The Reason Behind Having Letters on the Upper Row of a Keyboard: An In-depth Look

Have you ever noticed that the words 'typewriter' and 'QWERTY' are both located on the upper row of a keyboard? This isn't a coincidence but rather a deliberate design decision rooted in the history of typewriters and the way we type. In this article, we delve into the reasoning behind the letters being placed on the upper row, exploring the historical context and practical considerations that led to this layout.

Typewriter Design

Back in the 1870s, the QWERTY layout was created for typewriters to minimize jamming when two keys were pressed in quick succession. The design aimed to reduce mechanical issues by spacing frequently used letter pairs apart. This layout has since carried over to modern keyboards and computer systems, largely unchanged due to its effectiveness and the learning curve associated with switching to new layouts.

Arrangement Based on Frequency of Use

The letters in the upper row (Q W E R T Y) were chosen based on their frequency in the English language. For instance, the letter 'E' is one of the most commonly used letters, so placing it in the upper row made it more accessible. This arrangement was intended to enhance typing speed and usability.

Evolution of Typing

As typing evolved from mechanical typewriters to electronic keyboards, the QWERTY layout remained largely unchanged. This is because switching to a new layout would lead to a significant learning curve, and maintaining consistency was important for users transitioning from one technology to another.

The Upper Row: A Special Row

The upper row on a QWERTY keyboard is particularly special due to its composition. By including ten letters, including four out of five vowels, it becomes the most versatile row. People have played anagrams with these letters, result in various words and phrases they can spell using just these keys:

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While these words are versatile, they don’t always have a direct connection to keyboards, which is why they may not be as remarkable to typists. However, knowing that such diverse words can be spelled using these keys is a testament to the layout's inclusivity.

Touch-typing Drills

If you've ever learned touch-typing, you might recall home row drills containing sequences like 'A SALAD A SAD LASS.' The challenge was to spell words using only the home row keys (ASDFJKL;). Imagine trying to spell any word with the letters ZXCVBNM - quite a feat!

Comparison with Dvorak Layout

For those familiar with the Dvorak keyboard layout, the home row consists of the letters A O E U I D H T N S. This intentional design includes all five vowels and the five most frequently-used consonants. Here are a few home-row only typing drills for Dvorak:

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While these drills are nonsensical, they are constructed to use only the first ten letters of the home row, and thus they look much more like real sentences compared to 'a sad gal had a salad.' This demonstrates the effectiveness of the Dvorak layout in making typing more efficient and comfortable.

In summary, the arrangement of letters on the upper row of a keyboard is a result of practical considerations from the early days of typing technology, focused on efficiency and usability. The QWERTY layout has withstood the test of time, and alternative layouts like Dvorak continue to offer different approaches to improving typing speed and comfort.