Keyboard layouts explained: QWERTY, QWERTZ, AZERTY & Co.

Few work tools are as taken for granted as the computer keyboard — and hardly anyone stops to ask why the letters are arranged the way they are. Why not simply alphabetically? And couldn’t a smarter arrangement make typing much faster? In this article we look at the history of the keyboard, introduce the most important layouts used across Europe and the world, and show how to switch the layout in your operating system.

From the typewriter to the computer keyboard

The keyboard owes its present shape to its mechanical ancestors. Before computers arrived in offices and homes, documents were typed on typewriters. The first truly usable typewriter was built in 1867 — with type bars arranged alphabetically. That arrangement had one decisive flaw: during fast typing, neighbouring type bars constantly jammed into each other.

So in 1868 the American journalist and inventor Christopher Latham Sholes began work on a new prototype. The result was the QWERTY layout that still dominates today, its final form dating to 1878. The idea behind it: letter pairs that frequently follow each other were deliberately separated so the type bars would not collide.

When computers arrived in the 1960s and 1970s, the proven typewriter layouts were simply carried over. In the 1980s, function keys (F1–F12), arrow keys and control keys such as Ctrl and Alt were added — and the modern keyboard as we know it was born. If you would like a refresher on what all those keys actually do, see our article Description of Basic Keys and Useful Keyboard Shortcuts.

The most important keyboard layouts

QWERTY — the international standard

Completed in 1878, QWERTY is by far the most widespread layout in the world, named after the first six letters of the top letter row. Although the arrangement is anything but optimal from an ergonomic point of view, it has become the de facto standard — in the English-speaking world, in Scandinavia, in Poland, in Spain, Italy and most other markets.

QWERTZ — the standard in the German-speaking countries

In Germany, Austria and Switzerland, QWERTZ is the standard, as it is in several countries of Central and South-Eastern Europe — including Czechia, Slovakia and Hungary. The most striking difference from QWERTY: the letters Z and Y are swapped. The reason is simple — in German (and Czech) the letter Z appears far more often than Y, and in combinations such as “tz” it sits more conveniently under the strong index fingers. Language-specific characters such as ä, ö, ü and ß get their own keys. In Germany the exact assignment is defined in the DIN 2137 standard — the default layout is designated T1, and since 2018 the standard also defines the extended E1 layout, which allows typing special characters of many other European languages.

AZERTY — the French variant

AZERTY is used almost exclusively in the French-speaking world — France and Belgium. Apart from the different letter arrangement, the M sits to the right of the L, where other layouts place the semicolon. In addition, the top row defaults to special characters and accents: to type digits, you have to hold Shift.

Dvorak — the ergonomic classic

None of the historical layouts was actually optimised for typing speed. That is exactly what the Dvorak layout, patented in 1936, set out to change. The core idea: the most frequent letters sit in the middle (home) row, vowels are assigned to the left hand, and rare letters move to the bottom row. Dvorak never caught on, though — for most users the relearning effort was simply too high, especially as the layout was optimised for English.

Colemak — the modern alternative

Published in 2006, Colemak is now considered the third most popular layout after QWERTY and Dvorak. Its trick: it changes only 17 keys compared with QWERTY, and the most important shortcut keys (Z, X, C, V) stay where they are — Ctrl+C and Ctrl+V work as usual. The most frequent letters of the English language sit in the home row, drastically shortening finger travel. Colemak ships built into Linux and macOS.

Keyboard layouts around the world

Beyond the Latin layouts, there are many layouts specific to other writing systems:

• Cyrillic (ЙЦУКЕН): in Russia, Bulgaria and Ukraine, the JCUKEN layout is standard — named, of course, after the first six letters of the top row. Most Cyrillic keyboards additionally carry Latin labels for quick switching between alphabets — our typerCLAW-BC140GR wireless keyboard with Cyrillic labelling is a good example.
• Japan: typing is done either via the Kana layout (each key is assigned a syllable character) or via Romaji — phonetic input in Latin letters that software (an Input Method Editor) converts into Japanese characters automatically.
• China: the most common method is Pinyin: the pronunciation is typed on a regular QWERTY keyboard and the software suggests matching characters.
• Korea: the Hangul alphabet consists of only 24 basic characters — consonants sit on the left, vowels on the right, which allows surprisingly fluid typing.

Keyboard sizes: from full-size to 60%

Besides the layout, physical size is an important selection criterion:

• Full-size (100%): all sections including the numeric keypad — ideal for the office and anywhere large amounts of numbers are entered.
• TKL / tenkeyless (80%): drops the numeric keypad. Narrower, the mouse moves closer to the keyboard — good for shoulder posture.
• 75% and 65%: compact formats with keys moved together; at 65% the function keys disappear.
• 60%: only the letter block remains — everything else lives on secondary assignments. Popular with minimalists and travellers.

If you work with numbers every day, choose a full-size keyboard or add a separate numeric keypad to a compact one. And if desk space is the issue rather than the keyboard itself, an under-desk keyboard tray keeps the work surface free.

Switching the keyboard layout in your operating system

Regardless of what is printed on the keys, the layout can be changed in software on any operating system:

• Windows: Settings → Time & language → Language & region → choose “Language options” for the language pack and add a layout. Quick switching with Win + Space.
• macOS: System Settings → Keyboard → Input Sources → add a layout with “+”. Switch with Ctrl + Space.
• Linux (GNOME): Settings → Region & Language → Input Sources. Switch with Super + Space.

Important: switching only changes the key assignment, not what is printed on the keys. If you plan to work with a different layout permanently, consider keyboard stickers — or learning to touch-type.

Did you know that…

• QWERTY was designed to separate frequent letter pairs — the arrangement was meant to slow typewriters down, not speed them up.
• The first computer keyboards had no function keys; F1–F12 only became standard in the 1980s.
• The world record in speed typing stands at over 200 words per minute — set on a perfectly ordinary QWERTY layout.
• In the 1980s a keyboard was even developed for monkeys for research purposes, allowing the animals to send simple commands to humans.

Conclusion

Whether classic QWERTZ, international QWERTY or an ergonomic layout like Colemak — what matters is that the tool fits the way you work. In our computer keyboards category you will find wired and wireless keyboards in different sizes, and the matching accessories — from keyboard trays to complete workstation equipment — in our office furniture range.