The QWERTY keyboard layout is the standard keyboard layout for Latin-script alphabets, named after the first six letters on the top row: Q, W, E, R, T, Y. It was originally developed in the 1870s by Christopher Latham Sholes for early mechanical typewriters to reduce key jamming by spacing out commonly used letter pairs. Despite being over 150 years old, QWERTY remains the dominant layout worldwide due to widespread adoption and compatibility across computers, smartphones, and software.
Key Features of QWERTY
Top row: Q W E R T Y U I O P
Middle row: A S D F G H J K L
Bottom row: Z X C V B N M
Home row (ASDFGHJKL): Fingers rest here for touch typing, with small bumps on F and J to help position hands without looking.
Why QWERTY Endured
Historical momentum: The layout gained popularity with the success of the Remington No. 2 typewriter in 1878, which included both upper and lower case letters.
Network effect: Once millions were trained to use QWERTY, switching to alternatives became impractical.
No mechanical jamming issues today: Modern digital keyboards don’t suffer from typewriter-style jams, making efficiency-focused alternatives like Dvorak or Colemak more viable, but QWERTY remains standard due to inertia.
Common Variants
ANSI QWERTY: Used in the U.S., Canada, Australia; features a wide horizontal Enter key.
ISO QWERTY: Common in Europe and South America; has an L-shaped Enter key and different Shift/Alt key sizes.
QWERTZ: Used in Germany, Austria, and Switzerland; swaps Y and Z.
AZERTY: Used in France and Belgium; rearranges the top row to A Z E R T Y.
Nordic QWERTY: Includes Scandinavian letters like Å, Ä, Ö.
Spanish QWERTY: Adds Ñ, ¡, and ¿.
JIS (Japanese): Includes Japanese kana and kanji input modes.
Alternatives to QWERTY
Dvorak Simplified Keyboard: Designed for speed and ergonomics; places most common letters on the home row.
Colemak: A balanced alternative that retains familiar key positions for shortcuts and symbols while improving efficiency.
Workman Keyboard: Focuses on reducing finger strain and improving typing rhythm.
While QWERTY is not the most efficient layout, its universal compatibility, ease of learning, and entrenched use ensure it remains the global standard.
keyboard layout with first line "QWERTYUIOP"
Wikipedia
en.wikipedia.org › wiki › QWERTY
QWERTY - Wikipedia
4 days ago - In April 1870 he arrived at a four-row, upper case keyboard approaching the modern QWERTY standard, moving six vowel letters, A, E, I, O, U, and Y, to the upper row as follows: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 - A E I . ? Y U O , B C D F G H J K L M Z X W V T S R Q P N · In 1873 Sholes's backer, James Densmore, successfully sold the manufacturing rights for the Sholes & Glidden Type-Writer to E. Remington and Sons. The keyboard layout was finalized within a few months by Remington's mechanics and was ultimately presented:
Keychron
keychron.com › blogs › news › qwerty-keyboard-layout
QWERTY Keyboard Layout: Everything You Need To Know – Keychron
March 24, 2025 - Some people think other layouts are faster, but QWERTY remains king because so many of us learned to type this way first. The term "QWERTY" comes directly from the first six letters on the top left row of the keyboard: Q, W, E, R, T, and Y.
Does the correct QWERTY keyboard layout have @ over the 2 or the ' ?
What you're observing here is one of the differences between US English and UK English keyboard layouts. 'Correct' for your purposes will be defined by the keyboard setting you have on your computer. UK English has " above the 2 US English has @ above the 2 I noticed that the links you provided were to Amazon UK, which is probably why the keyboards feature the UK layout. Notice the £ symbol on the 3 key as well. Edit: The Roccat keyboard you linked to appears to have a German QWERTZ layout. More on reddit.com
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October 5, 2017Best Keyboard Layout? qwerty vs dvorak vs workman vs colemak
Nice attempt, however there are other keyboard layout analyzers that take far more things into account, such as iandougs one. Good attempt, i definitely recommend learning r/KeyboardLayouts and implementing some of the ideas there (reducing pinballing would probably be the first notable one that isnt implemented anywhere that I can see) More on reddit.com
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July 14, 2021Changing keyboard layout (physically) from QWERTZ to QWERTY on the razer blade 15
Yes it is possible you can’t bind every key on the keyboard More on reddit.com
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June 5, 2018How to change qwerty keyboard layout to Dvorak in Arch Linux?
