Mondo Knows Facts
The QWERTY keyboard layout was designed to prevent typewriter jams
Spacing out common letter pairs stopped mechanical typewriter levers from clashing
Christopher Sholes patented the QWERTY layout in 1878 to separate frequently paired English letter keys on mechanical typewriters. Spacing common letter combinations across opposite sides of the key array slowed rapid typing jams caused by colliding typebars. The layout persisted into electronic computer keyboards despite the disappearance of mechanical levers.
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Tags: keyboard, typewriter, technology
The QWERTY keyboard layout was designed to prevent typewriter jams: the short answers
- Where does this come from, and can I check it?
- Spacing out common letter pairs stopped mechanical typewriter levers from clashing. The figure is taken from Smithsonian Institution, which is linked in full on this page. Every fact on Mondo Knows names its source rather than repeating an unsourced claim.
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