How to type French accents

You don't need a French keyboard. The one you have already types é, ç, œ and the rest; here's how on each device.

Typing a word yourself is part of learning it, and AnimeLang counts a missing accent as a spelling mistake: ou means “or” and où means “where”.

On a Mac

Keep the keyboard you have, U.S. or ABC. Press and hold a letter, say e, and a menu of its accents appears: click one, or press the number under it.

Quicker, once you know them, are the Option keys. For an accent, press Option with the accent's key, then the letter:

To see them all, open Keyboard Viewer and hold Option: the accent keys are outlined in orange.

Add one keyboard, United States-International: the US keyboard with accents added.

Open Settings › Time & language › Language & region.
Next to English (United States), choose … › Language options › Add a keyboard and add United States-International.
Switch between it and your usual keyboard with Windows key + Space.

Then, for an accent, press the accent's key, then the letter:

é: ', then e.
à è ù: the key left of 1, then the letter.
â ê î ô û: ^ (Shift-6), then the letter.
ë ï ü: " (Shift-'), then the letter.
ç: ', then c. Or Right Alt + , (comma).
« » are Right Alt + [ and Right Alt + ].
œ isn't on this keyboard. Press Windows key + . (period), choose Symbols, and pick it from there.
For a capital, hold Shift on the letter: ', then Shift-E, gives É.
No Right Alt key? Ctrl + Alt does the same.
On this keyboard ' and " wait for the next key. For an apostrophe on its own, as in l'eau, press ' and then the space bar.

Touch and hold a letter, say e, then slide your finger to the accent you want and let go.