French is spoken by over 300 million people worldwide and is an official language in 29 countries. For professionals, students, and translators working in French, typing speed in the language directly affects productivity — and French typing comes with unique challenges that English typing does not. The AZERTY keyboard layout, the rich set of accented characters, and French's longer average word length all play into your typing speed. This page covers everything you need to know to measure and improve your French typing speed.
AZERTY vs. QWERTY: The French Keyboard
France uses the AZERTY layout (named after the top-left key row, vs. QWERTY). Key differences include: A and Q are swapped, Z and W are swapped, M is moved to after L, and numbers require Shift on AZERTY (the unshifted top row gives special characters). AZERTY also provides dedicated keys for é and certain other accents.
Many French Canadians use QWERTY with dead keys for accents instead. Belgium uses a modified AZERTY layout. Switching between AZERTY and QWERTY typically takes 1–2 weeks to adapt fully. The French government has also standardized a newer AZERTY+ layout that improves access to uppercase accents, but it has not yet seen wide adoption.
AZERTY is the default layout on keyboards sold in France. If you are learning French and plan to work in France, practicing on AZERTY from the start will save time later. If you are an international learner, QWERTY with the US International or Canadian Multilingual Standard layout is a practical alternative.
French Accent Characters
French uses a rich set of accented characters: é (e acute), è (e grave), ê (e circumflex), ë (e diaeresis), à (a grave), â (a circumflex), ù (u grave), û (u circumflex), ü (u diaeresis), î (i circumflex), ï (i diaeresis), ô (o circumflex), ç (c cedilla), œ (oe ligature), and æ (ae ligature). Mastering the six most common ones covers the vast majority of everyday French text.
Char
Name
AZERTY position
QWERTY method
Frequency
é
e acute
Dedicated key (é)
Dead key ´ + e
Very high (est, été, etc.)
è
e grave
Dedicated key (è)
Dead key ` + e
High (très, après)
ê
e circumflex
^ + e
Dead key ^ + e
Medium (même, fête)
à
a grave
Dedicated key (à)
Dead key ` + a
High (à, là, où)
ç
c cedilla
Dedicated key (ç)
AltGr + c
Medium (ça, français)
œ
oe ligature
AltGr + o
AltGr + o
Low (œuvre, cœur)
WPM Benchmarks for French Typists
These benchmarks reflect WPM for typing French text using the standard 5-character word formula. Because French words average slightly longer than English words, raw WPM on character-count-based tests may read a few points lower than your English speed even at the same proficiency level.
Level
Average WPM
Context
Beginner
15–25 WPM
Learning AZERTY layout
Casual user
30–45 WPM
Comfortable for personal use
Average professional
45–60 WPM
Standard office productivity
Fast professional
60–80 WPM
Administrative, secretarial, translation
Expert typist
80+ WPM
Transcription, competitive typing
How FastTypings Supports French
FastTypings has a dedicated French page at /fr with French text passages. The WPM formula is universal (5 characters = 1 word) and handles French Unicode including accented characters and ligatures. Note that French words average slightly longer than English, which can reduce WPM on character-count-based tests — this is normal and expected.
The test is completely free, requires no account, and works in any modern browser. You can switch your keyboard to AZERTY or US International and type in French on the standard homepage test as well as the dedicated French mode.
5 Tips to Improve Your French Typing Speed
1. Commit to AZERTY (or QWERTY + dead keys) — pick one
The biggest mistake French typists make is switching back and forth between layouts. Pick the layout that matches your primary keyboard and practice exclusively on it until it is automatic. AZERTY users in France should fully commit; French Canadians and international users often do better with QWERTY + dead keys.
2. Drill the é key until it is automatic
é is the most common accented character in French text (appearing in participles, adjectives, and common words like été, café, and entrée). On AZERTY it has a dedicated key; on QWERTY you need ´ + e. Either way, practice this combination until you never hesitate.
3. Practice with real French text
French word patterns, spacing, and punctuation (notably the spaces before : ; ! ?) differ from English. Using French text passages trains the exact muscle memory patterns you need. FastTypings /fr page provides authentic French passages.
4. Handle uppercase accents deliberately
Many French typists skip uppercase accents (É, À, Ç) in informal writing. Formal and professional French requires them. Practice typing capitalized accented characters — on AZERTY this means Shift + the accented key; on QWERTY it requires an extra step.
5. Use 3-minute tests to build sustained speed
Your 1-minute WPM will be 10–15% higher than your sustained speed. Training on 3- or 5-minute tests builds the endurance needed for real document work and gives a more accurate picture of your working speed.
AZERTY is the standard keyboard layout used in France and parts of Belgium. It rearranges several keys compared to the QWERTY standard: A and Q are swapped, Z and W are swapped, M is moved to the right of L, and the number row produces special characters without Shift. AZERTY is optimized for French letter frequency and includes dedicated keys for common accented characters like é, è, and à. French-speaking users outside France (French Canada, Switzerland, much of Africa) often use QWERTY with dead-key accent combinations instead.
Is it worth switching from QWERTY to AZERTY for French?
If you live in France and work primarily in French, yes — AZERTY is the standard you will encounter on all local keyboards, and learning it gives you immediate access to French-specific keys. If you are bilingual or work primarily in English with French secondary, QWERTY with US International or Canadian Multilingual Standard layout may serve you better. The US International layout keeps QWERTY familiar while making accent characters accessible through dead keys.
What is a good WPM for French typing?
For professional use, 50–65 WPM in French is a solid, non-bottleneck speed. French text averages slightly longer word lengths than English, which can affect raw WPM on character-based tests. A French transcriptionist or administrative professional typically types at 60–80 WPM. Students and casual users are usually in the 30–45 WPM range.
Does FastTypings have a French typing test?
Yes. FastTypings has a dedicated French page at /fr that serves French-language typing passages. The WPM calculation handles French Unicode characters including all accented vowels, ç, and ligatures (œ, æ). You can also switch your keyboard to AZERTY or US International and type in French on the standard homepage test.
How do I type French accents on a Mac?
On macOS with a US keyboard: hold the base vowel key and a popup menu appears with accent options. Option+e then e = é. Option+` then e = è. Option+i then e = ê. Option+u then e = ë. Option+c = ç. For frequent French typing, switching to the Canadian Multilingual Standard or US International input source in System Settings gives faster dead-key access to all French accents.