How to Type in Azerbaijani — Ə, Ğ, Ş, İ, ı Tutorial
Azerbaijani (Azərbaycan dili) is a Turkic language spoken by ~30 million people in Azerbaijan and Iran. The Azerbaijan Republic uses Latin script (since 1991); Iranian Azeris use Arabic script. The Latin keyboard (QWERTY-AZ) shares characters with Turkish but adds Ə ə (schwa) — a letter unique to Azerbaijani among major Turkic languages.
Azerbaijani Latin alphabet (32 letters)
Special characters:
- Ç ç (c with cedilla)
- Ğ ğ (g with breve)
- İ i (dotted i)
- I ı (dotless I) — Turkish-style distinction
- Ö ö (o with diaeresis)
- Ş ş (s with cedilla)
- Ü ü (u with diaeresis)
- Ə ə (schwa) — UNIQUE to Azerbaijani
The schwa (ə) is the distinctive Azerbaijani character.
QWERTY-AZ layout
Similar to Turkish QWERTY-TR but with ə added. See QWERTY-AZ layout deep-dive.
Practice the Azerbaijani layout at /az/qwerty_az/.
Common Azerbaijani typing patterns
- mən, sən, və, bu, o — common short words
- salam, sağ olun, xoş gəldiniz — politeness
- Azərbaycan, Bakı, Gəncə — proper nouns
- gözəl, böyük, kiçik — common adjectives
- gəlmək, getmək, görmək — common verbs
The frequent ə appears multiple times per sentence.
Touch typing tips
- Drill ə specifically — most distinctive Azerbaijani character
- Master ı/i/I/İ distinction — Turkish-style dotted/dotless
- Right pinky workload — many specials on right
- Similar to Turkish but with ə addition
Target: 40-50 WPM in 4-6 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does Azerbaijani differ from Turkish?
Closely related Turkic languages. Same dotted/dotless i system. Main difference: Azerbaijani uses ə (schwa).
What about Iranian Azerbaijani?
Iranian Azeris (~30M) use Arabic-derived script (Perso-Arabic). Azerbaijan Republic uses Latin.
Can I type Azerbaijani on Turkish QWERTY-TR?
Almost — except ə is missing. Most Azerbaijani speakers maintain QWERTY-AZ.
How is ə pronounced?
Mid-central unrounded vowel (like the "uh" in unstressed English "the").
Why did Azerbaijan change scripts so often?
Arabic (until 1929) → Latin (1929-1939) → Cyrillic (1939-1991) → Latin (1991-present). Political and cultural shifts.
Should I learn Azerbaijani on QWERTY-US?
Use US-International for accents, but no ə support. QWERTY-AZ is essential.
Practice Azerbaijani typing
Practice Azerbaijani on Typing Hero App — 19 lessons including ə and Turkish-style characters.
For more: QWERTY-AZ layout, How to type in Turkish, How to type special characters.