QWERTY vs AZERTY vs QWERTZ: Differences and Switching
QWERTY, AZERTY and QWERTZ compared key by key, which countries use which layout, and how to switch your keyboard back on Windows and Mac.
Contents
QWERTY is the most widely used keyboard layout in the world, named after the first six letters of the top row. AZERTY (France, Belgium) swaps A with Q and Z with W and moves the M next to the L. QWERTZ (Germany, Austria, Switzerland) swaps Y and Z. If your keyboard suddenly types the wrong letters, the layout has switched: press Windows + Space on Windows or Control + Space on a Mac to switch back.
QWERTY, AZERTY and QWERTZ at a glance
All three come from the same typewriter, built by Christopher Latham Sholes and sold by Remington from 1874. Each country adapted it to its language:
- QWERTY: USA, UK, Ireland, English-speaking Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Nordic countries and most of Latin America and Asia, each with its own local variant.
- AZERTY: France and Belgium.
- QWERTZ: Germany, Austria, Switzerland and several Central European countries, such as the Czech Republic and Hungary.
You can compare all three key by key in the QWERTY, AZERTY and QWERTZ layout comparison.
The differences key by key
| Key or character | QWERTY (US) | AZERTY (France) | QWERTZ (Germany) |
|---|---|---|---|
| Top row | Q W E R T Y | A Z E R T Y | Q W E R T Z |
| Home row | A S D F G H | Q S D F G H | A S D F G H |
| Bottom row | Z X C V B N | W X C V B N | Y X C V B N |
| Letter M | bottom row, right of N | home row, right of L | bottom row, right of N |
| Digits 1 to 0 | no Shift | with Shift | no Shift |
| @ | Shift + 2 | AltGr + à | AltGr + Q |
| Accents and umlauts | no keys | é, è, à, ç, ù | ä, ö, ü, ß |
Where every symbol sits on a US keyboard is on the printable special characters map for QWERTY.
Keyboard typing the wrong letters? How to switch the layout back
You press A and get Q, or Z and get Y? Numbers need Shift all of a sudden? Your computer is using a different layout. Nothing is broken: a shortcut changed the input language.
- On Windows:
- Hold the Windows key and press Space. Each press moves to the next installed layout.
- Stop when the language icon in the taskbar shows ENG.
- If nothing happens, only one layout is installed. Add the one you want under Settings, Time & language, Language & region.
- On a Mac:
- Press Control + Space to go back to the input source you used last.
- Control + Option + Space moves to the next input source.
- Or pick your layout from the Input menu at the top right of the menu bar.
To check the result, press a few keys in the online keyboard tester. To stop it from happening again, remove the layouts you don't need. With only one installed, the shortcut does nothing. To check afterwards that every key registers, use the online keyboard tester.
Typing accents on a QWERTY keyboard
On a Mac: hold down a letter, for example e. A menu offers é, è, ê and ë. You can also press Option plus an accent key, then the letter.
- On Windows: add the "United States-International" layout. It keeps QWERTY but turns some keys into dead keys:
- ' then e gives é
- ` then e gives è
- ^ then e gives ê
- " then u gives ü
For a plain apostrophe, press ' and then Space.
Should you switch layouts?
For most people, no. The keyboards at work, at school and at a colleague's desk will use your country's layout, and switching costs weeks of retraining your fingers. Some developers outside the US prefer QWERTY because brackets and braces don't need AltGr. If you code all day, it can be worth a try. Otherwise, stay with what you have.
Which layout is best?
None is objectively better. The layout has little effect on speed; technique matters far more. Learn your country's layout, then learn to use it without looking, with all ten fingers. The complete guide to touch typing explains the method, and the touch typing course works on QWERTY, AZERTY and QWERTZ. To see where you stand, start with a free typing speed test.
Frequently asked questions
Why does my keyboard type Q when I press A?
Your computer switched to the AZERTY layout. On Windows, press Windows + Space until the taskbar shows your usual layout. On a Mac, press Control + Space.
What is the difference between QWERTY and AZERTY?
AZERTY swaps A with Q and Z with W, puts the M next to the L, needs Shift for digits and has keys for French accents.
Which countries use QWERTY?
The USA, the UK, Ireland, English-speaking Canada, Australia, the Netherlands, Spain, Italy, Portugal, the Nordic countries and most of Latin America and Asia. France and Belgium use AZERTY; Germany, Austria and Switzerland use QWERTZ.
Is QWERTY faster than AZERTY or QWERTZ?
There is no evidence that one layout makes you faster. Speed depends mostly on technique: typing with all ten fingers without looking at the keys.
Sources
- QWERTY - Wikipedia, Sholes and Remington, national and US-International variants.
- AZERTY - Wikipedia, French and Belgian layouts.
- Keyboard layout - Wikipedia, layouts by country.
- Manage the language and keyboard/input layout settings in Windows - Microsoft, Windows + Space shortcut.
- Write in another language on Mac - Apple, Control + Space and the Input menu.
- Enter characters with accent marks on Mac - Apple, accent menu and Option key.
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