Keyboard Layouts Explained: QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY and More

A keyboard layout decides which character each key types. Most of the world types on QWERTY, but Germany uses QWERTZ, France uses AZERTY, and many languages add their own letters. On top of that, keyboards come in three physical shapes. This guide explains the main keyboard layouts, the ANSI, ISO and JIS shapes, what the research says about Dvorak and Colemak, and how to change your layout.

Physical layout vs keyboard layout

There are two separate things:

The physical layout is the shape and number of keys. Wikipedia lists three common standards: ANSI (United States), ISO (used widely, including in Europe) and JIS (Japan).
The keyboard layout, or mapping, decides which character each key produces. When you press a key, the keyboard sends a code and your operating system decides which character it means.

That is why the same keyboard can type differently. Wikipedia’s example: Shift and 2 types @ on a US layout but ” on a UK layout. It is also why our keyboard test identifies keys by their position, then shows the character your layout produces.

ANSI, ISO and JIS

Shape	Where used	Main differences
ANSI	United States	Wide Enter key; 104 keys
ISO	Europe, UK and many others	Tall Enter; extra key by left Shift; 105 keys
JIS	Japan	Short right Shift and Space; extra keys

Wikipedia notes that the US standard keyboard has 104 keys while most other countries use 105. The extra ISO key sits between the left Shift and Z. Japanese JIS keyboards add keys to switch between Japanese and Latin input.

QWERTY

QWERTY comes from the Sholes and Glidden typewriter, sold by E. Remington and Sons from 1874, and became popular with the Remington No. 2 of 1878. Wikipedia calls it “by far, the most widespread layout in use”.

The well-known story that QWERTY was designed to stop typewriter bars jamming is described by Wikipedia as “possibly invented (or even incorrect)”, and it says the layout “was not designed to slow the typist down”.

Many countries use QWERTY with their own extra characters:

UK: an AltGr key, a £ sign and different places for @, ” and #.
Spain: Ñ has its own key.
Italy: a QWERTY layout with keys for accented vowels.
Portugal and Brazil: Ç has its own key. Brazil’s ABNT2 keyboard fits 12 keys between the Shift keys.
Poland: the “Polish programmer’s” layout is the standard, with Polish letters typed using AltGr.
Turkey: most computers use the Turkish Q layout, though the older Turkish F layout, designed in 1955 for Turkish, still exists.

QWERTZ

QWERTZ is the normal layout in Germany, Austria and Switzerland, and it is widely used in Czechia, Slovakia and other parts of Central Europe. The main difference is that Y and Z are swapped, and some symbols are replaced by letters such as Ä, Ö, Ü and ß.

Wikipedia gives two reasons for the swap: Z is far more common than Y in German, and T and Z often appear next to each other. German keyboards follow the DIN 2137 standard, and some key labels change too: Ctrl becomes Strg and Delete becomes Entf.

AZERTY

AZERTY is used in France, Belgium and some African countries, and each country has its own version. Compared with QWERTY, A and Q are swapped, Z and W are swapped and M moves next to L. The numbers are on the same keys but need Shift.

Its exact origin is unknown. In 2019 France published a new keyboard standard that includes an improved AZERTY and the BÉPO layout. French Canadians, by contrast, use a QWERTY-based layout.

Cyrillic and Japanese

Russian: the standard layout is ЙЦУКЕН (JCUKEN). Keyboards in Russia show Cyrillic and Latin letters on each key, usually in different colours.
Japanese: typists usually type the pronunciation using a QWERTY layout and romanisation, and the input software converts it. JIS keyboards also show kana for kana input.

Dvorak and Colemak

Dvorak and Colemak are alternative layouts for English that move common letters to the middle row.

Dvorak was patented in 1936 by August Dvorak and William Dealey, and ANSI made it an alternative standard in 1982. About 70% of letter strokes are on the home row.
Colemak, released in 2006 by Shai Coleman, moves 17 keys and keeps most shortcuts in place. About 74% of typing is on the home row, compared with 32% for QWERTY.

Are they faster?

The evidence is weak and mixed. Wikipedia notes that early studies by Dvorak and his associates favoured his layout and drew accusations of bias, while a 1956 US government study found Dvorak no more efficient, and was itself criticised. Economists Liebowitz and Margolis concluded that the best experiments “suggest little or no advantage”. Later experiments found that many layouts give very similar speeds once typists are trained, because layout is only a small part of typing.

Some people report less strain after switching, but Wikipedia notes that “no scientific study has been conducted verifying this”. Measure your own speed on our typing speed test before and after any change, and read how to type faster for what usually helps more.

How to change your keyboard layout

Windows 11

Open Settings > Time & language > Language & region.
Select the three dots next to your language, then Language options.
Under Keyboards, select Add a keyboard and choose a layout.

To switch, hold the Windows logo key and press Space, or pick a layout from the language icon on the taskbar. To remove one, open the same Language options page, select the three dots next to the layout and choose Remove.

Mac

Choose Apple menu > System Settings > Keyboard.
Under Text Input, select Edit, then Add, and choose an input source.

Press Control + Space to switch to the last layout you used. The Input menu in the menu bar also has a keyboard viewer showing the current layout.

Chromebook

Open Settings, then under Device choose Keyboard and Change input settings, and add the layouts you want. Press Ctrl + Shift + Space to switch between them.

If your keyboard suddenly types the wrong characters, a layout switch is the usual cause. See keyboard keys not working.

Frequently asked questions

What is the most common keyboard layout?

QWERTY. Wikipedia describes it as by far the most widespread layout, used across the world with local variations.

Why are Y and Z swapped on my keyboard?

You are using a QWERTZ layout, standard in Germany, Austria, Switzerland and much of Central Europe. If you did not mean to, switch back with Windows key + Space or remove the layout in Settings.

What is the difference between ANSI and ISO keyboards?

ISO keyboards have a tall Enter key and an extra key next to a shorter left Shift, giving 105 keys. ANSI keyboards, used in the US, have a wide Enter key and 104 keys.

Is Dvorak faster than QWERTY?

The evidence is mixed. Some studies found small gains, others found none, and later research suggests trained typists reach similar speeds on most layouts.

Can I use a different layout without buying a new keyboard?

Yes. Windows, macOS, ChromeOS and Linux let you choose a layout in software, whatever is printed on the keys.

How do I switch keyboard layouts quickly?

On Windows press Windows key + Space, on a Mac press Control + Space, and on a Chromebook press Ctrl + Shift + Space.