AZERTY vs QWERTY: Which Keyboard Is Faster?

The Short Answer

Details here are as of October 2026.

What AZERTY Is

AZERTY is the keyboard layout used in France and Belgium, and in some African countries.

Its name comes from the first six letters on the top row: A, Z, E, R, T, Y.

According to Wikipedia's AZERTY article, it appeared in France in the last decade of the 19th century. It grew out of layouts based on American QWERTY typewriters, and its exact origin is unknown.

It won out over rivals mainly because it was close to QWERTY and caught on early.

I read that article closely before writing this, because the details matter for typing speed.

What Actually Changes

AZERTY is QWERTY with a few big changes. I compared the two layouts key by key, using the article's list.

Most other letters stay where they are.

So a QWERTY typist can find their way around AZERTY. But a few very common keys move, and that's enough to slow anyone down.

The Number Row Problem

This change surprises most visitors.

On AZERTY, the digits 0 to 9 sit on the same keys as on QWERTY. But you must press Shift to type them.

The unshifted positions give accented letters and symbols instead.

For French text, that's sensible. Accents appear far more often than digits.

For anything number heavy, like spreadsheets or typing tests with numbers, it adds a Shift press to every digit.

Many AZERTY users rely on the numeric keypad for long strings of numbers, when their keyboard has one.

Why AZERTY Helps With French

French uses accents constantly. AZERTY gives the most common ones a single key.

Wikipedia lists à, ç, é, è and ù as letters with their own keys.

Other accents use dead keys. For a circumflex, you press the ^ key, then the vowel, so ^ and a give â.

On a plain US QWERTY keyboard, those letters need extra steps or special settings.

So for French, AZERTY can be the faster layout, simply because fewer keystrokes are needed per word.

Where AZERTY Falls Short

AZERTY isn't perfect, even for French.

Wikipedia points out that the ù key serves a letter used in only one word, où.

Meanwhile, the classic Windows AZERTY layout has no direct way to type œ, used in common words like œil and œuvre.

Accented capitals like É and Ç were also hard to type on the classic layout.

Those gaps are why France created a new standard. More on that below.

For English text, AZERTY's main drawback is that A, a very common letter, moves off the home row.

The 2019 French Standard

In January 2016, France's Ministry of Culture set out to offer an alternative to the traditional AZERTY layouts.

The goal was full coverage of French spelling, including accented capitals like É, plus other languages of France and Europe.

The French standards body, AFNOR, led the project. Initially due in January 2018, the standard came out in April 2019.

It released an improved AZERTY and a BÉPO layout.

The improved AZERTY keeps the 26 letters and 10 digits in place. It adds easy access to French quotes, accented capitals and œ.

French vs Belgian AZERTY

France and Belgium both use AZERTY, but not quite the same version.

Each country has its own national variation.

The letters mostly match. Differences show up in symbols and in how some accents are typed.

For example, Wikipedia notes that on Belgian AZERTY, the grave accent uses AltGr with the µ key.

Apple keyboards use the same AZERTY layout in both France and Belgium, based on the Belgian version.

If you move between countries, expect a few symbols to be in different places.

QWERTY's Strengths

QWERTY is the most widely used layout for English.

Wikipedia's QWERTY article traces it to typewriters of the 1870s.

Its big advantage today is reach. Most typing courses, tests and keyboard shortcuts assume QWERTY.

Programmers often prefer it, because brackets and other symbols used in code are easier to reach.

Wikipedia notes that some programmers prefer the US International QWERTY layout over AZERTY for exactly that reason. It still supports French accents through dead keys, though it lacks œ.

Is One Layout Faster?

For the same person, the honest answer is no layout is faster by itself.

Speed comes from practice and muscle memory. A fluent AZERTY typist will be faster on AZERTY than on QWERTY, and the reverse is also true.

The language you type matters more than the layout. French on AZERTY needs fewer keystrokes for accents. English on QWERTY keeps A on the home row.

Typing test results across layouts aren't directly comparable, because the texts and keystrokes differ.

Our post on typing speed in other languages explains why.

Should You Switch?

Usually, no. Switching layouts costs time.

Your fingers have to unlearn years of habit. Expect several weeks of slower, more error prone typing.

Switch only if you have a clear reason:

1. 1You've moved to a country that uses the other layout.
2. 2You type mostly in a language the other layout supports better.
3. 3You write code and find symbols awkward on AZERTY.

If you're considering a bigger change, like Dvorak or Colemak, our QWERTY vs Dvorak vs Colemak comparison covers the tradeoffs.

Typing Tests on AZERTY

Most online typing tests work fine on AZERTY.

The test reads the characters you type, not the physical keys you press. So if your system is set to AZERTY, the test sees the right letters.

Two things can trip you up.

First, tests with numbers will be slower, since digits need Shift.

Second, English texts move A to the top row. Your WPM in English may be lower than in French.

For a fair measure of progress, compare yourself only with your own past results on the same layout and language.

Switching Layouts on Your Computer

You can set both layouts on one computer and switch as needed.

On Windows 10 and 11, you can add a layout in the language settings, then switch with the Windows key plus Space.

On a Mac, you add input sources in Keyboard settings and switch from the menu bar.

Remember that the letters printed on your keys won't change. If you switch to AZERTY on a QWERTY keyboard, you'll need to type from memory.

That's a good test of touch typing, actually. You can't rely on looking at the keys.

Other French Layouts

AZERTY isn't the only option for French.

BÉPO applies Dvorak's ideas for comfortable typing to French. It was included in the 2019 French standard.

Wikipedia says only a few specialized makers sold keyboards with BÉPO printed on them as of 2024. Its users usually type without looking at the keys.

French speakers in Canada use the Canadian Multilingual Standard, a QWERTY based layout.

Other French layouts, like the 1907 ZHJAY layout, won only limited recognition.

Our list of QWERTY alternatives covers more layouts.

Our Verdict

Use AZERTY if you mostly type French. Its accent keys save keystrokes, and the 2019 standard fixes many old gaps.

Use QWERTY if you mostly type English or code. Most tools and courses assume it.

Don't switch just to gain speed. The layout you know best will be your fastest for months.

Whichever you use, regular practice matters more than the layout. Our practice mode works with either one.