QWERTY vs Dvorak vs Colemak: Should You Switch Keyboard Layouts?
Every so often a typist discovers that QWERTY — the layout on almost every keyboard in the English-speaking world — wasn't designed for comfort or speed, and wonders whether switching to something better would make them faster. Alternative layouts like Dvorak and Colemak have devoted followings. Before you spend weeks relearning to type, it's worth understanding what they actually change and what switching costs.
Why QWERTY looks the way it does
QWERTY dates from early typewriters in the 1870s. Its arrangement wasn't chosen to minimize finger movement — some of the most common English letters sit off the home row, and many common words have to be typed mostly with one hand. It became the standard because it was first and widespread, and by the time anyone proposed alternatives, millions of people already knew it.
Dvorak
The Dvorak Simplified Keyboard, patented in the 1930s, puts the vowels on the left side of the home row and the most common consonants on the right. The idea is that your hands alternate more often and your fingers spend more time on the home row. Many Dvorak typists report that it feels more comfortable. The catch is that it moves almost every key, including common shortcuts like copy and paste, so switching means relearning nearly everything.
Colemak
Colemak, released in 2006, takes a more moderate approach. It keeps many keys where they are on QWERTY — including Z, X, C and V, so common shortcuts stay put — while moving the most frequent letters onto the home row. Because fewer keys move, many people find it easier to switch to than Dvorak. Variants like Colemak-DH adjust a few more keys for comfort.
Will switching make you faster?
Not automatically, and not soon. The world's fastest typists include people on QWERTY, Dvorak and Colemak, which suggests the layout is not the main limit on speed — practice and technique are. What alternative layouts more reliably offer is less finger travel, which some people find more comfortable over long days of typing.
The cost of switching is real. Expect your speed to drop dramatically at first — often to a fraction of your old speed — and to take weeks or months of consistent practice to get back to where you were. During that time, typing on someone else's computer, a school machine, or a phone (which stays QWERTY) can feel clumsy. Some people end up comfortably using both; others find switching back and forth confusing.
Who should consider switching
- People who type for many hours a day and want to reduce finger travel for comfort.
- Beginners who don't touch type yet and have no QWERTY habits to unlearn — though they'll still need QWERTY on other machines.
- Hobbyists who enjoy the challenge of learning a new layout.
Tip
If your goal is simply to type faster, mastering touch typing on QWERTY is the quickest route. Most people who feel slow on QWERTY are held back by looking at the keyboard or using too few fingers, not by the layout.
BossTyper's lessons are written for QWERTY, the layout most people use every day. If you switch layouts, the timed drills, daily challenge and races still work — the text is the same, only your fingers move differently.
Frequently asked questions
Is Dvorak faster than QWERTY?
Not reliably. Top typists use all major layouts, so practice and technique matter far more. Dvorak mainly reduces finger travel, which some find more comfortable.
How long does it take to switch to Colemak?
It varies, but expect your speed to drop sharply at first and take weeks to months of regular practice to recover.
Should beginners learn Dvorak or Colemak instead of QWERTY?
It's possible, but they will still meet QWERTY on most other computers and every phone. For most people, learning QWERTY properly is the practical choice.