Differences Between US vs UK Keyboard Layout: You have seen the keyboard of your dreams. It’s nice, it has the switches you like, the lighting is impressive, and it’s also cheap. However, it is only available in English. Although, all is not lost.
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The international keyboard layout is the most popular of the devices for sale on our website. In this category, we group keyboards with UK and US layouts; they are slightly different and represent the best solution if the Italian keyboard is not available.
This keyboard layout was created to enter typical characters from other languages quickly.
QWERTY lacks special keys for accented vowels (easily typed by holding the desired vowel and selecting the desired accent, or simply typing an apostrophe (‘) followed by the desired vowel), offering instead a wide range of easily identifiable characters and special characters.
Different layouts of English keyboards
This first model is the UK English ISO keyboard. It is the most popular type of keyboard in England and Ireland. It is also found a lot in other countries in Europe.
There is a US keyboard layout and a UK keyboard layout. There is also the US international keyboard layout, but now the song is not about it. So, in the British layout, unlike the American one:
- The right AltGr key is not identical to the left one – they have different functions
- Accented letters by pressing AltGr + letter
- Pressing Shift + ‘gives @, not double quote (“)
- Pressing Shift + 2 gives double quote (“), not @
- Pressing Shift + 3 gives the pound symbol (£ ), and not the hash (#)
- There is a standard possibility to enter the euro symbol (€) – AltGr + 4
- There is no “\” key above Enter (instead it is in the opposite corner of the keyboard – to the left of Z), the
- Enter key is larger, and the left Shift, respectively, is smaller and all sorts of other minor differences.
As you can see, the main difference between the most popular keyboards in the UK and the USA is that the UK one has the ISO format and the North American one the ANSI format.
ANSI is the most used format globally, and, for once, I think that ANSI is the most suitable format.
The left Shift that is used a lot is more significant.
The Enter is also more comfortable pressing to being closer to the center.
Keep in mind that ANSI has one less key. It can be a significant inconvenience depending on our usage.
Beyond that, they also have some changed symbols like the at sign (@) and the double quotes (“), and the US keyboard has a second Alt key instead of the British Alt Gr key.
It should also be mentioned that the North Americans also have another layout based on the ISO standard. Of course, it is much less used than ANSI.
Key Differences
Alt Keys: The UK layout has an “Alt Gr” key which is different from the regular “Alt” key. The US version has two regular Alt keys.
Symbols and Numbers:
- On a UK keyboard, Shift + ‘ results in @, but on a US keyboard, it gives “.
- Shift + 2 on UK keyboards gives “, but on US keyboards it’s @.
- UK keyboards have the pound (£) symbol at Shift + 3, while US keyboards display the hash (#) sign.
Key Shapes and Sizes: The UK layout has a larger “Enter” key, making the left “Shift” key smaller. The US layout has a bigger left “Shift” and a differently shaped “Enter” key.
Layout Origin:
- Both the US and UK keyboards are QWERTY keyboards.
- The UK layout is based on the 48 key version defined in the British standard BS 4822.
Placement of Symbols:
- The quotation mark is positioned above the number 2 on the UK keyboard.
- The American hash symbol is closer to the Enter key on the UK layout, which makes space for the British Pound currency symbol.
- The tilde “~” is moved to the American hash symbol’s position and is replaced by the negation symbol on the UK keyboard.
- The backslash “” key is moved to the left of the Z key.
Addition of Modifier Key:
- A unique key called “Alt Graph” or “Right Alt” modifier key is added to the right of the space bar on the British keyboard.
- This key helps in typing special characters, such as the Euro symbol.
Swapping of Symbols:
- The American hash symbol “#” is replaced by the British Pound symbol “£”.
- To accommodate the displaced American hash symbol, a new key is added next to the Enter key on the British keyboard.
- The “@” sign and the quotation marks are swapped on the UK keyboard.
Laptop Key Differences:
- On laptop computers, the vertical bar “|” and the backslash “” key are often placed next to the space bar on the UK layout.
Pros & Cons
Pros of US Layout Keyboards:
The US layout is the most commonly used keyboard layout worldwide, making it easy to find and use.
The position of the @ symbol is conveniently located next to the Shift key on the right side of the keyboard, making it easy to type email addresses and other online identifiers.
The Enter key is large and in a convenient position for typing.
Cons of US Layout Keyboards:
The placement of the # symbol is less convenient, requiring the use of the Shift key to access it.
The position of the \ symbol may be less intuitive for some users, as it is located on the far right side of the keyboard.
Pros of UK Layout Keyboards:
The position of the # symbol is more convenient, located next to the Shift key on the left side of the keyboard.
The position of the \ symbol is more intuitive for some users, as it is located above the Enter key.
The UK layout is the standard layout used in the UK and other English-speaking countries outside of the US, making it a familiar option for some users.
Cons of UK Layout Keyboards:
The position of the @ symbol is less convenient, located above the 2 key on the keyboard.
The Enter key is smaller and located in a different position than on US layout keyboards, which can take some getting used to for users who are accustomed to the US layout.
Ultimately, the choice between a US or UK layout keyboard comes down to personal preference and familiarity. If you’re used to one layout, it may be difficult to switch to the other.