I think setxkbmap us -v dvorak or sudo loadkeys dvorak for the console. Put it in your xinitrc (or whatever startup script) for persistence. More on reddit.com
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November 19, 2021What is a QWERTY Keyboard?
A QWERTY keyboard is one that uses the standard layout of letters, numbers, and symbols seen on most typewriters and computers. It gets its name from the first six characters (from the left) across the top row of letters—Q W E R T Y.
lenovo.com
lenovo.com › home
What is QWERTY Keyboard? & Can I use it for Gaming? | Lenovo US
How does a QWERTY Keyboard work?
A QWERTY keyboard works like any other kind of keyboard. You press down on certain keys to type out words, letters, or symbols. But keys themselves can be membrane and mechanical. A membrane keyboard works by pressing down on a rubbery material that contains circuitry underneath it. On a mechanical-style keyboard, each key has its own individual switch that when activated will input data into your computer or device.
lenovo.com
lenovo.com › home
What is QWERTY Keyboard? & Can I use it for Gaming? | Lenovo US
Where do I find a QWERTY Keyboard?
A QWERTY keyboard is almost always present on new laptops and one is typically bundled with your purchase when you buy a desktop PC. They vary in size, and some have number pads and some do not. Non-QWERYY, specialized models designed for gaming and other pursuits are also available.
lenovo.com
lenovo.com › home
What is QWERTY Keyboard? & Can I use it for Gaming? | Lenovo US
Videos
08:33
Why QWERTY? Keyboard Layouts Investigated - YouTube
08:59
History of the QWERTY Keyboard Layout - YouTube
06:07
Why do we use QWERTY Keyboards? - YouTube
03:36
Fact or Fiction? The Legend of the QWERTY Keyboard - YouTube
01:03
Why do keyboard layouts use QWERTY? - YouTube
08:10
Why The QWERTY Keyboard Actually Sucks - YouTube
Reddit
reddit.com › r/explainlikeimfive › eli5: why does our keyboard say qwerty?
r/explainlikeimfive on Reddit: ELI5: Why does our keyboard say QWERTY?
May 19, 2025 -
Why not just ABC and so on?
Top answer 1 of 5
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Typewriters were mechanical. Qwerty was an effort to space the keys in such a way that the most commonly used keys were far apart so you wouldn't press them back to back quickly which could cause jams.
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Just having a keyboard layed out in alphabetical order would not be efficient. The common letters are under your fingers or close to them, the least common letters are up in the upper and lower left corners The whole They made it less efficient to keep type writers from jamming is a myth , while you can argue there are more efficient layouts , the makers of the layout did not purposefully slow down typing speed The makers thought placing often-used keys farther apart increases typing speed, because it encourages alternation between the hands
Study.com
study.com › business courses › business 104: information systems and computer applications
QWERTY Keyboard Meaning, History & Layout - Video | Study.com
August 26, 2021 - In 1936, August Dvorak designed an alternative layout that required less finger motion, reduced errors, and increased typing speed. Nonetheless, QWERTY remained the standard. Variants of the QWERTY keyboard have been developed for different languages such as QWERTZ (German) and AZERTY (French).
Microsoft
microsoft.com › home › writing › why our keyboard layouts are the way they are
Why our keyboard layouts are the way they are – Microsoft 365
August 27, 2024 - He separated commonly used letter pairings, ultimately resulting in the QWERTY keyboard design. The name is derived from the order of the six keys on the top row of the keyboard (Q W E R T Y). This layout change facilitated faster typing and reduced jamming errors on typewriters.
