Windows lets you use a lot of different special characters which don’t appear on a standard QWERTY keyboard via an integrated Character Map. However, if you need to type special characters in text very often, you can use “WinCompose”, an open-source desktop tool that allows you to type special characters using simple key combinations.

Step 1: Download and install “WinCompose”

First of all, open your browser and go to this link: www.github.com/SamHocevar/wincompose and click on the blue link to download the program. Then run the setup and follow the steps to install “WinCompose”.

Step 2: Initiate a compose sequence

After installation, the application adds itself to the Windows system tray. Press and release the “Compose” key to initiate a compose sequence. This key defaults to Right ALT; the icon should change to a green spot to indicate a compose sequence is in progress.

Then open a text processor and type in the keys for a compose sequence, such as A then E for “Æ”, for example.

Step 3:  Change the settings

You can right click the system tray icon to: disable or restart the tool; specify the “Compose Key” or the “Timeout interval” (Delay),and view a map of all compose sequences.

Step 4: Take a look at the full list of rules and do a search

The full list of rules can be found by clicking on the “WinCompose” system tray icon, or by using the “Show Sequences” by right clicking on the icon. You can also find a specific sequence by entering it in the “Search Filter” at the bottom of the window.

Result: Congratulations! You’ve just learned How to Type Special Characters In Windows Using Keyboard Shortcuts