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German Keyboard
Type German umlauts and the Eszett on any keyboard. Use the German QWERTZ layout, type shortcuts on your usual keyboard (a" → ä, o" → ö, u" → ü, s= → ß) or click the quick buttons.
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Quick characters
Phonetic typing cheat sheet
Type Latin letters with your keyboard and they turn into German as you type. Backspace removes the last Latin letter of the word.
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How to use the German Keyboard
- Choose a typing mode: QWERTZ (Germany), Umlaut shortcuts.
- Type with your keyboard (keep “Type with my physical keyboard” ticked) or click the on-screen keys. Each key shows the German character it types.
- Hold Shift or press the on-screen ⇧ key for the second character on each key.
- Use the quick characters below the keyboard for marks and symbols that are not on the main layout.
- Copy the text and paste it anywhere, download it as a .txt file, or search Google for it directly.
About the German keyboard
German adds three umlauts (ä ö ü) and the Eszett ß (sharp s) to the Latin alphabet. Since 2017 there is also an official capital ẞ. All nouns are capitalised, so Shift is used a lot.
- QWERTZ (Germany): The German QWERTZ layout: Z and Y are swapped, ä ö ü are right of L and P, ß is next to 0, ^ and ´ ` are dead keys.
- Umlaut shortcuts: Keep your normal keyboard and add accents with a symbol after the letter: e' → é, n~ → ñ, u" → ü. See the cheat sheet below.
German letters and where to find them
All 40 German characters on the main layout, with the key that types them and how to type them phonetically. “Shift+” means hold Shift (or press the on-screen ⇧ key first).
| Letter | Unicode name | Key (QWERTZ (Germany)) | Umlaut shortcuts |
|---|---|---|---|
| ß | sharp s | - | ß= |
| à | a with grave | ` then a | — |
| á | a with acute | ´ then a | — |
| â | a with circumflex | ^ then a | — |
| ä | a with diaeresis | ' | a" |
| è | e with grave | ` then e | — |
| é | e with acute | ´ then e | — |
| ê | e with circumflex | ^ then e | — |
| ì | i with grave | ` then i | — |
| í | i with acute | ´ then i | — |
| î | i with circumflex | ^ then i | — |
| ò | o with grave | ` then o | — |
| ó | o with acute | ´ then o | — |
| ô | o with circumflex | ^ then o | — |
| ö | o with diaeresis | ; | o" |
| ù | u with grave | ` then u | — |
| ú | u with acute | ´ then u | — |
| û | u with circumflex | ^ then u | — |
| ü | u with diaeresis | [ | u" |
| ý | y with acute | ´ then y | — |
| ć | c with acute | ´ then c | — |
| ĉ | c with circumflex | ^ then c | — |
| ĝ | g with circumflex | ^ then g | — |
| ĥ | h with circumflex | ^ then h | — |
| ĵ | j with circumflex | ^ then j | — |
| ĺ | l with acute | ´ then l | — |
| ń | n with acute | ´ then n | — |
| ŕ | r with acute | ´ then r | — |
| ś | s with acute | ´ then s | — |
| ŝ | s with circumflex | ^ then s | — |
| ŵ | w with circumflex | ^ then w | — |
| ŷ | y with circumflex | ^ then y | — |
| ź | z with acute | ´ then z | — |
| ǵ | g with acute | ´ then g | — |
| ǹ | n with grave | ` then n | — |
| ḱ | k with acute | ´ then k | — |
| ẁ | w with grave | ` then w | — |
| ẃ | w with acute | ´ then w | — |
| ẑ | z with circumflex | ^ then z | — |
| ỳ | y with grave | ` then y | — |
Tips for typing German
- ß or ss? Use ß after long vowels and diphthongs (Straße, heißen) and ss after short vowels (Fluss, muss).
- Capitalise all nouns: das Haus, die Freiheit.
- Quotation marks: „Hallo“ is the standard German style.
- Switch to Umlaut shortcuts if Z and Y feel wrong on your US keyboard.
Frequently asked questions
How do I type ä, ö and ü on an English keyboard?
Choose Umlaut shortcuts (Accent shortcuts) and type the vowel followed by a double quote: a" → ä, o" → ö, u" → ü. Capitals work too: A" → Ä.
How do I type ß?
On QWERTZ ß is the key right of 0. With shortcuts type s= (s followed by an equals sign). The capital ẞ is in the quick buttons.
Can I write ae, oe, ue instead?
Yes, ae/oe/ue (and ss for ß) are accepted substitutes when umlauts are unavailable, for example in domain names, but proper spelling uses ä ö ü ß.
Why are Z and Y swapped?
Z is far more common in German than Y, so German typewriters and keyboards put Z in the easy-to-reach spot. This QWERTZ layout reproduces that.
How do German quotation marks look?
German uses „lower and upper“ quotes, or »guillemets« pointing inwards in books. Both styles are in the quick buttons.
Is my text private?
Yes. Everything runs in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
Are all the tools on FreeToolCabin tested for quality and accuracy?
Yes! Every tool on our site undergoes automated Q/A testing in real browser environments to ensure high precision, correct output, and zero errors. If you happen to spot a bug or have a suggestion, please contact us at [email protected] and our team will review it right away.
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