O with a Macron (Ō) – Typing, Pronunciation, and Usage

Few things trip up a writer quite like a missing macron. You know you need the long “o” sound for Māori words like Māori itself, but where exactly is that key on your keyboard? This guide walks through exactly what ō is, how to type it on any device, and why it matters for languages like Māori and Hawaiian.

Unicode code point (uppercase): U+014C ·
Unicode code point (lowercase): U+014D ·
Primary language usage: Māori, Hawaiian, other Polynesian languages ·
Common name: O with macron

These data points reveal a single pattern: ō is a standardised character with broad platform support, yet many users still struggle to find it.

What is ō?

Four key facts, one pattern: the macron turns a short vowel into a long one, and that difference changes meaning. In Māori, keke (cake) and kēkē (armpit) are distinguished by macrons — so accuracy matters.

How is ō defined in Unicode?

• Uppercase Ō: U+014C
• Lowercase ō: U+014D
• The character is part of the Latin Extended-A block (Em Rule editorial resource)

Which languages use ō?

• Māori (New Zealand): Essential for correct spelling and pronunciation (Kupu o te Rā language resource)
• Hawaiian: Used in kōlea (golden plover) and other words to mark long vowels
• Other Polynesian languages and romanisation systems (Hepburn Japanese, Pinyin Chinese)

The implication: ō is not a typographic flourish — it carries meaning. Omitting it can turn Māori into maori, which some speakers consider disrespectful.

How do you type an O with a macron?

Six methods, one challenge: most people don’t know the shortcut. Here are the reliable ways across platforms.

How to type ō on Windows?

• Alt code: Hold Alt and type 014D (lowercase) or 014C (uppercase) on the numeric keypad (Em Rule editorial resource)
• Māori keyboard: Add the English (New Zealand) – Māori layout. Press the tilde key (`) then o to get ō (Kupu o te Rā language resource)
• Unicode input in Word: Type 014D and press Alt+X (Em Rule editorial resource)
• Character Map: Open Character Map, select ō, and copy (Ara Institute PDF guide)

How to type ō on Mac?

• Māori keyboard layout: Hold Option (⌥) and press o to get ō (Kupu o te Rā language resource)
• Alternative: Press Option + ` then o (dead-key method)

How to type ō on mobile?

• iOS/Android: Long press the O key on the soft keyboard — a popup with accented options appears. Slide to select ō.
• On Android, install the Gboard app and enable the Māori language pack for persistent macron keys.

How to type ō using alt codes?

• Alt+014D works in most Windows applications that support Unicode.
• For uppercase Ō, use Alt+014C.
• Make sure Num Lock is on and use the numeric keypad — the top-row number keys won’t trigger the code (Em Rule editorial resource).

The pattern across all platforms: once you learn the shortcut, typing ō becomes as natural as typing any other letter.

How do you spell ō?

Two frequent confusions, one resolution: ō is a single character, not two letters.

What is the correct spelling of ō?

• Ō is a single character: O with a macron (a horizontal line above the letter).
• In digital text, it must be typed as one Unicode code point (U+014D / U+014C), not as O followed by a combining macron (though that works too).

Is ō the same as ó?

• No. ō uses a macron (¯), ó uses an acute accent (´).
• In Māori, the macron indicates a long vowel; the acute accent is not used.
• In Spanish and Portuguese, ó represents a different vowel sound entirely.

The pattern: diacritics are not interchangeable. Using the wrong one may render a word unintelligible.

How to pronounce ō?

Two language families, one principle: the macron lengthens the vowel.

What is the English pronunciation of ō?

• When borrowed from Māori, English speakers typically say the long o as in “go” (/oʊ/).
• Many loanwords retain the long sound, e.g., Māori is often pronounced “Mow-ree” (rhyming with “cow-ree”).

How does Māori pronounce ō?

• In te reo Māori, ō is a pure long vowel /oː/ — hold the “o” sound approximately twice as long as the short o (Kupu o te Rā language resource).
• Place your tongue as for a short “o” but sustain it. Think of the difference between “pot” (short) and “paw” (long) — that’s the length contrast.

The catch: English speakers tend to conflate vowel quality with vowel length, but Māori relies purely on duration.

Which languages use the ō character?

Three major contexts, one thread: they all use the macron to mark a long vowel.

What countries use ō?

• New Zealand (Māori) — the character is official in the Māori orthography.
• Hawaii (USA) — used in the Hawaiian language for words like Āina (land).
• Romanisations — Hepburn romanisation of Japanese uses ō for long ‘o’ (e.g., Tōkyō). Pinyin uses it for the first tone of the ‘o’ vowel.

Is ō used in Hawaiian?

• Yes. The Hawaiian alphabet uses the macron (called kahakō) to lengthen vowels. For example, kōlea (golden plover) would be unrecognisable without it.

Why this matters: digital support for ō isn’t just a typography issue — it’s a question of language preservation. The more seamlessly users can type macrons, the more accurately indigenous languages are represented online.

“A macron (tohutō) is a line above a vowel in te reo Māori indicating a long vowel sound, such as in ‘ō’.”

Kupu o te Rā (Māori language learning resource)

“In Māori, ‘ō’ represents a long ‘o’ sound, pronounced longer than the short ‘o’.”

Em Rule (New Zealand editorial resource)

Frequently asked questions

For anyone working with te reo Māori, Hawaiian, or romanised East Asian languages, the ability to type ō accurately isn’t a luxury — it’s a necessity. The tools are already built into your operating system; the only missing piece is knowing where to look. Adopt the Māori keyboard layout today, and you’ll never fumble for a macron again.

Related reading:

• Te Wiki o te Reo Māori: 50 Years of Celebration Guide
• New Zealand Population 2025: Official Stats & Demographics