Alt Gr on the keyboard: What is this key for, and how do you use it?

Alt Gr comes from English Alternate graphic, or “alternative graphic” in French.

On a computer at Windows with a keyboard AZERTY, the key Alt Gr, also written as AltGr, is the modifier key that provides access to the special characters at the third level, such as €, @ or curly braces { }.

You'll find it at the very bottom, to the right of the space bar.

What is the meaning of the Alt Gr key?

Alt Gr is the abbreviation for Alternate graphic. It is also referred to as AltGr, Alt graph or, on keyboards French Canadians, Alt Car (for “toggle character”). It can be found on keyboards AZERTY, QWERTY and QWERTZ, with different special characters depending on the language.

This key was originally introduced to produce graphic half-characters used for drawing boxes, hence its name. Today, it is mainly used to access the symbols and special characters that don't have a dedicated key, without having to type a long code.

Under Windows, press AltGr is the same as the combination Ctrl + Alt. It is this internal shortcut that activates the third level of data entry. Like the key Shift provides access to the second level (uppercase letters and symbols at the top of the keys), AltGr gives access to the third one.

What is the Alt Gr key used for?

The key AltGr gives you access to the third character engraved on certain keys on the keyboard. You use it to type graphic symbols, currency symbols, or special characters that aren't included in standard key combinations. Here are the most common shortcuts on a keyboard AZERTY :

• Alt Gr + E = € (the euro sign)
• Alt Gr + 0 (touch) = @ (the at sign)
• Alt Gr + M = µ (the microphone)
• Alt Gr + C = © (copyright)
• Alt Gr + R = ® (registered trademark)
• Alt Gr + T = ™ (trademark)
• Alt Gr + 4 = { (opening brace)
• Alt Gr + 5 = [ (opening hook)
• Alt Gr + 6 = | (vertical bar)
• Alt Gr + = = } (closing brace)
• Alt Gr + ) = ] (closing bracket)

These combinations cover most of what you type on a daily basis while browsing the web or working on a computer. Braces { } and the hooks [ ] are essential as soon as you write a line of code.

The key AltGr can also trigger actions in certain software programs. In Microsoft Word, for example, you'll find these two official shortcuts:

• Ctrl + Alt + F : Insert a footnote
• Ctrl + Alt + V : Open the “Paste Special” dialog box”

Note: On a keyboard AZERTY, depending on the layout and version of the software being used, some of these key combinations may initially produce a special character instead of triggering an action.

To learn more about accented characters, check out how to place an accent on a capital letter in our dedicated article.

What's the difference between Alt and Alt Gr?

The key Alt is located at left the space bar, whereas AltGr is to right. The two keys look alike, but their functions are completely different: Alt is used for menus and shortcuts, whereas’AltGr is used to enter special characters.

The Role of the Alt Key

The key Alt triggers key combinations and shortcuts. It doesn't insert any characters directly into your text. Here are its main uses:

• She opens the menus of an application (for example, Alt + F (opens the File menu).
• It displays the menu bar in File Explorer Windows.
• Combined with the figures from the keypad, it allows you to type character codes (for example Alt + 0192 for À).

The Role of the Alt Gr Key

The key AltGr displays the engraved symbols in bottom right keys—that is, the characters on the third level. For example:

• AltGr + 0 (the key that also has the letter "a" on it) gives @.
• It's also used for curly braces { }, with hooks [ ] and the vertical bar |, which are widely used in computer science.

Under Windows, AltGr is technically equivalent to Ctrl + Alt. That's why some shortcuts might be triggered by mistake when you hold down Ctrl and Alt all together on one computer.

Note: the character e doesn't need to’AltGr on a keyboard AZERTY, because it has its own dedicated key next to the 7. Similarly, other special keys such as the LMB or the RMB Each has its own well-defined function.

In a nutshell,

• The Alt Gr key, short for Alternate graphic, provides access to rare symbols and special characters when used in combination with other keys.
• The key also offers practical shortcuts in software such as Word, making it easier to perform actions such as opening specific dialog boxes.

If you have any trouble using this key, please feel free to leave a comment.