Anyone typing French text on a computer keyboard not geared for French will soon be tempted to simply leave out diacritical marks like the accents, the circonflex and the cedilla.
Though faster, it is a sloppy way of writing in French that might even lead to misunderstandings and errors. Simple shortcut keys can help out and speed up typing special letters in French.
How Typing Special French Characters Helps
Going the extra mile and inserting the correct special letter will help when writing in French or to someone in a French-speaking country. The recipient of the message will appreciate that the author
- pays attention to detail
- has a good command over the language
- understands the importance of using the correct letter
Especially when applying for a job that requires French language skills or any formal written communication where demonstrating one’s French helps, minding one’s ás and às is key. Even when writing a casual email to a friend or family member, using the correct accents and trying to insert them fast is good practice.
Typing Acute Accent and Grave Accent in French
The most well known (and probably most mixed up) accents in French are the acute accent (´) and the grave accent (`). They mark the vowel height, meaning where in the oral cavity a vowel is pronounced and therefore how it is pronounced.
The following shortcut keys work well for PCs:
- á = 00e1 + Alt + x
- Á = 00c1 + Alt + x
- à = 00e0 + Alt + x
- À = 00c0 + Alt + x
- é = 00e9 + Alt + x
- É = 00c9 + Alt + x
- è = 00e8 + Alt + x
- È = 00c8 + Alt + x
- ù = 00f9 + Alt + x
Circonflex and Cedilla in French
The circonflex (^) is a diacritical mark used in many languages, usually to indicate a vowel’s quality and length; in French for the vowels a, e, o and u. The most frequent character with the diacritic cedilla (,) is the consonant c, turning it into a soft s sound.
Though leaving out diacritics like the circonflex or the cedilla would not change the meaning of a word in French, it would change its pronunciation; care should therefore be taken when spelling and typing. Here are shortcut keys that work well for PCs:
- â = 00e2 + Alt + x
- Â = 00c2 + Alt + x
- ê = 00ea + Alt + x
- Ê = 00ca + Alt + x
- ô = 00f4 + Alt + x
- Ô = 00d4 + Alt + x
- û = 00fb + Alt + x
- Û = 00db + Alt + x
- ç = 00e7 + Alt + x
Special French Characters Online
The Internet and its global reach has certainly changed the way words are typed and spelled. For URLs and email addresses, special characters are left out and replaced with the closest regular vowel or consonant, á with a, ê with e, etc.
The above mentioned keyboard shortcuts are handy because they do not require the installation of any software or program and will work regardless if the numerical lock is on or not. Though initially it will take a bit of time to get used to each Alt code, they will save time in the long run.
Readers interested in this topic may also enjoy the related articles Typing Special Spanish Letters Fast, Typing Special German Letters Fast or Keyboard Shortcuts for Writers.
Simone Preuss - Simone is a freelance writer, editor and translator who decided to go solo after a successful career in publishing. That was more than ...
Join the Conversation