Short answer: on a phone, hold the letter and pick the accent (hold e → é è ê ë). On a Mac, press Option + e, then e for é. On Windows, the fastest setup is the United States-International keyboard, where ‘ then e = é — or use the Alt code Alt + 0233. Full per-letter table below.
French accents — tap to copy
Want to grab one now without setup? Use the Accent Keyboard tool — it has every French accent ready to copy.
The French characters you need
French uses five accented vowels and a couple of special letters: the acute é, the grave è à ù, the circumflex ê â î ô û, the tréma (diaeresis) ë ï ü, the cedilla ç, the ligatures œ and æ, and the guillemets « » used as quotation marks. Here’s every one, with the Windows Alt code, the Mac Option shortcut, and the HTML entity.
| Character | Windows (Alt code) | Mac (Option) | HTML |
|---|---|---|---|
| é | Alt + 0233 | Option + e, then e | é |
| è | Alt + 0232 | Option + `, then e | è |
| ê | Alt + 0234 | Option + i, then e | ê |
| ë | Alt + 0235 | Option + u, then e | ë |
| à | Alt + 0224 | Option + `, then a | à |
| â | Alt + 0226 | Option + i, then a | â |
| ç | Alt + 0231 | Option + c | ç |
| î | Alt + 0238 | Option + i, then i | î |
| ï | Alt + 0239 | Option + u, then i | ï |
| ô | Alt + 0244 | Option + i, then o | ô |
| û | Alt + 0251 | Option + i, then u | û |
| ù | Alt + 0249 | Option + `, then u | ù |
| ü | Alt + 0252 | Option + u, then u | ü |
| œ | Alt + 0156 | Option + q | œ |
| æ | Alt + 0230 | Option + ‘ | æ |
| « | Alt + 0171 | Option + \ | « |
| » | Alt + 0187 | Option + Shift + \ | » |
| € | Alt + 0128 | Option + Shift + 2 | € |
For capitals, hold Shift on the final letter — Mac Option + e, then Shift + e = É; Windows uses Alt + 0201 for É, Alt + 0199 for Ç, Alt + 0192 for À. The euro has its own full guide if you need it in Excel or on other layouts.
Windows
The cleanest way to type French on Windows is the United States-International keyboard — it keeps your familiar QWERTY layout but turns a few keys into “dead keys” that add accents.
- Add it: Settings → Time & language → Language & region → the … → Language options → Add a keyboard → United States-International.
- Switch to it with Win + Space.
- Type the accent key, then the letter:
- ‘ (apostrophe) then a vowel → á é í ó ú, and ‘ then c → ç
- ` (backtick) then a vowel → à è ì ò ù
- ^ (Shift + 6) then a vowel → â ê î ô û
- ” (Shift + ‘) then a vowel → ä ë ï ö ü
Because the accent keys now wait for a second key, to type a plain apostrophe press ‘ then Space. The ligature œ has no dead key — use Alt + 0156, and the guillemets are Alt + 0171 («) and Alt + 0187 (»).
Prefer not to install a layout? Every character works with its Alt code: hold Alt, type the four digits on the numeric keypad with Num Lock on, release. (No numpad? See why Alt codes fail and how to fix it.)
Mac
macOS types French accents with no layout change at all — the Option key is a set of dead keys.
- é → Option + e, then e
- è à ù → Option + `, then the vowel
- ê â î ô û → Option + i, then the vowel
- ë ï ü → Option + u, then the vowel
- ç → Option + c (capital Ç → Shift + Option + C)
- œ → Option + q · æ → Option + ‘
- « → Option + \ · » → Shift + Option + \
For a capital accented letter, add Shift to the final keystroke (Option + e, then Shift + e = É). If you write French often, add the French or US-International – PC input source under System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit, and switch with Ctrl + Space.
iPhone & Android
On both phones, you don’t set anything up — just press and hold the base letter and a little menu of accents pops up. Hold e for é è ê ë, a for à â æ, c for ç, o for ô œ, u for û ù ü. Slide to the one you want and let go. For the guillemets, hold the ” or ‹ key on the symbols layer. If you type French a lot, add the French keyboard (iPhone: Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards → Add New Keyboard; Android Gboard: keyboard gear → Languages → Add keyboard → French) and switch with the Globe key.
