Latin Small Letter A With Diaeresis Letter
ä is the Latin small letter A with diaeresis, used in languages that distinguish ä from a.
U+00E4
ä (U+00E4) is a lowercase Latin letter with a diaeresis. It’s commonly needed when writing German and other languages that use umlauted vowels.
Latin Small Letter A With Diaeresis Letter Meaning
ä is the lowercase form of the Latin letter “a” modified with a diaeresis (two dots). In languages such as German, Swedish, and Finnish, ä represents a distinct vowel sound and should not be replaced with plain “a” when accurate spelling matters. Because it is a single character (Unicode U+00E4), it’s widely used in names, words, and localized text. For websites and software, using the correct character helps avoid broken typography and ensures proper sorting/searching. When copying, it’s important to use the actual “ä” character rather than approximations like “ae”.
Common uses
- •Writing German words and names (e.g., proper spelling with umlauts)
- •Localization of apps, games, and websites for languages that use ä
- •Correct spelling in emails, documentation, and contact lists
- •Typography in web content where exact characters must be preserved
- •Data entry and form fields that store real Unicode text
Examples
ä — Latin small letter a with diaeresis
- äMüller
- äKäse
- äHäuser
- äTämä
- äJärn
Variations
Technical codes
| Unicode | U+00E4 | |
| HTML Entity | ä | |
| HTML Code | ä | |
| CSS | \00E4 | |
| Alt Code | Alt + 0228 | |
| Decimal | 228 |
How to type Latin Small Letter A With Diaeresis Letter (ä)
On Windows
Hold Alt and type 228 on the numeric keypad. In Word, type 00E4 then press Alt + X.
On Mac
Switch to the Unicode Hex Input keyboard, then hold Option and type 00E4. Or press Control + Command + Space and search.
On Linux
Press Control + Shift + U, type 00e4, then press Enter or Space.
Anywhere
Copy ä with the button above and paste it wherever you need it — this works on every device and in every app, with no keyboard shortcut to remember.
FAQ
What does the Latin Small Letter A With Diaeresis letter mean?
ä is the lowercase form of the Latin letter “a” modified with a diaeresis (two dots). In languages such as German, Swedish, and Finnish, ä represents a distinct vowel sound and should not be replaced with plain “a” when accurate spelling matters. Because it is a single character (Unicode U+00E4), it’s widely used in names, words, and localized text. For websites and software, using the correct character helps avoid broken typography and ensures proper sorting/searching. When copying, it’s important to use the actual “ä” character rather than approximations like “ae”.
What is the Unicode codepoint for ä?
ä is Unicode codepoint U+00E4.
How do I write ä in HTML?
Use the HTML entity: ä.
How do I escape ä in CSS or JavaScript?
CSS escape: \\00E4. JavaScript escape: \\u{00E4}.
Can I replace ä with “ae”?
Sometimes people use “ae” as an ASCII fallback, but for correct spelling you should use the actual character ä when the language requires it.