Keyboard shortcuts
| Letter | Windows (Alt code) | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| é É | Alt + 0233 / 0201 | Option + E, then E |
| è È | Alt + 0232 / 0200 | Option + `, then E |
| ê Ê | Alt + 0234 / 0202 | Option + I, then E |
| ë Ë | Alt + 0235 / 0203 | Option + U, then E |
| à À | Alt + 0224 / 0192 | Option + `, then A |
| â Â | Alt + 0226 / 0194 | Option + I, then A |
| î Î | Alt + 0238 / 0206 | Option + I, then I |
| ï Ï | Alt + 0239 / 0207 | Option + U, then I |
| ô Ô | Alt + 0244 / 0212 | Option + I, then O |
| ù Ù | Alt + 0249 / 0217 | Option + `, then U |
| û Û | Alt + 0251 / 0219 | Option + I, then U |
| ü Ü | Alt + 0252 / 0220 | Option + U, then U |
| ÿ Ÿ | Alt + 0255 / 0159 | Option + U, then Y |
| ç Ç | Alt + 0231 / 0199 | Option + C |
| œ Œ | Alt + 0156 / 0140 | Option + Q |
| æ Æ | Alt + 0230 / 0198 | Option + ' |
| « | Alt + 0171 | Option + \ |
| » | Alt + 0187 | Option + Shift + \ |
Mac: On a Mac, hold Option and press the first key, let go, then type the letter. Option + ` gives the grave accent (è), Option + I the circumflex (ê), Option + E the acute accent (é) and Option + U the diaeresis (ë).
Windows: On Windows, turn on Num Lock, hold Alt and type the four-digit code on the numeric keypad. If you write French every day, add the French (AZERTY) or Canadian French keyboard in Settings so the accented letters have their own keys.
iPhone and Android: On iPhone and Android, press and hold e, a, u, i, o or c to see every accented version, then slide to the one you want.
What each French accent does
French has five marks. Most of them change how a vowel sounds, and a few only tell two words apart in writing.
- Acute accent (accent aigu), only on e: é sounds like the “ay” in “day”, cut short. café, été, étudiant.
- Grave accent (accent grave): è is an open “eh” sound, as in mère and très. On a and u it only separates words: a (has) / à (to), ou (or) / où (where), la (the) / là (there).
- Circumflex (accent circonflexe): â, ê, î, ô, û. It often marks an s that disappeared from older spelling, which is why forêt is “forest” and hôpital is “hospital”. It can also separate words: sur (on) / sûr (sure).
- Diaeresis (tréma): ë, ï, ü. It tells you to pronounce two vowels separately: Noël, naïf, maïs.
- Cedilla (cédille), only on c: ç sounds like s before a, o and u: français, garçon, reçu.
Do French capital letters need accents?
Yes. The Académie française recommends keeping accents on capital letters, because they can change the meaning: PÊCHE (fishing or peach) is not PECHE. Leaving them off is common on signs and keyboards that make them hard to type, but it is not correct spelling. Use the Shift key above to type them.
French quotation marks and œ
French uses guillemets for quotes, with a space inside each one: « Bonjour ». The letter œ (as in cœur, sœur, œuf) is a single letter, so write it instead of oe in careful writing.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type é on a keyboard?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0233 on the numeric keypad (0201 for É). On a Mac, press Option+E, then E. On a phone, press and hold the e key and choose é. You can also click é on this page and copy it.
How do I type ç?
On Windows, hold Alt and type 0231 on the numeric keypad (0199 for Ç). On a Mac, press Option+C. On a phone, press and hold the c key.
What is the difference between é and è?
é (acute accent) is a closed sound, close to the “ay” in “day” but shorter. è (grave accent) is an open “eh” sound, as in “bed”. Compare été (summer) and père (father).
Which French accent is the most common?
The acute accent on é is by far the most common, because it appears in past participles of every -er verb: parlé, mangé, aimé.