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What Is an AZERTY Keyboard?

Rebecca Mecomber
Rebecca Mecomber

An AZERTY keyboard is very similar to the ubiquitous QWERTY keyboard, except that the Q and W keys have been switched with the A and Z keys, respectively. It is named an AZERTY keyboard because, like the QWERTY keyboard, the first six letters in the first row of alphabetical keys spell "AZERTY." This type of computer keyboard is commonly used in France and Belgium, with slight variations between the two.

Computer keyboards with the original QWERTY layouts are descendants of manual typewriters, which were patented in 1868 by mechanical engineer Christopher Latham Sholes. After much experimentation and adjustments, Sholes strategically placed the keys into what is now the common QWERTY keyboard layout, to prevent manual typewriter keys from jamming together when pressed. When the computer met the computer keyboard in the late 1940s, engineers maintained the familiar QWERTY system.

The AZERTY keyboard is commonly used in Belgium.
The AZERTY keyboard is commonly used in Belgium.

As typewriters have lost ground and computers have become more common, computer users have pursued improved key placement instead of the customary QWERTY keyboards. The DVORAK and AZERTY keyboards are examples of some of the various keyboard systems in use. The AZERTY keyboard relies heavily on the traditional QWERTY arrangement, altering key placement only slightly. Keyboards with the AZERTY arrangement are used mainly in France, Belgium, Lithuania and various French-speaking countries in North Africa, which have their own tweaks for various vowel symbols and function keys.

The AZERTY keyboard is used in France.
The AZERTY keyboard is used in France.

The French AZERTY keyboard system includes individual keys for letters with specific diacritical marks, such as the French ç and é. "Dead keys," or keys that produce no character until another key is pressed, input other diacritical marks common to the French language. This is unlike the QWERTY keyboard, where special function keys or a special character map must be accessed to include the letters.

The QWERTY keyboard, designed to prevent typewriter keys from jamming, has disadvantages to most other layouts.
The QWERTY keyboard, designed to prevent typewriter keys from jamming, has disadvantages to most other layouts.

The AZERTY keyboard layout differs slightly among the various operating systems, as well. For example, Windows® computers do not provide for the common œ symbol, but Linux systems do. Capital letters with diacritical marks, such as É, Ç and Œ are missing from the Windows® AZERTY keyboard layout. Special drivers or computer software might be needed to provide patches for missing symbols.

Discussion Comments

Ruggercat68

My younger boss tried to get us all to learn DVORAK because he thought it would help us key in data faster. I grew up on QWERTY, so learning another typing arrangement was more frustrating than useful. He eventually dropped the idea completely. I hope he doesn't see this article about AZERTY anytime soon. I don't believe it will ever catch on in the United States, anyway.

RocketLanch8

I don't know if I could learn any keyboard configuration other than QWERTY at my age. I've heard that some of these new arrangements, like AZERTY, do increase typing speed and/or accuracy, but only after going through the same learning curve as QWERTY. I've never really felt restricted by QWERTY myself, but if there's a more efficient keyboard arrangement out there, I'd like to give it a try.

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    • The AZERTY keyboard is commonly used in Belgium.
      By: juan35mm
      The AZERTY keyboard is commonly used in Belgium.
    • The AZERTY keyboard is used in France.
      By: benkenogy
      The AZERTY keyboard is used in France.
    • The QWERTY keyboard, designed to prevent typewriter keys from jamming, has disadvantages to most other layouts.
      The QWERTY keyboard, designed to prevent typewriter keys from jamming, has disadvantages to most other layouts.