French uses more accent marks than most other Romance languages, making proper accent usage essential for correct spelling and pronunciation. Whether you’re learning French, working with French colleagues, or simply want to write proper French on your devices, this comprehensive guide covers everything you need to know about French accents.
Learn how to type à, é, è, ê, ë, ç, î, ï, ô, ù, û, ü, æ, and œ on Windows, Mac, iPhone, Android, and Chromebook with easy keyboard shortcuts and helpful tips.
French Accents Overview
French uses five different types of accent marks, plus two special ligatures:
Acute accent (´): é
Grave accent (`): à, è, ù
Circumflex (^): â, ê, î, ô, û
Dieresis/Trema (¨): ë, ï, ü
Cedilla (¸): ç
Ligatures: æ, œ
Each accent type serves a specific purpose in French pronunciation and spelling, and using them correctly is crucial for proper French writing.
Why French Accents Matter
French accents aren’t optional decorations. They affect pronunciation, meaning, and grammar:
Pronunciation guidance:
Accents tell you exactly how to pronounce vowels. The letter “e” alone can be silent, but “é” is always pronounced like “ay” in “say.”
Distinguishing words:
Many French words differ only by their accents:
- a (has) vs. à (to/at)
- ou (or) vs. où (where)
- sur (on) vs. sûr (sure)
- la (the) vs. là (there)
- du (of the) vs. dû (due/owed)
Verb conjugation:
Accents distinguish verb tenses and forms:
- je parle (I speak) vs. j’ai parlé (I spoke)
- élève (raises) vs. élève (student)
Historical spelling:
Circumflexes often indicate where an “s” was dropped from older French (forêt was forést, hôpital was hospital).
The Acute Accent: é
The acute accent appears only on the letter “e” and is the most common French accent.
Pronunciation: Like “ay” in “say” or “day”
Common words:
- café (coffee)
- été (summer)
- déjà (already)
- école (school)
- étudiant (student)
- répéter (to repeat)
- téléphone (telephone)
Usage tip: The acute accent appears at the beginning, middle, or end of words but never on a final silent “e.”
The Grave Accent: à, è, ù
The grave accent appears on three vowels: a, e, and u.
à (a with grave accent)
Pronunciation: Like “ah”
Common words:
- à (to/at) – the preposition
- là (there)
- déjà (already)
- voilà (there it is)
è (e with grave accent)
Pronunciation: Like “eh” in “get”
Common words:
- mère (mother)
- père (father)
- frère (brother)
- très (very)
- après (after)
- problème (problem)
ù (u with grave accent)
Pronunciation: Like “oo” in “food”
Common word: où (where) – This is the only common French word with ù
Key distinction: “ou” means “or” while “où” means “where”
The Circumflex: â, ê, î, ô, û
The circumflex (nicknamed “little hat”) can appear on any vowel and often indicates a historical “s” that was dropped.
â (a with circumflex)
Pronunciation: Like “ah” (slightly longer)
Common words:
- âge (age)
- pâte (pasta/dough)
- château (castle)
- gâteau (cake)
ê (e with circumflex)
Pronunciation: Like “eh” in “get”
Common words:
- être (to be)
- tête (head)
- fête (party/festival)
- forêt (forest)
- fenêtre (window)
- peut-être (maybe)
î (i with circumflex)
Pronunciation: Like “ee” in “see”
Common words:
- île (island)
- dîner (dinner)
- maître (master/teacher)
ô (o with circumflex)
Pronunciation: Like “oh”
Common words:
- hôtel (hotel)
- hôpital (hospital)
- côte (coast/side)
- tôt (early)
û (u with circumflex)
Pronunciation: Like “oo” in “food”
Common words:
- sûr (sure)
- dû (due/owed)
- août (August)
The Dieresis/Trema: ë, ï, ü
The dieresis (two dots) indicates that a vowel should be pronounced separately from the preceding vowel.
ë (e with dieresis)
Pronunciation: Pronounce the “e” separately
Common words:
- Noël (Christmas)
- Israël (Israel)
ï (i with dieresis)
Pronunciation: Pronounce the “i” separately
Common words:
- naïve (naive)
- maïs (corn)
- Haïti (Haiti)
ü (u with dieresis)
Pronunciation: Pronounce the “u” separately
Less common – appears in some borrowed words like aigüe (acute/sharp)
The Cedilla: ç
The cedilla appears only under the letter “c” and changes its pronunciation.
Pronunciation: Makes “c” sound like “s” instead of “k”
Common words:
- français (French)
- garçon (boy)
- leçon (lesson)
- ça (that/it)
- reçu (received)
- façade (facade)
Usage rule: ç appears before a, o, or u to make the “s” sound. Before e or i, regular “c” already sounds like “s,” so no cedilla is needed.
