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How to Fix Incorrect French Canadian Characters in Word for Mac
Question details
The user is experiencing an issue where typing punctuation marks results in unexpected French Canadian characters, such as 'È' instead of quotation marks, despite having removed Canadian keyboard layouts.
- Product
- Microsoft Word for Mac
- Device & OS
- macOS
- Scenario
- Typing regular text and punctuation marks in Word documents on a Mac.
- Observed behavior
- Word continuously outputs French accented characters in place of standard punctuation symbols, ignoring previous system keyboard layout adjustments.
Verify your physical keyboard type (such as US QWERTY) so you know exactly which input source layout you need to apply in your system settings.
Check and Reconfigure macOS Input Sources
Ensure the macOS system keyboard layout strictly matches your physical keyboard to prevent incorrect character outputs from lingering language settings.
Even if a layout was previously removed, macOS might still default to a Canadian Multilingual or French layout for specific applications if the settings were not fully applied. Re-adding and selecting the correct layout often resolves the issue.
Click the Apple menu in the top-left corner of your screen and select System Settings (or System Preferences).
Scroll down the sidebar to find and click on 'Keyboard', then look for the 'Text Input' or 'Input Sources' section.
Click 'Edit' or the '+' button. Review the list of active keyboards and remove any 'Canadian French' or 'CSA' layouts by selecting them and clicking the minus (-) button.
Add your physical keyboard layout (e.g., 'U.S.' or 'U.S. International') and ensure it is selected as the primary input method.
Verify Word's Display and Authoring Languages
Word sometimes enforces a specific language layout independently of the operating system. Correcting the authoring language can stop unwanted accents.
Update the Citrix Workspace Client
If you are running Word for Mac via a virtual desktop like Citrix, an outdated client can cause keyboard mapping conflicts between the host and remote session.
Try WPS Office for a Seamless Typing Experience on Mac
If you continue to experience frustrating typing and keyboard mapping issues in Microsoft Word, consider switching to WPS Office. It is a free, lightweight, and highly compatible alternative that natively supports macOS input settings without unwanted language overrides.
- 1. Download the Installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the correct installer for your Mac.
- 2. Install WPS Office: Open the downloaded file and drag the WPS Office icon into your Applications folder.
- 3. Launch and Create: Open WPS Office, sign in, and start creating documents with perfectly mapped keyboard strokes.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I type a French accent on a standard Mac keyboard without changing layouts?
You can use macOS built-in keyboard shortcuts. For an acute accent (é), press Option + E, then type the letter. For a grave accent (è), press Option + ` (the tilde key), followed by the letter.
Why does my Mac keyboard type 'È' instead of a quotation or question mark?
This happens when your system or application accidentally switches to the Canadian Multilingual Standard keyboard layout. On this specific layout, the key traditionally used for question marks and quotation marks maps directly to the 'È' character.
Can a virtual machine or remote desktop affect my Mac's keyboard layout?
Yes. Software like Citrix or Parallels has its own independent keyboard mapping settings. If the remote Windows environment is set to a different language or layout than your local Mac, it will produce unexpected characters when typing.
