How to Type in Romanian — ă, â, î, ș, ț Tutorial
Romanian has 5 special characters: ă, â, î, ș, ț. The keyboard (QWERTZ-RO) has dedicated keys for all 5. Plus a critical detail: ș and ț must use comma below, NOT cedilla (a common Unicode rendering issue).
Romanian's 5 special letters
- ă (a with breve)
- â (a with circumflex)
- î (i with circumflex)
- ș (s with comma below — NOT cedilla)
- ț (t with comma below — NOT cedilla)
The comma vs cedilla distinction matters:
- Correct Romanian: ș (U+0219), ț (U+021B)
- Wrong (Turkish cedilla): ş, ţ
Modern Romanian keyboards type the correct comma version.
â vs î — the spelling rule
Both â and î represent the same sound. The rule (since 1953):
- î at beginning or end of a word: în, înțeleg, urî
- â in the middle: pâine, mână, vânt
Some older publications use only î everywhere; the â/î split is post-1953.
QWERTZ-RO layout
- Y/Z swap (QWERTZ family)
- All 5 special characters on direct keys (right side)
- See QWERTZ-RO layout deep-dive
Practice the Romanian layout at /ro/qwertz_ro/.
Common Romanian typing patterns
- și, în, cu, de, la — common short words
- România, român, românește — proper nouns
- bună ziua, mulțumesc, vă rog — politeness
- ștefan, țară, județ — common ș/ț words
- mâncare, gândire, vânt — common â words
- înțelege, începe, întreaba — common î + ț combinations
Romania has 2 keyboard standards
- QWERTY-RO (newer, "Romanian Standard") — modern preference
- QWERTZ-RO (older) — legacy
Both official; QWERTY-RO matches international standards better.
Touch typing tips for Romanian
- Master ș and ț with proper commas — not cedillas
- Internalize â vs î rule — word position matters
- Drill ă — frequent in Romanian
- Use right pinky for ș, ț, ă — heavy workload
Target: 45-55 WPM in 4-6 weeks.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Moldovan the same as Romanian?
Yes — same language, called "Romanian" in Moldova since 1989. Same keyboard.
Why are ș and ț comma not cedilla?
Romanian standard. Many older fonts/systems showed cedilla wrongly. Modern Unicode (since ~2007) standardized comma version.
Can I type Romanian on QWERTY-US?
Yes via Romanian Programmer's (QWERTY-US with AltGr diacritics). Less efficient than QWERTZ-RO.
Should I learn QWERTY-RO or QWERTZ-RO?
QWERTY-RO matches international standards. For new learners: QWERTY-RO recommended.
Are there Romanian-specific characters for Hungarian minority (Transylvania)?
Hungarian-speaking Romanians often maintain a Hungarian QWERTZ-HU layout in addition to Romanian QWERTY-RO. See How to type in Magyar.
What's the @ position?
AltGr+2 on most Romanian keyboards.
Practice Romanian typing
Practice Romanian on Typing Hero App — 19 lessons including all 5 Romanian characters.
For more: QWERTZ-RO layout, How to type special characters, QWERTZ-HU Hungarian.