Assuming US keyboard, you can use US International as a secondary layout. That would make typing “single quote” then the letter an acute accented letter.
That's an acute, I want the accent the other way - and I know I could learn the alt-code but it's crazy if there isn't an easier way using the keyboard alone.
Why isn't it altgr+(letter) and repeated presses like holding down the letter on an Android mobile phone touch keyboard?
So ‘ then a would become á