QWERTZ-RO (Romanian) — How to Type ă, â, î, ș, ț
QWERTZ-RO is one of two main Romanian keyboard standards (the other is QWERTY-RO). Both include dedicated keys for Romanian's 5 special characters: ă, â, î, ș, ț. This guide covers the QWERTZ variant and the comma-vs-cedilla debate.
Romanian's 5 special characters
- 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 is important: ș and ț use comma below, NOT cedilla (which is curved like ç in French). Many older fonts/systems incorrectly render them as ş and ţ (with cedilla). Proper Romanian Unicode is comma.
Where each Romanian character lives on QWERTZ-RO
- ă: right pinky area (dedicated key)
- â, î: dedicated keys (right side)
- ș, ț: dedicated keys (typically right pinky)
- Y/Z swap (QWERTZ family)
Practice the Romanian layout at /ro/qwertz_ro/.
The Romanian comma vs cedilla problem
Until ~2007, many fonts and OSes incorrectly rendered Romanian ș and ț as ş and ţ (using Turkish-style cedilla). Modern Unicode standardized:
- ș (s with comma): U+0219 (correct Romanian)
- ş (s with cedilla): U+015F (Turkish, not Romanian)
- ț (t with comma): U+021B (correct Romanian)
- ţ (t with cedilla): U+0163 (Turkish, not Romanian)
Modern Romanian keyboards type the correct comma version. Older systems sometimes still use cedilla.
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
Romanian has frequent î (most common at word-start) and frequent ă/â (different sounds despite similar look).
â vs î in Romanian
Both â and î represent the same sound (close central unrounded vowel). The rule:
- Î at the beginning or end of a word: în, înțeleg, urî
- Â in the middle: pâine, mână, vânt
Before 1953, only î was used everywhere. The 1953 spelling reform introduced the â/î split. Some publications (especially diaspora) still prefer the all-î spelling.
QWERTY-RO vs QWERTZ-RO
Romania has two keyboard standards:
- QWERTZ-RO (older) — Y/Z swap from QWERTY
- QWERTY-RO (newer, called "Romanian Standard") — no Y/Z swap, more like QWERTY-US
Both are official. QWERTY-RO is more common in modern Romanian use (matches international standards). QWERTZ-RO is legacy.
Touch typing tips for Romanian
- Master ș and ț — they're common and require correct comma version
- Drill ă specifically — frequent in Romanian
- â vs î rule — internalize the word-position rule
- Verify Unicode rendering — make sure your tools use commas, not cedillas
After 30 days of QWERTZ-RO practice: 45-55 WPM in real Romanian.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why does Romania have 2 keyboard standards?
History — QWERTZ-RO came from Central European influence. QWERTY-RO was created later to match international standards. Both remain official.
Should I learn QWERTZ-RO or QWERTY-RO?
For new learners: QWERTY-RO (matches international keyboards, no Y/Z confusion). For users with existing QWERTZ habits: QWERTZ-RO.
Why are ș and ț special?
They use comma below (the correct Romanian standard), not cedilla. Many fonts and older OSes incorrectly show cedilla. Modern Unicode standardizes the comma version.
Is Moldovan typing the same as Romanian?
Yes — Moldovan and Romanian are the same language (officially "Romanian" in Moldova since 1989). Same keyboard, same characters.
Are there Romanian Programmer's layouts?
Yes — variants exist for code-heavy work. Niche; most Romanian programmers use QWERTY-US for code and switch for Romanian text.
How do I check if my Romanian text uses commas or cedillas?
Copy the ș/ț character and look up its Unicode code point. U+0219 (ș) and U+021B (ț) are correct. U+015F (ş) and U+0163 (ţ) are incorrect (Turkish).
Try it
Practice QWERTZ-RO on Typing Hero App — 19 lessons including all 5 Romanian special characters.
For more: How to type in Romanian, QWERTZ-DE German, How to type special characters.