French keyboard: type every accent on any device

A French keyboard is a setting, not a gadget: whatever keyboard you own can type French once you add a layout or learn one shortcut. This page shows how on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android and Chromebook, with a list you can copy from. For what each mark does to a word, read French accent marks. For the letters themselves, see the French alphabet. To use what you type, try French writing practice.

How do you type in French on a keyboard you already have?

You have two routes. Add a French layout in your system settings, or keep your layout and use a shortcut for each accented letter. Every system below offers both.

Which French keyboard layout can you add?

Windows lists several. Microsoft’s layout list names French (Standard, AZERTY), French (Legacy, AZERTY), French (Standard, BÉPO), Canadian French, Canadian French (Legacy), Canadian Multilingual Standard and Belgian French [2]. The page lists names and identifiers only, so it does not say which one suits you.

A layout moves the keys, so the letters printed on your keycaps may no longer match what appears. Apple says its Keyboard Viewer shows the layout for the current input source, which helps when it does not match your physical keyboard [5].

You can also stay on a US layout and add an international variant. On a Chromebook that is “English (US) with International keyboard” [12]. For an Apple external keyboard on iPad, Apple names U.S. International – PC and ABC Extended [7].

How do you type it in French on Windows?

Add the layout first [1]:

1. Select Start, then Settings, then Time & language, then Language & region.
2. Select the ellipsis next to your language, then Language options.
3. Under Keyboards, select Add a keyboard and pick the layout.

Switch layouts from the input language icon in the taskbar, or hold the Windows logo key and tap the space bar [1].

No layout yet? Use Alt codes. Hold ALT and type the code on the numeric keypad, not the number row, with Num Lock on if your keyboard needs it [3]. Microsoft’s page prints these:

The same page lists ë as ALT+137, ï as ALT+139, î as ALT+140, ô as ALT+147 and û as ALT+150 [3]. Its fallback is Character Map, which lets you copy a character and paste it [3].

How do you type it in French on a Mac?

Press and hold a letter key until the accent menu opens, then click the character or press its number [4]. The menu does not appear for keys with no accent marks, and accents are not available in every app [4].

For speed, Apple describes dead keys: press the key for the mark, then the letter. On the ABC layout, Option-N then a gives ã [4]. Apple also shows Option-I then a [6]. Apple’s iPad page lists Option-E for the acute accent, Option-` for the grave, Option-I for the circumflex and Option-U for the diaeresis on its U.S. International – PC layout [7]. To see the dead keys on your own Mac, open the Keyboard Viewer and hold Option, Shift or both [4][6].

To add a French input source, choose it in System Settings and switch with the Input menu or Control-Space bar [5].

How do you type French on an iPhone, Android phone or Chromebook?

iPhone. Add a keyboard under Settings, General, Keyboard, Keyboards [8]. To type é, touch and hold the e key, then slide to the option you want and release [9].

Android. In Gboard, tap Settings, then Languages, then Add keyboard, and pick the language and layout [10]. Touch and hold the space bar to switch languages [10]. To find accents, touch and hold a key [11].

Chromebook. Hold a letter key, press Tab or the right arrow to enter the menu, pick the accent and press Enter [12]. On the English (US) with International keyboard, the acute accent is an apostrophe then the letter, the circumflex is Shift+6 then the letter, and ç is AltGr + comma [12]. With the Alt key, Alt+E gives é and Alt+I gives ô [12].

How do you type « » and the space before ? ! ; and :?

Guillemets are the French quotation marks. On Windows, Microsoft lists « as ALT+0171 and » as ALT+0187 [3]. On other systems, copy them from the table below.

The Office québécois de la langue française (OQLF) gives spacing rules in a table [13]:

The OQLF opts for no space before ; ! and ?, because some software cannot insert or handle a thin space well, and calls that practice widespread [13]. Where a thin space is available, it says you can use one [13]. On social networks, it says the non-breaking space may be left out where you cannot insert one [13].

What can you copy and paste right now?

Select a character, copy it and paste it into your message. The recordings are ours.

Capitals are É È Ê À Ç Ù Œ.

Common mistakes

• Typing Alt codes on the number row. Microsoft says to use the numeric keypad [3].
• Adding a layout and forgetting your keycaps no longer match. Use a keyboard viewer to see where keys moved [5].
• Expecting accents in every app. Apple warns that accent marks are not available in all apps [4].
• Leaving a full space before ? ! or ;. The OQLF opts for none, or a thin space [13].
• Trusting a shortcut list from a blog, including this one. Menus and layout names change. Check each vendor page’s date against ours.

Sources