French Ligatures: æ and œ
Ligatures are two letters joined together as a single character.
æ (a and e ligature)
Pronunciation: Like “eh”
Less common in modern French
Example: curriculum vitæ (though “curriculum vitae” is also acceptable)
œ (o and e ligature)
Pronunciation: Like “uh” or “eu”
Common words:
- cœur (heart)
- sœur (sister)
- œuf (egg)
- œil (eye)
- bœuf (beef)
- vœu (wish)
Modern note: Some French speakers and writers now separate these as “oe” in informal writing, but the ligature remains standard in formal French.
How to Type French Accents on Windows
Method 1: Alt Codes
Hold Alt and type the code on your numeric keypad:
Acute accent (é):
- é = Alt + 130
- É = Alt + 144
Grave accents:
- à = Alt + 133
- è = Alt + 138
- ù = Alt + 151
- À = Alt + 0192
- È = Alt + 0200
- Ù = Alt + 0217
Circumflex:
- â = Alt + 131
- ê = Alt + 136
- î = Alt + 140
- ô = Alt + 147
- û = Alt + 150
- Â = Alt + 0194
- Ê = Alt + 0202
- Î = Alt + 0206
- Ô = Alt + 0212
- Û = Alt + 0219
Dieresis:
- ë = Alt + 137
- ï = Alt + 139
- ü = Alt + 129
- Ë = Alt + 0203
- Ï = Alt + 0207
- Ü = Alt + 154
Cedilla:
- ç = Alt + 135
- Ç = Alt + 128
Ligatures:
- æ = Alt + 145
- œ = Alt + 0156
- Æ = Alt + 146
- Π= Alt + 0140
Method 2: US International Keyboard
- Enable US International keyboard in Windows Settings
- Type accent, then letter:
- Acute (é): apostrophe (‘), then e
- Grave (è): backtick (`), then e
- Circumflex (ê): Shift+6 (^), then e
- Dieresis (ë): Shift+’ (“), then e
- Cedilla (ç): apostrophe, then c
This method is faster once learned but takes practice.
How to Type French Accents on Mac
Mac offers intuitive shortcuts using the Option key:
Acute accent (é)
Option + e, then press the vowel
- Option + e, then e = é
Grave accent (è, à, ù)
Option + ` (backtick), then press the vowel
- Option + `, then e = è
- Option + `, then a = à
- Option + `, then u = ù
Circumflex (ê, â, î, ô, û)
Option + i, then press the vowel
- Option + i, then e = ê
- Option + i, then a = â
Dieresis (ë, ï, ü)
Option + u, then press the vowel
- Option + u, then e = ë
- Option + u, then i = ï
Cedilla (ç)
Option + c = ç
Ligatures
- æ = Option + ‘ (apostrophe)
- œ = Option + q
Uppercase
Use the same combinations but hold Shift when typing the vowel:
- Option + e, then Shift + E = É
How to Type French Accents on iPhone and iPad
iOS makes French accents easy with press-and-hold:
Press and Hold Method
- Tap and hold the letter
- Accent options appear in a popup
- Slide to the accent you need
Quick access:
- Hold e → choose é, è, ê, or ë
- Hold a → choose à, â, or æ
- Hold u → choose ù, û, or ü
- Hold i → choose î or ï
- Hold o → choose ô or œ
- Hold c → choose ç
French Keyboard
Add the French keyboard for autocorrect and better predictions:
- Settings → General → Keyboard → Keyboards
- Add New Keyboard → French
- Toggle between keyboards with the globe icon 🌐
The French AZERTY keyboard rearranges keys to match French typing conventions.
How to Type French Accents on Android
Android uses the same press-and-hold method:
Press and Hold
- Press and hold the letter
- Accent options appear
- Slide to select the accent
All French accents are available through this method.
Add French Keyboard
- Settings → System → Languages & input
- Virtual keyboard → Gboard
- Languages → Add keyboard → French
- Switch with the globe icon 🌐
Gboard’s French keyboard provides excellent autocorrect and accent predictions.
How to Type French Accents on Chromebook
Method 1: US International Keyboard
- Settings → Languages and inputs → Input methods
- Add “US International Keyboard”
- Type accent then letter:
- ‘ then e = é
- ` then e = è
- Shift+6 (^) then e = ê
- Shift+’ (“) then e = ë
Method 2: French Keyboard
Add the French keyboard layout for dedicated accent keys.
Method 3: On-Screen Keyboard
Enable the on-screen keyboard to access special characters through a visual menu.
