How do I write Amharic without installing anything?

Tap the fidel keys above, or type the sounds on a Latin keyboard. The text is standard Unicode, so Copy puts it straight into email, WhatsApp, a document or a search box. It works in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer.

How is the Ethiopic keyboard laid out?

Each row is one consonant and each column is one of the seven vowel orders — ሀ ሁ ሂ ሃ ሄ ህ ሆ. The key at the edge of the row and the vowel at the head of the column together type that letter. The rounded labialised forms, Ethiopic punctuation and Ge’ez numerals sit below the main chart.

Does my text stay private?

Yes. Conversion happens on your device and nothing you type is sent anywhere. Your draft is kept in this browser so it is still here when you come back, and Clear removes it.

Is there an Amharic keyboard for Windows?

Ezra types Amharic with these same phonetic keystrokes wherever Windows lets you type, without going to a web page first. It is not released yet. Windows itself already ships an Amharic input method, and it is three settings away.

Amharic keyboard

ቁልፍ

Tap the letters below, or type the sounds — slame becomes ሰላም.

The box and the fidel keys need JavaScript and WebAssembly, because they run the same engine the Ezra keyboard uses. The full chart below is part of the page — real Unicode text you can select and copy without either.

Tappable fidel keys, part 1 of 2
Type	ግዕዝ—	ካዕብu	ሣልስi	ራብዕa	ኃምስy	ሳድስe	ሳብዕo
h
l
H
m
J
r
s
S
q
Q
b
v
t
c
L
n
N
x
k

Tappable fidel keys, part 2 of 2
Type	ግዕዝ—	ካዕብu	ሣልስi	ራብዕa	ኃምስy	ሳድስe	ሳብዕo
K
w
X
z
Z
Y
d
D
j
g
G
T
C
P
F
V
f
p

Seven forms for each consonant — tap any letter to type it. The key at the edge of the row and the vowel at the head of the column are, together, what types it — and both come from the Ezra keyboard’s own layout table.

Labialised forms

The rounded, w-coloured shapes. They have five forms rather than seven, and what they are is explained on the fidel chart.

Labialised forms
qW
QW
LW
kW
KW
gW

Punctuation

The script has its own marks; ። is the full stop.

Ge’ez numerals

There is no zero; numbers compose from these signs. The rule for combining them is on the Ge’ez numbers page.

Prefer typing? Type the sounds straight into the box. A consonant on its own gives the first form — s gives ሰ — and the vowel after it reshapes it: su gives ሱ, sa gives ሳ, se gives ስ. The full spelling scheme is on the transliteration page.

Questions

How do I write Amharic without installing anything?: Tap the fidel keys above, or type the sounds on a Latin keyboard. The text is standard Unicode, so Copy puts it straight into email, WhatsApp, a document or a search box. It works in the browser on a phone, tablet or computer.
How is the Ethiopic keyboard laid out?: Each row is one consonant and each column is one of the seven vowel orders — ሀ ሁ ሂ ሃ ሄ ህ ሆ. The key at the edge of the row and the vowel at the head of the column together type that letter. The rounded labialised forms, Ethiopic punctuation and Ge’ez numerals sit below the main chart.
Does my text stay private?: Yes. Conversion happens on your device and nothing you type is sent anywhere. Your draft is kept in this browser so it is still here when you come back, and Clear removes it.
Is there an Amharic keyboard for Windows?: Ezra types Amharic with these same phonetic keystrokes wherever Windows lets you type, without going to a web page first. It is not released yet. Windows itself already ships an Amharic input method, and it is three settings away.

Typing Amharic often? Ezra brings these same keystrokes wherever Windows lets you type. It is not released yet, and it will be free when it is.