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How to Type in Norwegian — Æ, Ø, Å in Norwegian

How to Type in Norwegian — Æ, Ø, Å in Norwegian

· 2 min read · by Robin Érsek-Obádovics

Norwegian has 3 letters not in English: Æ, Ø, Å — the classic Nordic trio. The Norwegian keyboard QWERTY-NO has direct keys for all three. The same keyboard is shared with Denmark (despite being different languages).

Norwegian's 3 special letters

  • Æ æ (ash — historical Nordic letter)
  • Ø ø (slashed o)
  • Å å (a with ring)

Each is a separate letter in the Norwegian alphabet, sorted at the END (a-z-æ-ø-å).

QWERTY-NO layout

  • Å å: right of P (top-row right pinky)
  • Æ æ: right of L (home-row right pinky)
  • Ø ø: right of Æ (home-row far right)

Same physical positions as Swedish QWERTY-SE, but Æ instead of Ä, Ø instead of Ö. See QWERTY-NO Norwegian/Danish layout.

Practice at /no/qwerty_no/.

Common Norwegian typing patterns

  • og, en, et, er, du — common short words
  • også, gå, må, så — å words (very common)
  • være, bære, kjære — æ words
  • først, øst, øre, høj — ø words
  • både, vær, gjør — words with multiple special letters
  • Norge, Oslo, Bergen — proper nouns

Norwegian dialects + Bokmål vs Nynorsk

Norway has 2 official written standards:

  • Bokmål (most common, ~85% of users)
  • Nynorsk (more rural, ~10-15%)

Both use the same keyboard. Differences are vocabulary/spelling, not characters.

Norwegian vs Danish typing

Same keyboard (QWERTY-NO), same Å/Æ/Ø letters. Mostly identical typing experience. Languages are closely related (mutually intelligible in writing).

See How to type in Danish.

Norwegian typing tips

  1. Right pinky discipline — all 3 specials on right
  2. Drill å, æ, ø — frequent in everyday Norwegian
  3. Don't confuse with Swedish — Æ ≠ Ä, Ø ≠ Ö
  4. Capital letters in proper nouns — Ås, Æra, Østfold

Target: 50-60 WPM in 4-6 weeks.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why share with Denmark?

Norwegian and Danish are closely related (mutually intelligible in writing). Sharing the keyboard simplifies regional standardization.

Can I type Norwegian on Swedish QWERTY-SE?

Functionally yes for å, but æ/ø are missing — you'd get ä/ö instead. Most bilingual Norwegian-Swedish typists maintain both.

What's the difference between Bokmål and Nynorsk typing?

Same keyboard, same characters. Different vocabulary/spelling conventions in the text itself.

Are there alternative Norwegian layouts?

A few exist for specific Norwegian dialects. QWERTY-NO is universal.

How is Sami typed?

Sami (Norway's indigenous language) needs additional characters (đ, ŋ) — some regions have Sami-specific layouts; others use QWERTY-NO with IME extensions.

Should I learn Norwegian first or Danish?

Either — mutually intelligible in writing. Pick by motivation.

Practice Norwegian typing

Practice Norwegian on Typing Hero App — 19 lessons including Å, Æ, Ø.

For more: QWERTY-NO layout, How to type in Danish, How to type in Swedish.