QWERTY facts for kids

For other uses, see QWERTY (disambiguation).

A laptop computer keyboard using the QWERTY layout

The BlackBerry, which popularized the use of QWERTY keyboards on smartphones in the late-2000s

QWERTY (pronounced KWUR-tee) is the most common way keys are arranged on keyboards for languages that use the Latin alphabet, like English. The name "QWERTY" comes from the first six letters you see on the top row of keys: Q, W, E, R, T, and Y. This special layout was first created to help people type quickly on old typewriters, especially for the English language.

The QWERTY design started with a typewriter called the Sholes and Glidden, which was sold by E. Remington and Sons starting in 1874. This layout became very popular when the Remington No. 2 typewriter came out in 1878. Even today, in 2026, QWERTY is still the standard keyboard layout for computers and other devices. While QWERTY is very common, there are other layouts like Dvorak and Colemak. In some parts of Europe, you might find slightly different QWERTY versions, like QWERTZ for German or AZERTY for French.

Understanding the QWERTY Keyboard

How QWERTY Keyboards Began

The First Typewriters

The QWERTY layout was invented in the early 1870s by Christopher Latham Sholes. He was a newspaper editor and printer from Wisconsin, USA. In 1867, Sholes applied for a patent for his early writing machine. He worked on this invention with his friends Carlos Glidden and Samuel W. Soulé.

Sholes's very first machine had keys arranged like a piano, with letters in alphabetical order. Imagine trying to type on a keyboard where all the letters were just A, B, C, D in a line!

From Alphabetical to QWERTY

Sholes spent about five years trying to make his invention better. He kept changing the arrangement of the keys. One idea was to place letters that often appear together in English (like "E" and "R") further apart. This was thought to prevent the typewriter's mechanical parts from getting stuck.

By 1870, he had a keyboard with four rows of keys, similar to the QWERTY layout we know today. He moved important vowel letters like A, E, I, O, U, and Y to the top row.

Remington's Role in Popularity

In 1873, Sholes's business partner, James Densmore, sold the rights to make the Sholes & Glidden Type-Writer to a company called E. Remington and Sons. Remington's engineers made a few final changes to the keyboard layout. They moved the "R" key to where the period key used to be. Some people say this was done so salesmen could easily type "TYPE WRITER QUOTE" using only keys from one row, but this story isn't fully proven.

Remington 2 typewriter, 1878 – The first typewriter with a shift key for upper and lower case characters

The QWERTY layout really took off with the Remington No. 2 typewriter in 1878. This was the first typewriter that could type both capital and small letters using a shift key.

Key Differences from Early Designs

Missing Numbers and Combined Symbols

Early QWERTY keyboards were a bit different from what we use now. For example, the numbers 0 and 1 were often missing! To type a "1," people would use the uppercase letter "I" or the lowercase letter "L." For "0," they would use the uppercase letter "O." This was done to make the typewriters simpler and cheaper to build.

The "0" key was added fairly early on. However, the "1" key and the exclamation point were sometimes still missing from typewriters even into the 1970s.

How Dead Keys Work

On older typewriters, some symbols were made by typing two characters in the same spot. For example, an exclamation point could be made by typing an apostrophe, then backspacing, and then typing a period.

For languages with special accent marks (like é or ñ), typewriters used "dead keys." A dead key is a special key that doesn't move the paper forward when you press it. You would press the dead key for the accent, and then press the letter you wanted to accent. This would print both on the same spot, creating the accented letter.

Why QWERTY Became So Popular

Typing Faster with Both Hands

One good thing about the QWERTY design is that it helps you type faster by letting you use both hands. While one hand is pressing a key, the other hand can get ready for the next letter. This makes typing smoother and quicker.

Interestingly, on a QWERTY keyboard, you can type many more English words using only your left hand than with your right hand. Also, your left hand does more of the typing work. This can be helpful for left-handed people.

It's a common myth that QWERTY was designed to slow typists down. Actually, it was meant to speed up typing! By placing frequently used keys further apart, it encouraged typists to switch between their hands, which can make typing faster.

The Diagonal Key Design

Keys are arranged on diagonal columns to give space for the levers.

If you look closely at a keyboard, you'll notice that the keys aren't in a perfect straight grid. Instead, each column of keys slants a little diagonally. This design comes from the old mechanical typewriters. Each key was connected to a lever, and the diagonal arrangement prevented these levers from bumping into each other inside the machine. Most modern electronic keyboards still keep this diagonal layout.

QWERTY for Computers and Other Languages

Keyboards for Different Languages

The standard ANSI QWERTY keyboard layout for the US

When computers first came out, their keyboards were like advanced typewriters. They used the QWERTY layout but added new keys, like the "Escape" key, and symbols used in computer code.

QWERTY was originally made for English, which doesn't use many accent marks. But many other languages do! To help with this, computer keyboards for different languages have special ways to type accents. For example, many European keyboards have an "AltGr" key (Alternative Graphics). This key, when pressed with another key, lets you type special characters or accent marks easily.

The US-International Example

For people who use a standard US keyboard but need to type in other languages, there's a special setting called the "US-International" layout. This layout uses certain keys like the apostrophe ('), backtick (`), quotation mark ("), caret (^), and tilde (~) as "dead keys."

Here's how it works:

If you press ' and then a vowel (like e), you get an accented vowel (é).
If you press ~ and then n, you get ñ.
To just type the symbol itself (like ' or ~), you press the key and then the Spacebar.

Closeup of a Dutch laptop keyboard with an engraved euro sign €

This system helps people type in many Western European languages without needing a completely different keyboard. For example, in the Netherlands, the US-International layout is very popular because the Dutch language uses many accent marks. Many Dutch keyboards even have the "AltGr" key labeled and a euro sign (€) engraved on the 5 key.

Other Keyboard Ideas

Dvorak and Colemak Layouts

Over the years, people have created other keyboard layouts, like Dvorak and Colemak. Their creators claim these layouts are more efficient, easier to use, and better for your hands. However, none of these alternatives have become as popular as QWERTY. This is partly because so many keyboards already use QWERTY, and most people are already used to it. It takes time and effort to learn a new layout, and for many, the benefits don't seem to outweigh the effort of switching.

Super-Fast Shorthand Machines

There are also very different typing systems, like stenotype machines. These are used by court reporters and captioners. Stenotype works by pressing several keys at the same time, almost like playing chords on a piano. It's known to be much faster and more accurate than regular typing. However, it's harder to learn at first, and the machines used to be very expensive.

Half QWERTY for Phones

The BlackBerry Pearl (2006) and Nokia E55 (2009) are examples of devices that use a half or semi QWERTY keyboard

For mobile phones, especially older ones, you might have seen a "half QWERTY" keyboard. This design combines an alphabet keypad with a QWERTY layout. On these keyboards, two letters share the same key. For example, 'Q' and 'W' might be on the same button. You would press the key once for 'Q' and twice for 'W'. This saves space on small phones while still offering a QWERTY-like experience.