The Czech layout
Czech keyboards are ISO boards with Windows’ Czech layout, which is QWERTZ: Z and Y are swapped compared with a US keyboard. The number row types + and the most common accented letters, ě š č ř ž ý á í é, then = ; the digits need Shift. ; and ° sit on the key left of 1, ú and ) after P, ů and § after L, and the key before Backspace holds the dead čárka and háček.
Most programming symbols are on AltGr, over the letter keys: \ | on Q and W, [ ] on F and G, @ # & on V, X, C, { } on B and N. The table under this text lists every key that differs from a US keyboard and marks the dead keys, of which Czech has many (˘ ° ˛ ˙ ˝ ¸ on AltGr of the number row too).
Switching to Czech
- Windows: Settings, Time & language, Language & region, Add a language, Čeština. The default is Czech (QWERTZ); Czech (QWERTY) and Czech Programmers are also offered. Switch with Win+Space.
- macOS: System Settings, Keyboard, Text Input, Edit, +, Czech or Czech – QWERTY.
- Linux (GNOME): Settings, Keyboard, Input Sources, +, Czech.
Testing it
Press every key: each lights up under its Czech legend, dead keys included, even though they type nothing on their own. If ě types 2, the computer is on another layout; in Chrome and Edge the line under the picture says so, which makes that easy to see.
The Czech keys at a glance
These keys differ from a US keyboard. The browser code is the name the key sends in the event log, taken from the US key in the same place. AltGr is the right Alt key; on Windows, Ctrl+Alt does the same. Keys marked "dead" type nothing on their own: press one, then a letter, for an accented letter (or Space for the mark itself).
| Key | Shift | AltGr | Browser code | US keyboard |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| ; | ° dead | Backquote | ` | |
| + | 1 | ~ | Digit1 | 1 |
| ě | 2 | ˇ dead | Digit2 | 2 |
| š | 3 | ^ dead | Digit3 | 3 |
| č | 4 | ˘ dead | Digit4 | 4 |
| ř | 5 | ° dead | Digit5 | 5 |
| ž | 6 | ˛ dead | Digit6 | 6 |
| ý | 7 | ` dead | Digit7 | 7 |
| á | 8 | ˙ dead | Digit8 | 8 |
| í | 9 | ´ dead | Digit9 | 9 |
| é | 0 | ˝ dead | Digit0 | 0 |
| = | % | ¨ dead | Minus | - |
| ´ dead | ˇ dead | ¸ dead | Equal | = |
| Q | \ | KeyQ | Q | |
| W | | | KeyW | W | |
| E | € | KeyE | E | |
| Z | KeyY | Y | ||
| ú | / | ÷ | BracketLeft | [ |
| ) | ( | × | BracketRight | ] |
| S | đ | KeyS | S | |
| D | Đ | KeyD | D | |
| F | [ | KeyF | F | |
| G | ] | KeyG | G | |
| K | ł | KeyK | K | |
| L | Ł | KeyL | L | |
| ů | " | $ | Semicolon | ; |
| § | ! | ß | Quote | ' |
| ¨ dead | ' | ¤ | Backslash | \ |
| Y | KeyZ | Z | ||
| X | # | KeyX | X | |
| C | & | KeyC | C | |
| V | @ | KeyV | V | |
| B | { | KeyB | B | |
| N | } | KeyN | N | |
| , | ? | < | Comma | , |
| . | : | > | Period | . |
| - | _ | * | Slash | / |