The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard
After touch-typing with QWERTY for years at ~90 WPM (words per minute), I switched to the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard in June, 2007. This page describes my experience and provides a few useful links. You don't need a special keyboard to use Dvorak! Visit DVzine.org for information on how to use Dvorak on your computer.
General information |
Learning Dvorak |
Typing test |
My Experience
I wanted to switch to Dvorak all through my junior year in high school. The summer before senior year, I started typing exclusively in Dvorak. Once I knew the keys, I typed random passages from books (first without punctuation or capitalization), timing my speed every minute. After a week, I was at 30 wpm. After that, I gradually gained speed just by using Dvorak when I needed to type, surpassing my speed with QWERTY in three months. I now type at ~115 wmp on average, using Dvorak with Caps Lock and Backspace switched (see below). Watch my current record (135 WPM) on Ryan's typing test. But for me, Dvorak's biggest benefit is comfort; the speed-up is just a nice bonus.
Is Dvorak the best keyboard?
No, but it's the best that's available on virtually every computer. For example, Dvorak places l on the right pinky, which is a bit uncomfortable, and it makes little sense that g and h both use the right index. I did come across Colemak, Arensito, and many other alternative keyboards, but these require external programs. All of these are comparable to Dvorak, and all are better than QWERTY, so Dvorak is a fine choice. I may change my layout again, but it seems unlikely that there will be a consensus on the best layout for English in the near future.
One aspect in which Colemak is superior is that it interchanges Caps Lock and Backspace. But you can do this with any keyboard! I use a program called AutoHotKey; Windows users can place this .exe file in the Startup folder to have it run when the system loads.
One big problem is with foreign languages. These alternative keyboards have been designed to fit the letter frequency and combinations of English. Versions of Dvorak exists for many languages with the Latin alphabet (French, Spanish, etc), but none is standard. Of course, for these langauges, the usual Dvorak is still much better than any QWERTY-based keyboard.
I use Dvorak International (look here for the KLC (Keyboard Layout Creator) file and install using Microsoft Keyboard Layout Creator) to type French and the usual IME input system with AHK for Japanese. Here's the AHK file I use.
Finally, some improvements don't involve a new layout at all. Check out the Kinesis keyboard.
Tips on learning a new keyboard layout
I hit my first plateau at 40 wpm. I began improving again with the following exercises.
(1) Practice typing the most common words in English.
(2) Practice frequent letter combinations.
-ing: with any verb, but singing is a fun one.
-tion: nation, pension, iteration, action
-ment: ointment
-ate: automate
-ize: standardize, mechanize
-ish: establish
-ly: any adverb
-ght: night, might
-ble: gullible, able
-tch: patch, watch, catch
(3) Practice consonants with two or three letters (not necessarily double or triple consonants).
(With right hand only)
th: this, that, thing
tw: two, twine, twirl
sh: shoot, short, shut
st: start, stun, stare
sm: small, smart, smell
sn: snake, snarl
sw: swarm, swirl
fr: from, free, fry
gr: great, grand, grab
cr: creak, crime, cram
wh: who, where, when, what
wr: write, wrong, wring
fl: flow, fling, fly
gl: glow, glide, glib
cl: close, clutter, clay
ch: punch, change, cheese
ck: kick, rack, back
bl: blank, bleed, blame
br: break, brine, broad
str: string, strong, strike
scr: scroll, scrape
sch: school
thr: throw
chr: chrome
and the worst--sl: slow, sleeve
(With both hands)
sk: sky, ski
sp: special, spooky
sq: squirm, square, squeel
pl: plan, play, plow
pr: pray, pry, press
(With left hand only)
xy: xylem, oxygen
(Rare ones)
qw: qwerty
dv: dvorak; advertise, adventure
dw: dwarf, dwell, dwindle
(4) And their combinations.
Present particile of any verb from (3) or (4), flush, check, which, click, crunch, strengthen, french, smash, starch, through, thrash, snatch, twitch, switch, twilight, and anything else you can think of.
(5) Vowel combinations: ou, ie, ei, ea, etc.
These don't cover all the letter combinations but should at least give you a good start.