Test de frappe français · WPM · Précision · Accents
A French typing test (test de frappe français) is fundamentally different from an English one. French uses accented characters — é, è, ê, à, â, ù, ç, œ, î — that are absent from standard QWERTY keyboards. Most English typing sites simply ignore accents, accepting e where the text says é. This tool treats French correctly: in Accents stricts mode (on by default), you must type the exact character or it counts as an error. Switch to Laxiste if you're on a keyboard without French accent input.
Choose your timer (15 / 30 / 60 / 120 seconds), pick a text mode, and press any key or click the text area to begin. The timer starts on your first keystroke. Correct characters turn green; errors turn red. Backspace corrects the previous character. Tab or the Réessayer button starts a fresh test.
The speed gap between French and English typing isn't just about accents — it's also the physical keyboard. France, Belgium, and much of French-speaking Europe use AZERTY, a genuinely different key layout from the QWERTY most English speakers learned on:
| What changes | QWERTY | AZERTY |
|---|---|---|
| Top-left letters | Q, W | A, Z (swapped) |
| Bottom-row letter | Z is bottom-left | W moves to bottom-left; Z moves to the top row |
| M key | Bottom row, after N | Home row, next to L |
| Number row | Digits typed directly | Digits require Shift; unshifted keys type symbols and some accents |
| é, è, ç, à | No dedicated keys | Each has its own key — no modifier needed |
That last row is the real trade-off: AZERTY gives é, è, ç, and à their own dedicated keys, which is faster once it's muscle memory — but everything else (Z, W, M, digits) is repositioned, so a fluent QWERTY typist doesn't just add accents on AZERTY, they relearn the whole layout. This is exactly why raw WPM comparisons between the two languages are misleading. And AZERTY doesn't solve every accent either — ê, î, ô, û, ë, ï, ü, and œ still need a dead-key sequence (a modifier key pressed before the vowel), even on a physical French keyboard. For the exact keystrokes on Mac, Windows and mobile for every accented character, see the complete French accent guide.
You don't need a physical AZERTY keyboard to practise here — Laxiste mode works fine on any QWERTY setup. But if you're building toward a real exam or you type French regularly, switching your OS input to AZERTY (or the accent-friendly US International layout on Windows) and practising in Accents stricts mode is what actually transfers to real writing speed. Once accents come from muscle memory, carry that straight into the FrenchWrite writing editor — its one-click accent toolbar is there as a fallback for the rarer characters, not a replacement for typing the common ones (é, è, à, ç) directly.
French typing speed is typically 10–20% lower than English for the same typist, because French words are longer on average and accent characters require extra keystrokes on most keyboards. A 60 WPM French score is roughly equivalent to 70–75 WPM English.
TCF Canada is exclusively computer-based — there's no paper option — and TEF Canada offers computer delivery at most centres too. If your exam is typed, typing speed stops being a nice-to-have and starts directly affecting how much time you have left to plan, reread, and correct your response.
For a complete walkthrough — keyboard shortcuts to type French accents on Mac, Windows and mobile, tips for each text mode — read the French Typing Test guide →
Typing speed is one skill; writing quality is another. FrenchWrite's other tools help with the content side:
Le WPM net = (caractères corrects ÷ 5) ÷ minutes écoulées. Chaque groupe de 5 caractères corrects compte comme 1 « mot » selon la norme internationale. Le WPM brut compte toutes les frappes y compris les erreurs. L'écart entre les deux révèle le coût de vos fautes de frappe.
En mode Stricts, taper e à la place de é est une erreur. En mode Laxiste, les signes diacritiques sont ignorés lors de la comparaison (é = e, à = a, ç = c…). Utilisez Laxiste si vous êtes sur un clavier QWERTY sans saisie d'accents, Stricts pour un entraînement authentique au français.
Yes — switch to Laxiste mode using the Accents toggle. For genuine French practice, enable French accent input on your OS: Mac — hold Option + e then type the vowel (→ é). Windows — add the US International or AZERTY keyboard layout in Settings → Language. Mobile — long-press any vowel to see accented variants.
Oui. Touchez la zone de texte pour ouvrir le clavier de votre appareil. Ajoutez un clavier français dans les paramètres de votre téléphone pour accéder aux accents — sur iOS et Android, un appui long sur une voyelle affiche les variantes accentuées.
Start with Mots mode (30s) to build finger positions on the French keyboard layout. Move to Phrases once you reach 40+ WPM — natural sentences train rhythm. Use Citations to practise punctuation fluency. Enable strict accent mode as soon as possible; typing é from muscle memory is the biggest single speed gain for French. Aim for consistent daily 10-minute sessions rather than long sporadic ones.
Indirectement oui — taper plus vite vous laisse plus de temps pour planifier et réviser vos rédactions aux examens. Mais la compétence principale pour ces examens est la qualité de l'écrit. Utilisez l'outil TCF ou l'outil TEF pour vous entraîner directement aux sujets d'expression écrite.
More than just accents: A and Q swap places, W moves to the bottom row where Z is on QWERTY (and Z moves up to the top row), M moves from the bottom row to the home row, and the number row requires Shift to type digits. AZERTY does give é, è, ç, and à their own dedicated keys, but a fluent QWERTY typist is relearning the whole layout, not just adding accents.
If you can, yes — TCF Canada is exclusively computer-based, and you may not know in advance whether the test centre's keyboard is AZERTY, QWERTY, or French QWERTY. A few practice sessions in Accents stricts mode beforehand means an unfamiliar layout on exam day isn't a surprise that costs you time.
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