò: type `, then o.

Option 2: Alt codes. On a keyboard with a number pad, hold Alt and type the number on the number pad, then let go of Alt: Alt 0233 for é, Alt 0232 for è and Alt 0242 for ò.

Do I need accents to play the games here?

In Wordle, the on-screen keyboard already has é, è and ò keys, so you do not need any of the tricks above. In the Typing Test, plain letters are accepted, so typing e counts for é or è. In Fill in the Blank and Jumble, accents count, so this guide is worth keeping handy.

Why the accents matter

Getting into the habit of writing the accents is one of the easiest ways to learn the official spelling of Saint Lucian Kwéyòl, the same spelling used in the national dictionary. The more you type the words correctly, the more naturally you will read them.