A computer-implemented method of manipulating an inputted character string to a diacritic-modified character string using a single layout for a character entry device, the method comprising: monitoring the character entry device for first and second limiters typed by a user of the character entry device, wherein the limiters include one of the space key and punctuation marks; identifying the inputted character string between the first and second limiters; comparing the inputted character string to a database containing a plurality of character strings and their respective diacritical replacements; determining if the database contains one or more diacritical replacements for the inputted character string; if there is only a single diacritical replacement for the inputted character string, then: automatically replacing the inputted character string with the single diacritical replacement; monitoring the character entry device for a separately input trigger key consisting solely of the left shift key; and in response to input received via the trigger key, reverting back from the diacritical replacement to the inputted character string; and if there are multiple diacritical replacements for the inputted character string, then: monitoring the character entry device for a separately input trigger key consisting solely of the left shift key; prioritizing the multiple diacritical replacements based on pre-defined replacement rules; in response to sequential input received via the trigger key, sequentially replacing, in order of priority, the inputted character string with each of the multiple diacritical replacements to thereby enable the user to cycle through all of the diacritical replacements corresponding to the inputted character string; characterized in that, for a language that includes tonal diacritical characters, receiving a first trigger sequence consisting of a tonal trigger key wherein the right shift key is configured as the tonal trigger key; first selecting one of the tonal diacritical characters as the tonal base character by cycling through possible tonal diacritical characters; and then selecting an accent for the tonal base character to provide an accented version of the tonal base character. monitoring the character entry device for first and second limiters typed by a user of the character entry device, wherein the limiters include one of the space key and punctuation marks; identifying the inputted character string between the first and second limiters; comparing the inputted character string to a database containing a plurality of character strings and their respective diacritical replacements; determining if the database contains one or more diacritical replacements for the inputted character string; if there is only a single diacritical replacement for the inputted character string, then: automatically replacing the inputted character string with the single diacritical replacement; monitoring the character entry device for a separately input trigger key consisting solely of the left shift key; and in response to input received via the trigger key, reverting back from the diacritical replacement to the inputted character string; and automatically replacing the inputted character string with the single diacritical replacement; monitoring the character entry device for a separately input trigger key consisting solely of the left shift key; and in response to input received via the trigger key, reverting back from the diacritical replacement to the inputted character string; and if there are multiple diacritical replacements for the inputted character string, then: monitoring the character entry device for a separately input trigger key consisting solely of the left shift key; prioritizing the multiple diacritical replacements based on pre-defined replacement rules; in response to sequential input received via the trigger key, sequentially replacing, in order of priority, the inputted character string with each of the multiple diacritical replacements to thereby enable the user to cycle through all of the diacritical replacements corresponding to the inputted character string; characterized in that, for a language that includes tonal diacritical characters, monitoring the character entry device for a separately input trigger key consisting solely of the left shift key; prioritizing the multiple diacritical replacements based on pre-defined replacement rules; in response to sequential input received via the trigger key, sequentially replacing, in order of priority, the inputted character string with each of the multiple diacritical replacements to thereby enable the user to cycle through all of the diacritical replacements corresponding to the inputted character string; characterized in that, for a language that includes tonal diacritical characters, receiving a first trigger sequence consisting of a tonal trigger key wherein the right shift key is configured as the tonal trigger key; first selecting one of the tonal diacritical characters as the tonal base character by cycling through possible tonal diacritical characters; and then selecting an accent for the tonal base character to provide an accented version of the tonal base character.