Lenovo
lenovo.com › home
What is QWERTY Keyboard? & Can I use it for Gaming? | Lenovo US
Some of the most popular alternative layouts include the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard, the Colemak Keyboard, and the Workman Keyboard. The QWERTY keyboard is laid out in a grid of keys, with the letters arranged in rows. The top row contains the letters Q-W-E-R-T-Y, while the bottom row contains ...
MonsGeek
monsgeek.eu › home › guide › guide
Everything You Need to Know About QWERTY Keyboard
March 13, 2025 - When you are using a keyboard, have you ever wondered why the keyboard is arranged in the order of "QWERTY" instead of ABC? This arrangement was inherited from the typewriter keyboard in the 1870s and has a history of more than 100 years. What is QWERTY keyboard layout? The QWERTY keyboard ...
iNVINTIX
invintix.com › en › sider › ulike-layout-oversikt
Keyboard layouts - What are QWERTY, ANSI and ISO? - iNVINTIX
December 5, 2025 - The Qwerty layout was originally designed to minimize the jamming of mechanical typewriter arms during rapid typing. The intention was to position frequently consecutive letters on opposite sides of the keyboard to enable as much alternation ...
Kinesis
kinesis-ergo.com › uncategorized › alternatives to qwerty
Alternatives to QWERTY - Kinesis
February 14, 2020 - If you’ve only used basic, non-programmable keyboards you’ve probably never given much thought to your keyboard’s layout before as those layouts are static. Key positions are determined by the manufacturer and it’s up to your fingers to adjust to the layout. Alternate layouts typically have two goals, which often go hand-in-hand: 1) make the typing experience more comfortable and natural 2) make typing faster. Dvorak, Colemak, and Workman are three of the most popular alternate layouts. The QWERTY keyboard layout has been the standard keyboard layout dating back to the time of typewriters.
Amazon
amazon.com › AmazonBasics-Matte-Keyboard-QWERTY-Layout › dp › B07WJ5D3H4
Amazon.com: Amazon Basics Wired QWERTY Keyboard, Full-Sized, Black : Electronics
Macally Wired Keyboard, Ergonomic Computer Keyboard Wired USB for Windows PC Desktop Laptop for Office and Home ... Featuring a standard US QWERTY layout, the keyboard provides comfort and familiarity, while the sleek black design complements any tech setup or decor seamlessly.
Qwertykeys
qwertykeys.com
The home of Qwertykeys and Owlab
This keyboard design is an absolute eye-catcher! The layout is thoughtfully designed with a modern and futuristic look, especially the top case's ice cold smooth anodized finish with one of the functional and playful screen I have seen on a keyboard. To add icing to the cake, there is a dot matrix which lightly up and customizable as well.
Smithsonian Magazine
smithsonianmag.com › history › the-qwerty-keyboard-will-never-die-where-did-the-150-year-old-design-come-from-49863249
The QWERTY Keyboard Will Never Die. Where Did the 150-Year-Old Design Come From?
February 25, 2025 - But even amid unprecedented technological innovations, the QWERTY keyboard has remained largely unchanged. We send emails using the same alphabetic interface that our ancestors who lived 150 years ago used to type letters. Why has the QWERTY layout endured for so many years?
Typing Pal
typingpal.com › en › blog › what-is-the-difference-between-QWERTY-QWERTZ-and-AZERTY-keyboards
What is the difference between QWERTY, QWERTZ and AZERTY keyboards?
The QWERTY, QWERTZ and AZERTY keyboards are named after the first six characters along their upper rows. The main difference between them is the position of the Y, Z, Q, W and A keys, as shown in the illustrations below. The letter M also has a different position depending on the keyboard, as do several other keys dedicated to special characters (ex.: $, =, ;). ... There are several keyboard layouts ...
Wisconsin 101
wi101.wisc.edu › qwerty-keyboard-and-morse-code
Origins of the QWERTY Keyboard
In 1868, he reversed the order of the second half of the alphabet, so the keys read A-M and Z-N. By 1870, the keyboard layout had evolved from two rows to four: numbers appearing on the top row, vowels and punctuation on the second (now with comma and question mark), and then two rows of consonants (B-M and Z-N). In 1873, when Sholes and his backer pitched the invention to Remington & Sons, their prototype included a prototype with a QWERTY-type keyboard.
