Why is the key called Alt Gr?

On a French keyboard, the Alt Gr key is at the very bottom, to the right of the space bar. Elle permet d’accéder à des caractères et des symboles spéciaux, prêts à enrichir vos écrits.

But why was the name chosen for this fingerboard? Read this article to discover the mysteries of the key. Alt Gr et découvrir toutes les possibilités qu’elle offre.

What is the meaning of the Alt Gr key?

« Alt Gr » ou « Alt graph » est l’abréviation de “Alternate graphic” ou graphique alternatif. It can also be called "Alt Car" (alternate character) on French-Canadian keyboards. Alt Gr is also a shortcut to Ctrl + Alt.

• She is a Alternative button which was originally introduced as a means of producing semi-characters for box design.
• Aujourd’hui, elle permet surtout d’accéder rapidement à divers special characters. In fact, it helps to obtain the third character located on certain keys.

What is the Alt Gr key for?

The Alt Gr key is generally used to obtain graphic symbols, accented characters or currencies. In combination with other keys, it can also be used to perform certain actions.

Here's an overview of the characters you can obtain by combining Alt Gr with other keyboard keys :

• Alt Gr + E = €
• Alt Gr + M = µ
• Alt Gr + 2 = ²
• Alt Gr + 3 = ³
• Alt Gr + < = 1
• Alt Gr + 8 = \
• Alt Gr + 7 = {
• Alt Gr + 5 = [
• Alt Gr + 9 = ^
• Alt Gr +Q = @
• Alt Gr + T = ™
• Alt Gr + C = ©
• Alt Gr + R = ®

Here are some key combinations to use with Alt Gr for Word :

• Alt Gr + D: insert a footnote with a Roman numeral ;
• Alt Gr + F: insert a footnote with an Arabic numeral ;
• Alt Gr + N: open the "draft" page layout ;
• Alt Gr + V: open the "special paste" dialog box;
• Alt Gr + Y : go to next page ;
• Alt Gr + G: open map mode ;
• Alt Gr + H ; activate text highlight color ;
• Alt Gr + K: insert a comment ;
• Alt Gr + I: print open document.

For special characters, discover how to place an accent on a capital letter in our article on the subject.

What's the difference between Alt and Alt Gr?

The Alt key is located to the left of the space bar. Although the Alt and Alt Gr appear similar, they offer different possibilities. In general, the Alt key is used for general functions, while Alt Gr is used to display special characters and language.

In conclusion,

• La touche Alt Gr, abréviation de “Alternate graphic », permet d’accéder à des symboles rares et des caractères spéciaux, en combinaison avec d’autres touches.
• The key also offers practical shortcuts dans des logiciels comme Word, facilitant des actions comme l’ouverture de boîtes de dialogue spécifiques.

Nous espérons que ces informations vous ont aidé. Si vous rencontrez un problème dans l’usage de cette touche, n’hésitez pas à laisser un comment.