On a standard QWERTY keyboard, where is the apostrophe on the keyboard? It's located in the bottom row to the right of the semicolon key, sharing the same key as the double-quote symbol. To type a single apostrophe, simply press that key without holding the Shift key; pressing Shift with that key produces a double quotation mark. If you need the backslash on keyboard, it typically sits above the Enter key.
Where is the apostrophe on a standard QWERTY keyboard?
The apostrophe key sits between the semicolon (;) key and the Enter key on a standard QWERTY layout. It shares the keycap with the double-quote symbol ("), with the apostrophe being the unshifted character. On most full-sized keyboards, this key is in the home row, just to the right of the letter L key and the semicolon key. You do not need to hold Shift to type a straight apostrophe, just press the key directly. If you press Shift and this key, you will type a double quotation mark instead.
How to type an apostrophe on Windows with a broken key
If the physical apostrophe key on your Windows keyboard is broken or unresponsive, you can still insert the character using the numeric keypad. For a straight apostrophe, hold down the Alt key and type 39 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. This Alt code inserts the straight apostrophe character. To type a curly or typographer's apostrophe (’), hold down the Alt key and type 0146 on the numeric keypad, then release Alt. This produces the right single quotation mark often used in professional typography. Both codes require a dedicated numeric keypad; they will not work with the number row above the letter keys.
Locating the apostrophe on alternative keyboard layouts
On different keyboard layouts, the apostrophe key moves to a different physical location. On an AZERTY layout, commonly used in French-speaking regions, the apostrophe is located near the zero key. You access it by holding Shift and pressing the key to the right of the zero key, which also bears the exclamation mark symbol. On a QWERTZ layout, used in Central Europe and German-speaking countries, the apostrophe is found near the L key. Hold Shift and press the key to the right of the L key, which also includes the number sign (#). On a DVORAK layout, designed for increased typing efficiency, the apostrophe is located near the A key. Hold Shift and press the key to the right of the A key, which also includes the comma and less-than symbols.
Finding the apostrophe on mobile devices
On mobile device keyboards, the apostrophe is not always visible on the primary letter layout. On iOS devices such as iPhones, you can access the apostrophe by pressing and holding the comma key or the exclamation mark key, then sliding your finger to select the apostrophe from the pop-up menu. On iPads, the Smart Punctuation setting can be enabled in Settings > General > Keyboard to ensure all variations of the apostrophe character are detected in searches, automatically converting straight apostrophes to curly ones as you type.
