AZERTY facts for kids

Geographic distribution of keyboards in Europe:
     QWERTY     QWERTZ     AZERTY     National layout (Turkey FGĞIOD, Latvia ŪGJRMV, Lithuania ĄŽERTY)     Non-Latin alphabet

AZERTY layout used in France

AZERTY is a special way that letters and symbols are arranged on a keyboard. It's used for typing the Latin alphabet, which is the alphabet we use in English. You'll find AZERTY on typewriters and computer keyboards.

The name "AZERTY" comes from the first six letters on the top row of the keyboard: A Z E R T Y. This layout is similar to the QWERTY keyboard, which is common in English-speaking countries. It's also a bit like the QWERTZ layout used in Germany.

Most people in France and parts of Belgium use the AZERTY keyboard. However, France and Belgium each have their own slightly different versions. Countries like Luxembourg and Switzerland use a different layout called Swiss QWERTZ. In Quebec, Canada, where many people speak French, they usually use a QWERTY keyboard that has been changed to work well with the French language.

What Makes AZERTY Different?

The AZERTY keyboard has some key differences from the more common QWERTY layout:

• The 'A' and 'Q' keys are swapped.
• The 'Z' and 'W' keys are also swapped.
• The 'M' key is moved. On a QWERTY keyboard, it's usually to the right of 'N'. On AZERTY, it's to the right of 'L'.
• The numbers 0 to 9 are on the same keys. But to type a number, you usually need to hold down the shift key. This is because the main key positions are used for special characters like accents.

Special Characters for French

The French AZERTY keyboard is designed to make typing in French easier. It includes special characters that are important in the French language. These include letters with accents, like 'ç', 'à', 'é', and 'è'. You'll also find other common symbols like '&', '"', , and '§' located under the number keys.

Images for kids

• 

  The ZHJAY keyboard layout for typewriters, which was not as popular as the standard AZERTY layout.

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  Azerty NFZ71-300/A

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  The AZERTY layout used in the Dutch-speaking part of Belgium. It is similar to the French layout, but with different labels on some keys.

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  An Apple French keyboard layout.

See also

In Spanish: Teclado AZERTY para niños