AZERTY

AZERTY is a keyboard layout used primarily for typing in French. The name comes from the first six letters on the left side of the home row: A Z E R T Y. It is a variant of the more widely known QWERTY layout, adapted to accommodate French orthography and common diacritical marks.

The layout was developed for French typewriters and became the de facto standard in France. Belgium adopted its own variant of AZERTY, and several other French-speaking regions have used AZERTY or local refinements. Variants differ in the placement of certain letters, punctuation, and dead-key behavior to support Dutch or German language use in Belgium or regional typing practices. The French and Belgian versions remain the two most common forms.

Key features of AZERTY include better access to accented characters required by French, such as é, è, ê, à, and ç, often through dedicated keys or dead-key combinations. Punctuation and symbol placement on the number row and surrounding keys also reflect French typing conventions. While the core concept is similar to QWERTY, the rearranged letter order and alternative key access for diacritics influence typing habits.

In modern computing, AZERTY remains widely supported across operating systems. Users can switch between AZERTY and other layouts (notably QWERTY) as needed. The layout continues to be standard in French-speaking environments, with regional variants adapted for local languages and preferences.