A lot of people don't realize that Windows supports a LOT of different languages out of the box. After Windows 7 and now with Windows 8 and 8.1, you can add keyboards to dozens of languages without buying or downloading anything. You have non-English keyboards now, today! Even if you just have English Windows out of the box, you can add a Japanese Input Method Editor (IME - a way to enter kanji), or any of a dozen other methods for entering non-English text on an English Keyboard. This is great for writing family back home, letting your teen write reports for Chinese class in Word, and more.
If you know someone who could benefit from knowing this, tell them! I met a woman from Ethiopia who spoke Amharic recently and somehow we got to talking about the unique syllabary (an alphabet of symbols) that one uses to write Amharic/Ge'ez using Fidel (their lettering system). She had used Windows for 10+ years and had NO idea she could write emails, make web pages, and write Word documents in her native language FOR FREE. She had this feature in Windows and never turned it on.
In Windows 8 or 8.1, press the Windows key and type 'Add language.'
Select one of these options (doesn't really matter which) and then select the language you want to add. There's a lot.
Individual Software 8037781 Typing Instructor Platinum 21 Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, XP. Best prices on Vietnamese typing software in Educational Software. Check out Bizrate for great deals on popular brands like Encore and Individual Software. Use Bizrate's latest online shopping features to. In the Add Input Language window that pops up, type V or scroll down to Vietnamese (Vietnam). Expand Vietnamese (Vietnam) by clicking on the + to the left of it. Expand Keyboard by clicking on the + to the left of it. Under Keyboard, select Vietnamese. A check mark should appear in the box next to it. Download this app from Microsoft Store for Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Phone 8.1, Windows Phone 8. See screenshots, read the latest customer reviews, and compare ratings for Telex Typing. Activating Keyboards for Typing. In Windows, Macintosh/iOS and Droid, input options for the Western Vietnamese alphabet is available. See the links below for more information. Windows Vietnamese. Hai's Blog (Windows 7) Typing in Vietnamese (Windows 7) Generic. Windows Keyboards; Character Map; Macintosh Vietnamese. Typing Vietnamese Mac.
I'm selecting Amharic. Note that I could also select Tigrinya as well.
I'm just adding the Keyboard so I can write letters, but many languages also have a Language Pack where I could change the look and feel of Windows itself. This could make Windows more comfortable for the grandparents, so experiment with this and their settings.
An Input Method Editor lets you type English/Latin letters and output non-Latin characters. For example, I'll L-A-space, and get ላ or H-I-space and get ሂ.
Typically as you type a list of options appears and is narrowed down by your choices. Sometimes these are phonetic (they sound like the language) and sometimes they are just letter combos you'll learn.
A lot of people don't realize that Windows supports a LOT of different languages out of the box. After Windows 7 and now with Windows 8 and 8.1, you can add keyboards to dozens of languages without buying or downloading anything. You have non-English keyboards now, today! Even if you just have English Windows out of the box, you can add a Japanese Input Method Editor (IME - a way to enter kanji), or any of a dozen other methods for entering non-English text on an English Keyboard. This is great for writing family back home, letting your teen write reports for Chinese class in Word, and more.
If you know someone who could benefit from knowing this, tell them! I met a woman from Ethiopia who spoke Amharic recently and somehow we got to talking about the unique syllabary (an alphabet of symbols) that one uses to write Amharic/Ge'ez using Fidel (their lettering system). She had used Windows for 10+ years and had NO idea she could write emails, make web pages, and write Word documents in her native language FOR FREE. She had this feature in Windows and never turned it on.
In Windows 8 or 8.1, press the Windows key and type 'Add language.'
Select one of these options (doesn't really matter which) and then select the language you want to add. There's a lot.
Individual Software 8037781 Typing Instructor Platinum 21 Windows 8, Windows 7, Vista, XP. Best prices on Vietnamese typing software in Educational Software. Check out Bizrate for great deals on popular brands like Encore and Individual Software. Use Bizrate's latest online shopping features to. In the Add Input Language window that pops up, type V or scroll down to Vietnamese (Vietnam). Expand Vietnamese (Vietnam) by clicking on the + to the left of it. Expand Keyboard by clicking on the + to the left of it. Under Keyboard, select Vietnamese. A check mark should appear in the box next to it. Download this app from Microsoft Store for Windows 10 Mobile, Windows Phone 8.1, Windows Phone 8. See screenshots, read the latest customer reviews, and compare ratings for Telex Typing. Activating Keyboards for Typing. In Windows, Macintosh/iOS and Droid, input options for the Western Vietnamese alphabet is available. See the links below for more information. Windows Vietnamese. Hai's Blog (Windows 7) Typing in Vietnamese (Windows 7) Generic. Windows Keyboards; Character Map; Macintosh Vietnamese. Typing Vietnamese Mac.
I'm selecting Amharic. Note that I could also select Tigrinya as well.
I'm just adding the Keyboard so I can write letters, but many languages also have a Language Pack where I could change the look and feel of Windows itself. This could make Windows more comfortable for the grandparents, so experiment with this and their settings.
An Input Method Editor lets you type English/Latin letters and output non-Latin characters. For example, I'll L-A-space, and get ላ or H-I-space and get ሂ.
Typically as you type a list of options appears and is narrowed down by your choices. Sometimes these are phonetic (they sound like the language) and sometimes they are just letter combos you'll learn.
The results are awesome though, and it makes Windows just that much more usable for folks who regularly need to switch between languages.
Use the Hotkey 'Windows Key + Space' to toggle keyboards, or just press the keyboard that appears in your Taskbar.
Now, go tell your family and setup alternate languages on their PC! I can speak from experience that a great way to make a computer more accessible for a relative (and get a smile) is adding support for their native language(s).
About Scott
Scott Hanselman is a former professor, former Chief Architect in finance, now speaker, consultant, father, diabetic, and Microsoft employee. He is a failed stand-up comic, a cornrower, and a book author.
AboutNewsletter
UniKey is the most popular Vietnamese keyboard for Windows. The core UniKey Vietnamese Input Method is also the engine for many Vietnamese keyboards in Linux, macOS and iOS.UniKey is free of charge. Source code for the UniKey Vietnamese Input Method is distributed under the GNU General Public License.
Vietnamese Keyboard Windows 8
Please note: unikey.org is the only official website of UniKey. The author is not responsible for any other websites providing UniKey software.
News
- October 15, 2020:
- Released UniKey 4.3 RC5, with better support for the new Edge browser.
- July 14, 2018:
- Released UniKey 4.3 RC4, which allows typingVietnamese in some special kinds of apps (console, game, UWP). Bug fix for Opera browser.
- July 2, 2018:
- Released UniKey 4.3 RC3 withbug fixes for Excel and browsers (Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Internet Explorer).
- Note: This version also fixed a serious bug in 4.3 RC2 released on July 1, 2018.
- June 23, 2018:
- Released UniKey 4.3 RC1
- From version 4.3, all UniKey releases will be digitally signed. See UniKey's signature.
Overview
UniKey supports:
Typing Vietnamese In Microsoft Word
- Many Vietnamese character sets/encodings:
- TCVN3 (ABC), VN Unicode, VIQR
- VNI, VPS, VISCII, BK HCM1, BK HCM2, etc.
- Unicode UTF-8, Unicode NCR Decimal/Hexadecimal for Web editors.
- All 3 popular input methods: TELEX, VNI and VIQR.
- All Win32 platforms: Windows 10, 8, 7, Vista, 2000, XP, 9x/ME.
UniKey is very small, does not need any additional library. No installation is required.
