Input Method for Entering
European Language Diacritics
on the Web: Windows OS

A Quick How To:

To type special diacritics into applications other than MS Word, an online form on a web page for example, one needs two things:

1. Proper keyboard settings
2. Knowledge of the accompanying key strokes

Below are step-by-step instructions for altering keyboard input method for each of the common Windows operating systems. At the Colby Language Resource Center, we recommend US-International keyboard layout (for roman letter based writing systems), which is more intuitive for our standard QWERTY typists than the keyboard layouts of the various foreign countries.

Once the keyboard layout has been changed to US-International, use the following key strokes:

Ctrl Alt <letter>

In other words, hold down Ctrl, then Alt, then hit the appropriate letter (a,e,i,o,u,n, etc.)

1. click on the Start button
2. select Settings ... Control Panel
3. click on the Keyboard icon
4. in the new window, click on the Language tab
5. under Keyboard languages and layouts the default should be English (US)
6. click on the Properties button
7. select United States-International for keyboard layout from the drop-down menu
8. click OK
9. click Apply
10. Insert operating system disk if prompted
11. After update is finished, click OK

1. click on the Start button
2. select Settings ... Control Panel
3. click on the Keyboard icon
4. in the new window, click on the Input Locales tab
5. the default should be English (US)
6. click on the Properties button
7. select United States-International for keyboard layout/IME from the drop-down menu
8. click OK
9. click Apply
10. Insert operating system disk if prompted
11. click OK

1. click on the Start button
2. click on Date, Time, Language, and Regional Options
3. click on Regional and Language Options
4. in the new window click on the Languages tab
5. click on the Details button
6. in the new window click on the Add button
7. default input language should be English
8. select United States-International for keyboard layout/IME from the drop-down menu