Keyboard layouts by language
6 min read
Touch typing is the same skill everywhere, but the keys under your fingers are not. A French AZERTY keyboard swaps several letters compared with QWERTY, a German keyboard swaps Y and Z, and Ukrainian or Georgian layouts replace the Latin alphabet entirely. Knowing what changes helps you learn the right layout and avoid habits that do not transfer.
Why layouts differ
Layouts reflect the languages they were designed for. Letters that are frequent in one language sit on the home row or strongest fingers, and languages with extra letters (accents, umlauts, ogoneks) need space for them, which is why national layouts move punctuation or use dead keys and AltGr.
The practical consequence for learners: the home row is a position, not a set of letters. Your fingers rest on the same physical keys, but the characters they produce depend on the layout installed.
Layouts used on TypingFast
TypingFast bases each language's on-screen keyboard and lesson curriculum on the layout below. The lessons are built around the physical key positions of that layout, so the home row, top row and bottom row lessons train the right keys for each language.
| Language | Layout | What stands out |
|---|---|---|
| English, Indonesian | US QWERTY | The reference layout; most other layouts are compared against it. |
| German | QWERTZ | Y and Z are swapped; ä, ö, ü and ß have their own keys. |
| French | AZERTY | A/Q and Z/W are swapped, M moves to the home row, and digits need Shift. |
| Belgian Dutch | Belgian AZERTY | AZERTY variant with AltGr for symbols and dead keys for accents. |
| Spanish | Spanish QWERTY | Dedicated ñ key and a dead key for acute accents. |
| Portuguese | Portuguese QWERTY | Dedicated ç key and dead keys for acute, grave, tilde and circumflex. |
| Turkish | Turkish Q | Dotted and dotless i (i, I, ı, İ) on separate keys; ğ, ş, ç, ö, ü on their own keys. |
| Polish | Polish Programmers | QWERTY base; Polish letters are typed with AltGr plus the nearest Latin letter. |
| Lithuanian | Lithuanian standard | Number row carries Lithuanian letters; digits are reached with AltGr. |
| Latvian | Latvian QWERTY | QWERTY base; macron and cedilla letters via AltGr. |
| Ukrainian | ЙЦУКЕН | Cyrillic layout; home row is ф і в а п р о л д ж є. |
| Georgian | Georgian | Georgian script mapped across the same physical keys. |
EnglishУкраїнськаEspañolDeutschFrançaisPortuguêsItalianoBahasa IndonesiaTürkçeFilipinoNederlandsPolskiLietuviųLatviešuქართული
QWERTY vs QWERTZ vs AZERTY
- QWERTY (English and many others): the baseline. Q W E R T Y on the top row.
- QWERTZ (German): Z is on the top row where Y is on QWERTY, and Y sits on the bottom row. Moving between QWERTY and QWERTZ trips up Y and Z for weeks.
- AZERTY (French, Belgian): A and Z lead the top row, Q is on the home row, W is on the bottom row, M sits on the home row, and the number row produces symbols without Shift. This is the largest change from QWERTY.
Dead keys and AltGr
A dead key waits for the next letter and combines with it. On Spanish, Portuguese and French keyboards, pressing the accent key then a vowel gives an accented letter, so an accented letter is a two-key sequence you learn as one motion.
AltGr (right Alt) selects a third layer of characters. On Polish and Latvian layouts it is how you reach letters such as ł or ā while keeping the QWERTY letters in their usual place.
Switching between layouts
- Learn one layout at a time. Mixing two new layouts doubles confusion.
- Match the physical keyboard you actually use. A French AZERTY keyboard wants French lessons, even if you read English.
- Expect a temporary speed drop of 20 to 40 percent when you switch, and a few weeks to recover.
- Do not rely on keycap labels. Touch typing means your fingers should know the layout, not your eyes.
- If you type in several languages, pick the layout of the keyboard you own and use your operating system's input switcher for the rest.
Frequently asked questions
Which keyboard layout is fastest?
There is no reliable proof that any mainstream layout is meaningfully faster for most people. Familiarity and practice matter far more than the layout itself.
Should I switch to Dvorak or Colemak?
Only if you are curious or have a specific comfort reason. Relearning costs weeks of reduced productivity, and the speed benefit is not well established.
Can I practise a layout I do not own?
Yes, but your physical keyboard will not match, so you cannot build real muscle memory. For best results, practise on a keyboard with the same layout.
Why are Y and Z swapped on German keyboards?
Z is much more frequent than Y in German, so it was given the easier position on the top row.
The skill transfers; the key positions do not. Pick the layout that matches your physical keyboard, learn its home row first, and use the lessons for your language to build the right muscle memory.