Chromebook & Linux
Chromebook: add the US International or French input under Settings → Languages and inputs → Inputs → Add input methods, switch with Ctrl + Shift + Space, and use the same dead keys as Windows US-International (‘ then e = é).
Linux: add the layout under Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources, or use the Compose key — press Compose, then ‘ e for é, ` e for è, ^ e for ê, ” e for ë, , c for ç. You can also enter any character by code point with Ctrl + Shift + U then the hex (e.g. 00e9 for é). See typing symbols on Linux for the full method.
Microsoft Word
Word has its own built-in accent shortcuts that work on any layout:
- Ctrl + ‘ (apostrophe), then e → é
- Ctrl + ` (backtick), then e → è
- Ctrl + Shift + ^ (6), then e → ê
- Ctrl + Shift + : (;), then e → ë
- Ctrl + , (comma), then c → ç
The same patterns apply to the other vowels. For œ / æ, use Insert → Symbol or the Alt codes above.
The AZERTY option
If you have or want a full French keyboard, the AZERTY layout puts é è à ç ù on their own keys along the number row (you press Shift to get the digits). Note the letter swaps versus QWERTY: A↔Q, Z↔W, and M moves next to L. Add it the same way as any other layout; it’s overkill if you only type French occasionally, but natural if French is your main language.
Guillemets and French spacing
French uses « » (guillemets) instead of “quotes”, and traditional French typography puts a narrow no-break space inside them and before high punctuation — ; : ! ? — so the marks never wrap to a new line alone. If you’re setting French text properly, see non-breaking spaces and invisible characters for how to insert that spacing.
Troubleshooting
| Problem | Fix |
|---|---|
| Nothing happens when I press the accent key | On US-International the accent keys are “dead” — they wait for the next key. Press the accent, then the letter. For a plain apostrophe, press ‘ then Space. |
| Alt code does nothing | Alt codes need the numeric keypad with Num Lock on; the number row won’t work. See Alt codes not working. |
| My quotes and @ moved | You’re on a French/AZERTY or International layout. Switch back with Win + Space / Ctrl + Space, or match the layout to your physical keyboard. |
| I can’t type œ on US-International | It has no dead key — use Alt + 0156, Insert → Symbol in Word, or the copy tool. |
| Accents show as boxes or “é” | A character-encoding problem, not a typing one — the page or file isn’t UTF-8. See why symbols show as a box. |
Recap
Phone → hold the letter. Mac → Option + e, then e (and the Option dead keys above). Windows → the US-International keyboard (‘ then e = é) or Alt + 0233. Word → Ctrl + ‘, then e. Need just one character? Copy it.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type é on a keyboard?
On a Mac, press Option + e, then e. On Windows, use the United States-International keyboard (press ‘ then e) or the Alt code Alt + 0233 on the numeric keypad. On a phone, press and hold the e key and choose é.
How do I type the ç (c-cedilla)?
On a Mac, press Option + c. On the Windows US-International keyboard, press ‘ then c, or use Alt + 0231. On a phone, press and hold the c key. In Word, press Ctrl + comma, then c.
Do I need a French (AZERTY) keyboard to type in French?
No. You can type every French accent on a US keyboard using the US-International layout, the Mac Option shortcuts, or press-and-hold on a phone. An AZERTY keyboard only helps if French is your main typing language.
How do I type French quotation marks « »?
On a Mac, « is Option + \ and » is Shift + Option + \. On Windows use Alt + 0171 for « and Alt + 0187 for ». French style also puts a narrow no-break space just inside the guillemets.
How do I type œ (o-e ligature)?
On a Mac, press Option + q. On Windows there’s no US-International dead key, so use Alt + 0156, Insert → Symbol in Word, or copy it from an accent tool.
Why do my French accents show up as strange symbols like “é”?
That’s a character-encoding issue, not a typing mistake — the document or web page isn’t set to UTF-8, so the accented bytes are misread. Save or serve the file as UTF-8 and the accents display correctly.
Written by Igor R. · Tested on Windows 11, macOS, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, Linux, and Microsoft Word. Last updated July 2026. Symbol code points follow the Unicode Standard.