---
title: "Why are the keys on a QWERTY keyboard laid out as they are?"  
description: "Why are the keys on a QWERTY keyboard laid out as they are?"  
author: "Mukul Goenka"  
published: 2022-05-11  
canonical: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97295/why-are-the-keys-on-a-qwerty-keyboard-laid-out-as-they-are  
category: "troubleshooting"  
tags: ["troubleshooting", "keyboard"]  
reading_time: 1 minute  

---

# Why are the keys on a QWERTY keyboard laid out as they are?

Why are the [keys](https://www.mindstick.com/articles/75385/full-product-keys) on a [QWERTY keyboard](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/52011/who-first-developed-the-qwerty-keyboard-used-in-computers-and-phones) laid out as they are?

## Answers

### Answer by Hitesh Vohra

**The keys on a [QWERTY](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97297/is-it-worth-it-to-switch-from-qwerty-to-dvorak-typing) [keyboard](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97294/what-main-features-does-a-computer-keyboard-have) laid out as they are:**

![Why are the keys on a QWERTY keyboard laid out as they are?](https://answers.mindstick.com/questionanswer/c123adf7-e02a-4cc9-af43-37d01b23ffdf/images/ae6e493e-703c-4df7-8312-38da96d11db1.jpeg) **\**

- This letter arrangement isn't brand new. According to legend, this is how keyboards have been laid out since 1874. It was designed by Christopher Sholes, who worked for the Milwaukee-based Sholes & Glidden Typewriter Company before selling the invention to Remington & Sons.
- Sholes found using the older Dvorak keyboard irritating since his typewriter's short arms kept getting trapped as he typed too quickly. He devised a novel layout to slow typists down in order to avoid jams, which he hoped would eventually **result in faster typists.**

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**Read More: [Why is the keyboard important?](https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97292/why-is-the-keyboard-important)**


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Original Source: https://answers.mindstick.com/qa/97295/why-are-the-keys-on-a-qwerty-keyboard-laid-out-as-they-are

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