Goblintechkeys
goblintechkeys.com › blogs › news › from-qwerty-to-iso-history-of-keyboard-design-evolution-over-the-years
From QWERTY to ISO: History of Keyboard Design Evolution – Goblintechkeys
February 20, 2023 - The QWERTY keyboard, designed by Christopher Sholes in the 1870s, was designed to prevent the keys from jamming. The layout of the keys was based on the frequency of letters in the English language, with commonly used letters placed far apart to prevent them from colliding with each other.
PubMed Central
pmc.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov › articles › PMC7965893
QWERTY, @, &, # - PMC
The most common keyboard layout, used for the English language, is called “QWERTY.” This name comes from the order of the first 6 keys in the upper left-hand corner of the keyboard. Why the keys are arranged this way no one is sure. Around 1875, the first keyboards for typewriters were ...
SB Supply
sbsupply.eu › home › blog › what is the difference between qwerty , qwerty nl, azerty and qwertz?
What is the difference between Qwerty , Qwerty NL, Azerty and Qwertz?
November 7, 2024 - This keyboard differs from a Qwerty keyboard on several points. First of all, the letters Q and A are swapped and the letters Z and W are swapped. The letter M is moved up a row. Other peculiarities of this keyboard are that there are other characters next to the numbers and that special characters such as the exclamation mark, the question mark and the euro symbol are in other places. A FR layout can be recognized by the name of the enter and shift keys: Entrée and Maj.
Reddit
reddit.com › r/answers › does the correct qwerty keyboard layout have @ over the 2 or the ' ?
r/answers on Reddit: Does the correct QWERTY keyboard layout have @ over the 2 or the ' ?
October 5, 2017 -
I searched up what the correct qwerty layout is and pretty much all of them have the @ symbol above the 2, and the " above the ' (apostrophe). However, when shopping for a keyboard, I came across several keyboards which have the @ above the ' (apostrophe) symbol e.g.
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Roccat-Tenkeyless-Mechanical-Keyboard-Illumination/dp/B00OYT741Q/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&qid=1507242198&sr=8-2&keywords=mx+brown+mechanical+keyboard+roccat
and
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Fnatic-Backlit-Mechanical-Keyboard-Switches/dp/B01EI1ZXPI/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1507242891&sr=8-1&keywords=mx+brown+mechanical+keyboard
which is the correct way?
TL;DR is the correct QWERTY layout with the " above the 2 or the @ above the 2?
Top answer 1 of 4
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What you're observing here is one of the differences between US English and UK English keyboard layouts. 'Correct' for your purposes will be defined by the keyboard setting you have on your computer. UK English has " above the 2 US English has @ above the 2 I noticed that the links you provided were to Amazon UK, which is probably why the keyboards feature the UK layout. Notice the £ symbol on the 3 key as well. Edit: The Roccat keyboard you linked to appears to have a German QWERTZ layout.
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There are different layouts for keyboards. The ones with a wide Enter key are US keyboards, also called US-ANSI. They have @ over the 2. The ones with a tall Enter key are UK keyboards, also called ISO. They also feature an extra key between left shift and Z. Those have @ elsewhere. Several other layouts exist. None is more correct than any other.
Facebook
facebook.com › groups › waywordradio › posts › 10161452675463584
The QWERTY layout was a key concept in the ... - Facebook
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Keyshorts
keyshorts.com › blogs › blog › 44712961-how-to-identify-laptop-keyboard-localization
80 Keyboard Layouts for Windows - Identification Guide + Illustrations
June 12, 2025 - This layout is available through Windows keyboard settings. You most likely can't easily buy a laptop/desktop keyboard with this layout. You can buy Turkish F keyboard stickers instead. This is a modern version of Turkish layout which utilizes QWERTY key placement (Turkish-Q).