How to Type French Accents: Windows, Mac, Word, AZERTY and Phones

To type French accents on Windows, hold Alt and type 0233 on the number pad for é, 0232 for è, 0224 for à and 0231 for ç. On a Mac, press Option + E and then e for é, or Option + C for ç.

The tables below cover every French letter on every common system. If you only need a letter once, copy it from French letters with accent marks.

Quick reference: all French letters

Windows: Alt codes

1. Turn Num Lock on.
2. Hold down Alt.
3. Type the four digits on the numeric keypad, for example 0233.
4. Release Alt.

Only the number pad works. The number keys along the top of the keyboard do nothing for Alt codes. On a laptop without a keypad, use the US International keyboard below, or press Win + . (period) and pick the letter from the Symbols tab.

Alt codes for French capitals

French capitals keep their accents, so these codes matter. The reasons are in French accent marks explained.

French AZERTY keyboard

The keyboard used in France puts the most common accented letters on the number row, where you type them without Shift:

For the circumflex, press the ^ key to the right of P, then the vowel: ^ then e gives ê. For the tréma, press Shift + that same key (¨), then the vowel: ¨ then i gives ï.

The classic AZERTY layout has no keys for accented capitals such as É, À or Ç, and no key for œ. Use Alt codes for those. A newer standard AZERTY layout, published by the French standards body AFNOR in 2019, adds them; if your system offers a "French (Standard)" layout in its keyboard list, that is the one. Belgian AZERTY works much the same way, with small differences on the number row.

Canadian French keyboards

Canadian French layouts keep the familiar QWERTY letter positions. The letter é has its own key, and the other accents come from dead keys: press the accent key, then the vowel. Exact key positions differ between the Canadian French and Canadian Multilingual Standard layouts, so check the on-screen keyboard (search "on-screen keyboard" in the Windows Start menu) to see where each accent sits on yours.

On Windows, switch between installed layouts with Win + Space. On a Mac, use the input menu in the menu bar.

Windows: US International keyboard

If you mostly type English but need French often, the US International layout is the easiest option. It keeps the US key positions and turns a few punctuation keys into dead keys:

• ' then e gives é
• ` then a, e or u gives à, è, ù
• ^ then a vowel gives â ê î ô û
• " then e, i or u gives ë ï ü
• ' then c gives ç

To type a normal apostrophe or quote mark, press the key and then Space. For œ, use Alt 0156. Setup steps are in our US International keyboard guide.

Mac: Option keys and press and hold

On a Mac with the standard US layout, type the accent first, then the letter:

• Option + E, then e: é
• Option + `, then a, e or u: à è ù
• Option + I, then a vowel: â ê î ô û
• Option + U, then e, i, u or y: ë ï ü ÿ
• Option + C: ç
• Option + Q: œ

For capitals, press Shift with the letter: Option + E, then Shift + E gives É. For Ç and Œ, add Shift to the Option shortcut.

You can also press and hold a letter to see a menu of accented versions, then press the number shown. More detail is in how to type accent letters on a Mac.

How to put French accents on letters in Word

Microsoft Word for Windows has shortcuts that work best with a US keyboard layout. Press the accent shortcut, release it, then type the letter:

• Ctrl + ', then e: é
• Ctrl + `, then a, e or u: à è ù
• Ctrl + Shift + ^, then a vowel: â ê î ô û
• Ctrl + Shift + :, then e, i or u: ë ï ü
• Ctrl + , (comma), then c: ç
• Ctrl + Shift + &, then o: œ

Press Shift with the letter for a capital: Ctrl + ', then Shift + E gives É. Word for Mac uses the Mac Option keys instead. For Alt + X codes and AutoCorrect, see how to put accent marks on letters in Word.

iPhone and Android

On iPhone, Gboard and Samsung Keyboard, press and hold a letter, slide to the accented version and let go. Hold e for é è ê ë, a for à â æ, c for ç, and o for ô œ.

If you write French often, add French as a keyboard language. Autocorrect will then add many accents for you. Steps for each phone are in how to type accents on iPhone and Android.

Which method should you use?

Need Spanish too? The same methods are set out for á, ñ and ¿ in how to type Spanish accents.