How to type pinyin with tone marks

By Carson 木林森 · October 2026 · Updated October 2026

Pinyin with tone marks, like nǐ hǎo, is typed on a Latin keyboard, never on a Chinese one. On a Mac, add the ABC – Extended input source and press Option with A, E, V or ` before the vowel. On a phone, touch and hold the vowel. Windows has no built-in way, and the free Microsoft PowerToys fills the gap.

First, do you need tone marks at all?

To type Chinese characters, no. A Chinese input method takes plain letters: type nihao, press Space, get 你好. Written Chinese has no tone marks in it. You need them only when you are writing pinyin itself: study notes, flashcards, a worksheet, a name.

The four marks

If you need one or two, copy them from this table. The neutral tone has no mark.

Mac: ABC – Extended

macOS includes a Latin input source that types all four marks.

1. Open System Settings and select Keyboard.
2. Under Text Input, click Edit next to Input Sources.
3. Click +, choose English, select ABC – Extended and click Add.
4. Switch to it from the input menu in the menu bar.
5. Press the tone key, let go, then type the vowel.

The ` key (grave accent) is the one under Esc. For a toned ü, press the tone key and then V: Option + V, then V, gives ǚ. For a plain ü, press Option + U, then U.

So nǐ hǎo is: N, Option + V, I, Space, H, Option + V, A, O.

Windows: PowerToys Quick Accent

Windows does not ship a keyboard layout for pinyin tone marks, and Microsoft Pinyin outputs characters only. Microsoft's free PowerToys has a tool for this.

1. Install Microsoft PowerToys.
2. Open PowerToys Settings, select Quick Accent, and turn on Enable.
3. Under Characters, select the Pinyin set.
4. While typing, hold the vowel and press Space. A bar opens with ā á ǎ à.
5. Press Space or the arrow keys to move along the bar, then release to insert.

Hold U or V the same way to reach ü and ǖ ǘ ǚ ǜ.

iPhone and iPad

1. Add a Chinese Pinyin keyboard if you have not yet. The steps are in typing Chinese on an iPhone.
2. Type the syllable up to the vowel that takes the mark.
3. Touch and hold that vowel. A row of accented forms opens.
4. Slide your finger to the one you want and let go.

Android

In Gboard, touch and hold a vowel to see its accented forms, then slide to the one you want. Which marks are offered depends on the keyboard language you are using. If one is missing, copy it from the table above or write tone numbers.

Typing ü as v

This is a separate question that gets mixed up with tone marks. Inside a Chinese input method on any device, there is no ü key, so you type v:

• nv gives 女 (nǚ)
• lv gives 绿 (lǜ)
• lvxing gives 旅行 (lǚxíng)

After j, q, x and y, pinyin drops the two dots, so you type a plain u: qu for 去 (qù), xue for 学 (xué), yu for 鱼 (yú).

Where the mark goes

1. If there is an a or an e, it takes the mark: hǎo, xiè, kuài.
2. In ou, the o takes it: gǒu.
3. Otherwise the last vowel takes it: liù, guì, xué.

Tone numbers

Where marks are awkward, write the tone as a number after the syllable: ni3 hao3. This is a standard convention, and the GraphChinese dictionary and many other tools accept it.

Common problems

Option + V does nothing on my Mac

You are on the plain ABC or U.S. input source. The macron and caron keys exist only on ABC – Extended. Check the input menu in the menu bar.

I typed nǐ hǎo and my Chinese keyboard shows no characters

A Chinese input method wants plain letters. Type nihao.

The third tone looks like a rounded cup

That is ă, a breve, which belongs to other languages. The pinyin third tone is ǎ, with a pointed caron. Pick the pointed one.

Now that you can type it: how much Chinese do you know? The free HSK placement test takes about ten minutes and returns your level on the new HSK 3.0 scale.

Frequently asked questions

How do I type nǐ hǎo with tone marks?

On a Mac with the ABC – Extended input source: n, Option+V, i, space, h, Option+V, a, o. On an iPhone, touch and hold the vowel and slide to the marked form. On Windows, turn on PowerToys Quick Accent with the Pinyin character set, hold the vowel and press Space.

Why does my Chinese keyboard not type tone marks?

A Chinese input method turns untoned pinyin into characters. Its output is 你好, never nǐ hǎo. Tone marks belong to pinyin written as text, so they come from a Latin keyboard that can produce accented letters.

How do I type ü?

Inside a Chinese input method, type v: nv gives 女 and lv gives 绿. To write the letter ü itself on a Mac, press Option+U and then u. With ABC – Extended, a tone key followed by v gives the toned forms ǖ ǘ ǚ ǜ.

Which vowel gets the tone mark?

If the syllable has an a or an e, the mark goes on it. In ou it goes on the o. In every other case it goes on the last vowel, so liù and guì.

Is it acceptable to write tone numbers?

Yes. ni3 hao3 is a standard way to write pinyin where tone marks are awkward to type, with 5 or no number for the neutral tone. Many dictionaries and study tools accept it.

Related guides: Type Chinese on a Mac · Type Chinese on Windows · The Microsoft Pinyin keyboard · Type Chinese on iPhone and iPad · Type Chinese on Android · Type Chinese on a Chromebook · The four tones, explained