Quick Reference: French Accents by Platform
é (e acute):
- Windows: Alt + 130
- Mac: Option+e, then e
- iOS/Android: Hold e
- Chromebook: ‘e
è (e grave):
- Windows: Alt + 138
- Mac: Option+`, then e
- iOS/Android: Hold e
- Chromebook: `e
ê (e circumflex):
- Windows: Alt + 136
- Mac: Option+i, then e
- iOS/Android: Hold e
- Chromebook: ^e
à (a grave):
- Windows: Alt + 133
- Mac: Option+`, then a
- iOS/Android: Hold a
- Chromebook: `a
ç (c cedilla):
- Windows: Alt + 135
- Mac: Option+c
- iOS/Android: Hold c
- Chromebook: ‘c
Common French Words with Accents
Essential Vocabulary
Greetings:
- Bonjour (hello) – no accents
- Bonsoir (good evening) – no accents
- À bientôt (see you soon)
- À demain (see you tomorrow)
Common verbs:
- Être (to be)
- Être né (to be born)
- Préférer (to prefer)
- Répéter (to repeat)
Everyday words:
- Café (coffee)
- Thé (tea)
- Été (summer)
- École (school)
- Hôtel (hotel)
- Fenêtre (window)
- Très (very)
- Déjà (already)
Question Words
- Où (where)
- Évidemment (obviously)
Family
- Mère (mother)
- Père (father)
- Frère (brother)
- Sœur (sister)
French Spelling Rules for Accents
When to use é vs. è
é (acute):
- Used in the middle or end of words
- Examples: café, été, répéter
è (grave):
- Used before a final silent consonant
- Examples: très, après, succès
Circumflex patterns
The circumflex often appears where an “s” existed in old French:
- forêt (forest) ← forést
- hôpital (hospital) ← hospital
- août (August) ← aoust
Cedilla rules
Use ç before a, o, or u to make the “s” sound:
- français, garçon, reçu
Don’t use ç before e or i (c already sounds like “s”):
- ce (this), ici (here)
Common French Accent Mistakes
Don’t confuse é and è:
They sound different and follow different spelling patterns.
Don’t skip accents on question words:
Wrong: ou
Right: où (where)
Remember the cedilla:
Wrong: francais
Right: français
Don’t forget circumflexes:
Wrong: etre
Right: être
Ligatures matter:
Wrong: coeur
Right: cœur
Typing French Faster
Enable French autocorrect:
Add the French keyboard to your device. Autocorrect will add many accents automatically.
Learn common patterns:
Accents appear in predictable places. Question words always have accents. Past participles of -er verbs end in -é.
Use shortcuts:
Memorize the shortcuts for your most-used platform.
Practice frequently used words:
Focus on café, être, très, où, déjà, and other common words.
Use French spell check:
Most applications can check French spelling and flag missing or incorrect accents.
French Accents in Different Applications
Microsoft Word
- Set language to French: Review → Language → French
- Use Insert → Symbol for occasional accents
- Enable French autocorrect
Google Docs
- File → Language → French
- Tools → Preferences for custom substitutions
- Install French keyboard for your system
Social Media and Email
- Use your device’s French keyboard
- All platforms support French accents fully
- Accents count normally in character limits
Regional Variations
French in France vs. Quebec
Standard French (France) and Quebec French use the same accents and spelling rules. However:
Quebec French:
- Sometimes uses different vocabulary
- Pronunciation differs but spelling remains the same
- All accent rules apply identically
Belgian and Swiss French
Belgian and Swiss French follow the same accent and spelling conventions as French from France.
For detailed platform instructions, see our guides for Windows and Mac, iPhone and iPad, Android, and Chromebooks. To learn about other languages, check out our Spanish, German, Portuguese, and Italian accent guides.
Learning Resources
Practice accent recognition:
- Read French newspapers and websites
- Notice which words use which accents
- Pay attention to accent patterns
Type French regularly:
- Write short sentences in French daily
- Practice common phrases
- Use language learning apps that require typing
Verify your spelling:
- Use online French dictionaries
- Check accent placement in official sources
- Enable French spell check in all applications
Conclusion
French accents are essential for proper French writing. With practice, typing à, é, è, ê, ë, ç, and other French characters becomes automatic on any device.
Key takeaways:
- French uses five accent types plus two ligatures
- Each accent affects pronunciation and meaning
- Every device offers easy methods for typing French accents
- Accents aren’t optional in proper French
- Practice with common words builds speed
Whether you’re learning French, working in a French-speaking environment, or simply want to write proper French, mastering these accent shortcuts ensures clear, correct communication. Bonne chance! (Good luck!)