What Is an Advantage of the Dvorak Keyboard

What is an advantage of the Dvorak keyboard? The Dvorak keyboard is different from the standard computer keyboard, commonly referred to as QWERTY, which is in reference to the letter layout of its keys. The Dvorak keyboard works just the same as a QWERTY keyboard, but it has a different layout that you might prefer.

The Theory Behind The Dvorak Keyboard
The Dvorak keyboard was created in the 1930s by Dr. August Dvorak and William Dealy. Their goal was to create a more efficient keyboard by aligning the keys differently. Dvorak placed the most commonly typed letters in the middle row of the keyboard. The keys above the middle row contain less common letters, and the keys below the middle row are the least often used letters.

In addition, the middle row is divided in half between consonants and vowels. All of the vowels are located on the left side of the keyboard, and the most common consonants lay on the right. Dvorak felt that, since most words in the English language alternate from consonant to vowel to consonant, designating the left hand to only vowels would increase typing speed. In fact, the world record holder for fastest typing used a Dvorak keyboard.

Layout Of The Alphabet On Dvorak Keyboards
Top Row: P Y F G C R L
Middle Row: A O E U I D H T N S
Bottom Row: Q J K X B M W V Z

The advantage of using a Dvorak keyboard is quicker, more efficient typing. However, the Dvorak keyboard is still not commonly used, although it has been around for more than 70 years. Most likely, you have been trained to type on a QWERTY keyboard and are quite comfortable navigating its letters. Relearning how to type using a Dvorak keyboard may be a lot of work since you have to retrain your fingers where to go. But, if you're willing to put in the effort, you can surely pick it up.

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