Typing in Icelandic requires a few special characters that don’t exist on a standard English keyboard.

Setting up your devices to type these letters is a necessary step in your language learning journey.

You need to use the correct letters to ensure your writing is easily understood by native speakers.

This guide explains exactly how to set up and type Icelandic characters on any operating system.

The special Icelandic characters

The Icelandic alphabet contains 32 letters.

It includes vowels with acute accents, as well as unique characters that date back to Old Norse.

The vowels with accent marks are Á, É, Í, Ó, Ú, and Ý.

The unique Icelandic characters you need to learn to type are Ð (eth), Þ (thorn), Æ (ash), and Ö (o-umlaut).

Here’s a quick reference table of these unique letters and their common Windows Alt codes.

How to type Icelandic letters on Windows

The easiest way to type Icelandic on a PC is to add the Icelandic keyboard layout in your settings.

This allows you to switch seamlessly between your native language and Icelandic.

Follow these exact steps to add the keyboard on Windows 10 and Windows 11:

1. Click on the Start Menu and open your Settings.
2. Select “Time & Language” from the menu.
3. Click on “Language” (or “Language & region”).
4. Click the “Add a language” button.
5. Search for “Icelandic” (or “Íslenska”), select it, and click “Next”.
6. Click “Install” to add the keyboard layout to your computer.

Once installed, you can switch between your keyboards by pressing the Windows Key + Spacebar.

You’ll also see a small language icon (like “ENG” or “ISL”) in the bottom right corner of your taskbar.

With the Icelandic layout active, the physical keys on your keyboard will change their outputs.

For example, the minus key (-) becomes the letter “ð”.

The bracket keys become “þ” and “æ”.

To type vowels with acute accents (like á or í), press the apostrophe key (’) first, then press your desired vowel.

How to type Icelandic letters on Mac

Apple makes it very simple to type special characters without even changing your keyboard.

If you only need to type an Icelandic letter occasionally, you can simply press and hold the corresponding key on your Mac keyboard.

Holding down the “o” key will bring up a small menu above the letter where you can select “ö” or “ó”.

Holding down the “d” key will allow you to select “ð”.

However, if you’re typing full sentences in Icelandic, you should install the Icelandic keyboard layout.

Here’s how to set up the Icelandic keyboard on a Mac:

1. Open “System Settings” (or “System Preferences” on older Macs).
2. Scroll down and click on “Keyboard”.
3. Under the “Text Input” section, click on “Edit” next to Input Sources.
4. Click the small plus (+) button at the bottom left.
5. Search for “Icelandic”, select it, and click “Add”.

You can now switch between keyboards by pressing Control + Spacebar.

Just like on Windows, the physical keys will now output Icelandic characters.

How to type Icelandic letters on iPhone and iPad

Typing Icelandic on iOS is incredibly straightforward.

You can use the long-press method just like on a Mac for occasional letters.

Pressing and holding the “a” key on your screen will give you the option to slide your finger over to “æ” or “á”.

For dedicated practice, adding the Icelandic keyboard is much faster.

Follow these steps to add it to your iPhone or iPad:

1. Open the “Settings” app.
2. Tap on “General”.
3. Scroll down and tap on “Keyboard”.
4. Tap on “Keyboards” at the very top.
5. Select “Add New Keyboard” and choose “Icelandic” from the list.

To use the keyboard while typing a message, tap and hold the globe icon in the bottom left corner of your screen.

Slide your finger up to select “Íslenska”.

Your on-screen keyboard will now display keys for ð, þ, æ, and ö right on the main layout.

How to type Icelandic letters on Android

Android devices also support both the long-press method and a dedicated Icelandic keyboard.

Long-pressing a vowel on your default Android keyboard will bring up a pop-up menu with accented options.

To type faster, you should install the Icelandic layout using Gboard (Google’s default keyboard).

Here’s how to add it to your Android device:

1. Open your “Settings” app.
2. Scroll down and tap on “System” (or “General Management” on Samsung devices).
3. Tap on “Languages & input”.
4. Select “On-screen keyboard” and then choose “Gboard”.
5. Tap on “Languages”, then tap “Add keyboard”.
6. Search for “Icelandic” and tap “Done”.

When you want to type in Icelandic, simply long-press the spacebar on your keyboard.

A menu will appear allowing you to select the Icelandic layout.

The special letters þ, ð, æ, and ö will now be directly accessible on your screen.