QWERTY

QWERTY is a keyboard layout for Latin-script alphabets used on typewriters and computer keyboards. The name comes from the first six letters on the top row. It was developed by Christopher Latham Sholes, with Carlos Glidden and Samuel W. Soulé, and patented in 1878 for the Sholes and Glidden typewriter, later produced by Remington. The arrangement is commonly explained as a means to reduce jams by spacing common letter pairs, but the rationale is debated and likely reflects multiple constraints.

The top row carries QWERTYUIOP, the home row ASDFGHJKL, and the bottom row ZXCVBNM. Digits and punctuation share keys with the number row and modifiers. The layout distributes frequently used letters across both hands and across rows, a feature that was intended to ease typing on early typewriters and has persisted in the modern keyboard.

Adoption and legacy: QWERTY became the de facto standard in the United States during the late 19th century and spread with typewriter manufacture, then with personal computers. Its familiarity and backward compatibility helped it endure even as rival layouts were proposed. Today it remains the default for English-language keyboards and many Latin-script layouts.

Variants and modern context: Several alternatives, including Dvorak, Colemak, and Workman, claim reduced finger movement and greater efficiency, but adoption has been limited by training costs and compatibility requirements. In many countries, language-specific keyboards adapt QWERTY with additional characters (for example AZERTY or QWERTZ); on mobile and desktop, QWERTY remains the standard starting point, with remappings available.