AZERTY vs QWERTY: What's the Difference?
When you buy a laptop abroad or receive a keyboard from another country, you often end up with an unfamiliar layout. The two most common layouts in the Western world are AZERTY and QWERTY. But what actually sets them apart?
Where Do These Names Come From?
The names AZERTY and QWERTY simply refer to the first six letters on the top row of the keyboard. It's a convenient way to quickly identify which type of keyboard you're looking at.
A Bit of History
The QWERTY layout was invented in the 1870s by Christopher Latham Sholes for typewriters. Legend has it that the keys were arranged to prevent the type bars from jamming during fast typing. In reality, the layout was also influenced by commercial and telegraphic considerations.
The AZERTY layout appeared in France in the late 19th century as an adaptation of QWERTY for the French language. The most commonly used French letters (like A) were repositioned, and dedicated accent keys were added.
Key Differences
| Feature | AZERTY | QWERTY |
|---|---|---|
| Main countries | France, Belgium | USA, UK, Australia, English-speaking Canada |
| Swapped letters | A/Q and Z/W are swapped | Original positions |
| Numbers | Accessed with Shift | Direct access |
| Accents | Dedicated keys (é, è, ç, à) | Combinations or dead keys |
| M key | Right of L | Right of N |
| Punctuation | . and , require Shift | . and , direct access |
How to Identify Your Keyboard
The quickest way is to look at the top letter row of your keyboard:
- If the first letters are A Z E R T Y → you have an AZERTY keyboard
- If the first letters are Q W E R T Y → you have a QWERTY keyboard
Another clue: the position of the M key. On AZERTY, M is right of L. On QWERTY, it's on the bottom row, right of N.
AZERTY vs QWERTY: Which One Is Better?
There's no universal answer. Each layout is optimized for its target language:
- AZERTY is better for typing in French thanks to built-in accents
- QWERTY is more practical for English and programming (direct access to numbers and common symbols)
If you need to type in both languages, you can switch keyboard languages in Windows using the shortcut Win + Space, regardless of the physical layout.
What About Other Layouts?
AZERTY and QWERTY aren't the only ones! There's also:
- QWERTZ: used in Germany, Austria, Switzerland (Z and Y are swapped)
- Nordic layouts: variants with Å, Ä, Ö for Swedish, Finnish, Danish, Norwegian
- Cyrillic layouts: ЙЦУКЕН for Russian, variants for Ukrainian, Bulgarian
Discover all layouts in our complete guide to keyboard layouts worldwide.
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