French keyboard layout, accents and symbols

The easiest way to convert your current keyboard language to French is by keyboard stickers. Keyshorts makes highest quality French keyboard stickers that will fit your keyboard. Keyshorts offers opaque/covering stickers that convert/hide your current layout with French. Learn more below.

LANGUAGE CONVERSION SOLUTION

French (Canadian) Keyboard Stickers

Best For Quick Language Change
Will Fit Your Keyboard
Unlimited Language & Colors Choice
Extra Durable Adhesive With Safe-For-Keyboard Removal
Made To Order Exactly For You

LANGUAGE CONVERSION SOLUTION

French AZERTY Keyboard Stickers

Best For Quick Language Change
Will Fit Your Keyboard
Unlimited Language & Colors Choice
Extra Durable Adhesive With Safe-For-Keyboard Removal
Made To Order Exactly For You

The easiest way to add French to your current keyboard language - without changing it - is by keyboard stickers. Keyshorts makes highest quality French transparent keyboard stickers that will fit your keyboard. French symbols are added in one of key's corners, without clashing with your existing letters. They are also fully backlight compatible. Learn more below.

100% BACKLIGHT-COMPATIBLE

French (Canadian) Transparent Keyboard Stickers

Best For Adding Second Language
100% Backlight Compatible
Will Fit Your Keyboard
Unlimited Language & Colors Choice
Extra Durable Adhesive With Safe-For-Keyboard Removal
Made To Order Exactly For You

100% BACKLIGHT-COMPATIBLE

French AZERTY Transparent Keyboard Stickers

Best For Adding Second Language
100% Backlight Compatible
Will Fit Your Keyboard
Unlimited Language & Colors Choice
Extra Durable Adhesive With Safe-For-Keyboard Removal
Made To Order Exactly For You

The AZERTY keyboard layout was created in France in the late 19th century as a modification of the American QWERTY design. Its name comes from the first six letters on the top row of letters (A-Z-E-R-T-Y). The French government promoted its adoption in the 1890s, when typewriters became widespread, as a way to accommodate French spelling and accents. For example, the layout included dedicated keys for accented vowels such as é and è, as well as the ç character, which are common in French but absent in English. Over time, AZERTY became the official standard used in France and parts of Belgium, distinguishing it from QWERTY keyboards used in most other countries.

Although AZERTY served French typists for decades, it has often been criticized for being inefficient. Many commonly used letters in French, such as “é” or “à,” require key combinations instead of direct access. In 2019, the French standards organization AFNOR introduced a new standardized version of AZERTY to address these issues, making it easier to type accented capital letters and symbols used in modern writing. Another new and improved version of French layout is BÉPO. Despite these reforms, the traditional AZERTY layout remains widely in use in France, making it both a cultural and historical artifact of how language shaped technology.

One excellent tool is Français Facile, which offers thousands of free courses and exercises across grammar, vocabulary, conjugation, and listening comprehension. For news-based learning, Le français facile avec RFI provides short podcasts tied to current international events, each accompanied by exercises for different levels. You can listen to “Journal en français facile”, read the transcript, and test your understanding via quizzes.

Another resource to try is Coffee Break French.  They offer bite-sized podcast lessons (around 15–20 minutes) for beginners to advanced learners. Each episode focuses on a useful language point (grammar, vocabulary, phrase use) and you can also access bonus materials, transcripts, and video lessons. 

If you prefer structured video + interactive quizzes, check out TV5MONDE Apprendre le français, which offers multimedia lessons, exercises, and progress tracking for all levels.