Typing in another language on your Windows keyboard may seem like such a chore. Some people are comfortable with using the Insert Symbol function to accommodate diacritical marks — like ö, ñ, and ß — while others, painfully, search for it in Google to copy and paste. Needing a full foreign language keyboard also often means going through a series of clicks to switch from one language to another.
Fortunately, Windows has made it easy for users of all nationalities to use its systems with ease — many of us just didn't know these solutions existed. We prepared the following guides to teach you how to type in other languages the quick and easy way.
How to add language keyboards in Windows 10
You can add a language keyboard for easy access on your Windows 10 computer. Here's a step-by-step guide.
Check the right side of your desktop taskbar to find ENG and click it.
A window of options will appear showing your default keyboard (English, US Keyboard) and Language Preferences. Click Language Preferences.
Go to Preferred Languages, click Add Language, and select from the window that pops up, then click Next.
Review the language features you want to install or set up, then click Install.
How to switch between language keyboards
You can switch between languages with a Latin alphabet (French, Spanish, English) and languages with a non-Latin alphabet (Chinese or Arabic). Here's how to do it.
Enable the keyboard language you want, open your document, and place your cursor where you want to start typing in another language.
Click ENG on the taskbar, and select the language that you want to use.
Repeat steps 1 and 2 to toggle between languages.
Alternatively, you can press Alt+Shift to switch between keyboard layouts.
How to write in another language on Google Docs
Typing in another language on Google Docs is possible. Here's how to set it up.
Open your Google document.
Click File, bring your cursor over to Language.
Select the language you want to type in.
If you have chosen a non-Latin script, you will need to click an input tool to get started. You will find Input Tools on the right side of Google Docs' toolbar, usually beside Clear Formatting and the Indent icons.
Note: The Input Tools icon will only appear if you have selected a non-English language.
Keyboard Shortcuts to Create Accents
If you've been having a rough time figuring out how to type accents on a Windows computer, you'll be glad to know that there are keyboard shortcuts to make your life easier. We list some of the most used accent shortcuts below.
Type Accurately, Efficiently, and Quickly With Lightkey
Typing in another language doesn’t have to be difficult, and knowing the right shortcuts and tools to activate can certainly make the experience much easier. Another Windows-compatible software that’s worth the attention is Lightkey, which is a text prediction tool that enables you to type faster and more efficiently by suggesting relevant content up to 12 words in advance, including punctuations.
Powered by AI, this nifty software offers personalized and relevant predictions in real-time, so you won’t have to write the entire text and then correct it in retrospect. You can continue typing in line with your train of thought with minimal pauses as it also corrects your spelling and grammar in the process.
What’s even more interesting is that it provides a native writing experience in over 80 languages. To use Lightkey’s language capability with Windows 10, simply follow the instructions on adding an input language above, and Lightkey will automatically detect your installed languages and offer predictions based on these.
Explore Lightkey’s features to appreciate how powerful this tool is.