The Canadian French keyboard: everything you need to know

Do you have a computer with an English keyboard but need to type in French? Looking for the accents, or need to switch your company's workstations to French? Here's what you need to know.

Looking for our stickers right away? → See the products

What is the Canadian French keyboard?

It's the most widely used keyboard layout in Quebec. The letters are in the same place as on an English (QWERTY) keyboard, but some keys produce French characters: é, è, à, ç, ê, « », etc.

Note: it's not the keyboard used in France. The French keyboard from France is AZERTY: A and Q are swapped, as are Z and W.

Canadian French or Canadian Multilingual?

Windows offers two Canadian layouts that look alike:

• French (Canada): the most common in Quebec, in schools and offices.
• Canadian Multilingual Standard (CSA): an official standard, used mainly in some government departments and public bodies.

The symbols are not in the same places. Before choosing stickers, check which layout is active on your computer.

How do you type accents?

• é has its own key.
• The other accents (è, à, ù, ê, ç…) use a dead key: type the accent first, then the letter. For example, grave accent then "a" gives "à".

How to turn on the Canadian French keyboard

On Windows 11: Settings → Time & language → Language & region. Open the language options, click "Add a keyboard" and choose French (Canada). Switch between keyboards with Windows + Space.

On Mac: System Settings → Keyboard → Text Input → Edit. Click "+", then choose a Canadian French layout.

The problem: the keys no longer match

Once you change the layout, the labels on the keys are still in English. You hunt for the accents and hit the wrong key. That's where our stickers come in.

The solution: stickers instead of a new keyboard

Our stickers turn any Windows keyboard into a Canadian French keyboard. No need to replace it.

• Opaque white on black: they fully cover the old labels → centre section (01022) · full keyboard (01022-12002)
• Transparent: they add only the French characters and leave the original labels visible → 00028
• Canadian Multilingual Standard → 01052

Designed and made in Canada since 2002. They also help businesses in Quebec switch their workstations to French, as required by Bill 96.

👉 See all Canadian French keyboard stickers

Frequently asked questions

Does it work on a laptop?
Yes, on laptops and desktop keyboards.

How long do the stickers last?
A few years with normal use.

I have a Mac.
We also have stickers for Canadian French Mac keyboards → see Mac stickers