Most English speakers will have either the UK or the US physical keyboards. These don’t have exactly the same physical keys and will need different Windows settings to get accents.

 

 

 

Settings

 

If you are using a UK keyboard, then set  windows for  the ‘UK extended keyboard’ setting.

If you are using a US keyboard, then use the ‘US International keyboard’ setting.

 

 

Change Settings

 

Windows 10

 

1) Select start button (bottom left in desktop)

2) Select ‘settings’ (cog wheel)

3) Select ‘Time & language’

4) Select ‘Region & language’ or 'Language' on the left

5) Click on the language you wish to add a keyboard layout to (English UK, or English US)

6) Select ‘Options’

7) Select ‘Add a keyboard’

8) Choose the new keyboard layout you want (UK Extended, or US International)

9) Select the old keyboard layout, and click on ‘Remove’

10) Back in ‘Region & language’, remove any other unwanted language (select language, then click on 'remove')– if using English UK language remove English US, and vice versa.

 

You should now be able to use your new layout.

 

NOTE: See bottom of page for Windows XP, Vista, 7 and 8. The Mac does not need new settings.

 

 

Using the Keyboards

 

UK Keyboard

 

Acute accent (é):  Press down and hold [Alt GR], then the letter

Grave accents (à, è, ù): Press the top left key, just below [Esc]. Release this, then press the letter

C cedilla (ç): Press down and hold [Alt GR], then the letter c

Circumflex (â,ê,î,ô,û): Press down and hold [Alt GR], then the key with ^ (number 6). Release these, then press the letter

Dieresis (ë,ï,ü): Press down and hold [Alt GR], then the key with “ (number 2). Release these, then press the letter

French quotation marks – you get "«" by holding Alt and typing 0171 and "»" by holding Alt and typing 0187

 

 

US Keyboard

 

Acute accents (é):  Press ‘ . Release this then press the letter

Grave accents (à, è, ù): Press the top left key, just below [Esc]. Release this, then press the letter

C cedilla (ç): Press the key ‘. Release this then press the letter

Circumflex (â,ê,î,ô,û): Press down and hold [Shift], then the key with ^ (number 6). Release these, then press the letter

Dieresis (ë,ï,ü): Press down and hold [Shift], then the key with ‘ . Release these, then press the letter

 

French quotation marks – you get "«" by pressing [Alt Gr (rt Alt key)] and [. You get "»" by pressing [Alt Gr (rt Alt key)] and ]

 

To get a single quotation mark, you need to press the spacebar after typing ‘

 

 

Mac Keyboard

 

You use the existing setup, and use the Alt (option) key

Acute accents (é):  Press Alt key with the letter e. Release then press the letter

Grave accents (à, è, ù): Press Alt key with `. Release then press the letter

C cedilla (ç): Press the Alt key with c

 

Circumflex (â,ê,î,ô,û): Press the Alt key with i. Release then press the letter

Dieresis (ë,ï,ü): Press the Alt key with u. Release then press the letter

French quotation marks – you get "«" by pressing Alt and \.  You get "»" by pressing Alt, shift, and \

 

 

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XP, Vista, 7 & 8

 

The wording may vary somewhat, but the main process and the principles are the same:

 

1) Select 'Start' at bottom left of screen (with Windows 8, you press 'Windows' key, plus 'X')

2) Select Control Panel

3) Select 'Clock, Language and Region'

4) Select 'Region and Language'

 

5) Select the Tab for ''Keyboards and Languages'

 

6) Select 'Change Keyboards'

 

7) Click on 'Add'

 

8) UK - From list, find English (UK) - select box for 'Show More', select UK Extended

 

9) US - From list select US International - expand using plus sign, expand 'Keyboard', then select 'US International'

 

10) Click on 'OK'

 

11) If the keyboard you want is not at the top of the list, select it, then click on 'Move Up'

 

12) Higher in window, there is 'Default input Language'. Click on arrow on right to show available languages.

 

13) Select either 'United Kingdom Extended' or 'United States International'

 

14) Now click on 'Apply'

 

15) Finally click on 'OK' and close windows down