How to Type French Accents on Any Device

To type French accents: on Windows, use Alt + numeric codes or switch to an international keyboard layout; on Mac, use Option-key combinations (Option+e then the letter for é); on iPhone and Android, long-press the base letter and select the accented version from the popup. A copy-paste reference works everywhere as a fallback.

Learn the accents while you learn the words. Get it on the App Store or Google Play.

For the accent basics and what each mark actually does, see the French alphabet and accent basics.

On Windows: alt codes

Hold Alt and type a numeric code on the number pad (with Num Lock on) for each accented letter, or switch your keyboard to an international/French layout for frequent typing.

On Mac: option-key shortcuts

Mac uses “dead key” combinations: press the accent key, release, then type the base letter. Option+E then a vowel adds an acute accent (é), Option+` (backtick) then a vowel adds a grave accent (è, à, ù), Option+I then a vowel adds a circumflex (ê, â, î, ô, û), and Option+U then a vowel adds a diaeresis (ë, ï, ü). Two letters have direct shortcuts with no dead key: Option+C types ç directly, and Option+Q types œ directly. Add Shift to any of these for the capital version (Option+Shift+E, then E, gives É).

On iPhone and Android: long-press

Hold down the base letter on the on-screen keyboard, and a popup menu of accented variants appears - slide to select. This works consistently across both platforms’ default keyboards.

Switching to a French keyboard layout (AZERTY)

Worth the switch if you write French frequently; overkill for occasional accents, where shortcuts are faster. For the AZERTY vs QWERTY difference itself, see AZERTY vs QWERTY.

Universal fallback: copy-paste reference

À Â Ä È É Ê Ë Î Ï Ô Ö Ù Û Ü Ç à â ä è é ê ë î ï ô ö ù û ü ç - copy any of these directly when shortcuts aren’t available.