Dvorak keyboard layout

The modern Dvorak layout (U.S. layout)

Dvorak /ˈdvɔːræk/ ⓘ[1] is a keyboard layout for English patented in 1936 by August Dvorak and his brother-in-law, William Dealey, as a faster and more ergonomic alternative to the QWERTY layout (the de facto standard keyboard layout). Dvorak proponents claim that it requires less finger motion[2] and as a result reduces errors, increases typing speed, reduces repetitive strain injuries,[3] or is simply more comfortable than QWERTY.[4][5][6]

Dvorak has failed to replace QWERTY as the most common keyboard layout, with the most pointed-to reasons being that QWERTY was popularized 60 years prior to Dvorak's creation, and that Dvorak's advantages are debated and relatively small.[7][8] However, most major modern operating systems (such as Windows,[9] macOS, Linux, iOS, Android, ChromeOS, and BSD) allow a user to switch to the Dvorak layout. The layout can be chosen for use with any hardware keyboard, regardless of any characters printed on the key caps.

Several modifications were designed by the team directed by Dvorak or by ANSI. These variations have been collectively or individually termed the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard, the American Simplified Keyboard or simply the Simplified Keyboard, but they all have come to be known commonly as the Dvorak keyboard or Dvorak layout.

  1. ^ Wells, John C. (2008). Longman Pronunciation Dictionary (3rd ed.). Longman. ISBN 978-1-4058-8118-0.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference LATimes1985 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Alternative Keyboard Layouts" Archived March 7, 2017, at the Wayback Machine. Microsoft. Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  4. ^ Baker, Nick (August 11, 2010). "Why do we all use qwerty keyboards?". BBC News. Archived from the original on November 29, 2017. Retrieved August 11, 2010.
  5. ^ Andrei (May 2006). "The Qwerty Keyboard Layout vs the Dvorak Keyboard Layout". Archived from the original on December 5, 2013. Retrieved December 22, 2011.
  6. ^ Cite error: The named reference SeattleTimes1985 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  7. ^ Hammack, William S. (September 6, 2011). How Engineers Create the World: The Public Radio Commentaries of Bill Hammack. Bill Hammack. ISBN 978-0-9839661-0-4. Archived from the original on March 9, 2023. Retrieved May 3, 2021.
  8. ^ Norman, Donald A.; Fisher, Diane (1982). "Why Alphabetic Keyboards Are Not Easy to Use: Keyboard Layout Doesn't Much Matter". Human Factors: The Journal of the Human Factors and Ergonomics Society. 24 (5): 509–519. doi:10.1177/001872088202400502. S2CID 61087586.
  9. ^ Cite error: The named reference Microsoft alternative keyboard layouts was invoked but never defined (see the help page).