Colemak vs Dvorak: Which is Better?

What is Dvorak Keyboard?

The Dvorak keyboard layout was designed by American August Dvorak in the 1930s. It comprehensively optimizes the QWERTY keyboard layout and concentrates the most commonly used letter keys in the middle of the keyboard, thus reducing the distance and time of finger movement.

What is Colemak Keyboard?

The Colemak keyboard layout was created by Shai Coleman in 2006. It combines the advantages of QWERTY and Dvorak to provide a more efficient typing experience. Colemak was designed with modern keyboard usage habits and ergonomic principles in mind, and optimizes the key layout.

Colemak vs Dvorak: Difference Comparison 

Here are the comparison details for these two layouts:

Feature	Dvorak	Colemak
Year Created	1930s	2006
Design Philosophy	Completely optimized key layout for maximum efficiency	Retains QWERTY familiarity, lowers learning curve, improves efficiency
Key Changes	Completely rearranges letter placement for better balance	Modifies only 17 keys, reducing finger movement
Typing Efficiency	Highest efficiency, optimizes finger movement and hand alternation	High efficiency, reduces finger travel, ergonomic
Programming & Shortcuts	Some shortcuts are significantly different, requires adaptation	Good for programming, retains common shortcuts
Gaming Experience	May disrupt game shortcut layouts	Works well with most games
Finger Comfort	Designed to reduce hand fatigue, but pinky usage is still needed	Balanced workload, reduces pinky strain, improves comfort
Learning Difficulty	Harder, requires full muscle memory retraining	Easier, since it maintains some QWERTY similarities
Compatibility	Natively supported but may require shortcut adjustments	Built-in support on most OS, can use remapping tools
Best for	Users seeking maximum typing efficiency, willing to adapt	Users who want better efficiency without fully relearning

1. Key Changes

Dvorak: Rearranges the entire layout. The five vowel keys (A, E, I, O, U) are centrally placed in the middle row of the keyboard for easy and quick typing. Common consonant letters are distributed around them based on letter frequency and natural finger movement patterns.

Colemak: In order to maintain compatibility with QWERTY, Colemak retains the QWERTY layout in some aspects, such as "ASDF" and "JKL." It modifies only 17 keys, optimizing frequently used letter combinations for smoother and more efficient typing.

2. Typing Efficiency

Dvorak: Beginners using the Dvorak layout typically type slower than on QWERTY, around 40-60 characters per minute, due to the need to adapt to new key positions. As they practice, their speed increases significantly, reaching 80-120 characters per minute with training. Skilled typists can even exceed 150 characters per minute.

Colemak: Beginners learning the Colemak layout need time to adjust to new key positions, initially typing around 50-70 characters per minute. With practice, speed improves significantly, reaching 80-140 characters per minute, while expert typists can exceed 180 characters per minute.

3. Programming & Shortcuts

Dvorak: Some developers find it disruptive for coding due to symbol placement changes.

Colemak: Well-suited for programmers who rely on shortcuts because it keeps common shortcuts in the same position as QWERTY.

4. Gaming Experience

Dvorak: Can be problematic because keybinds often require remapping.

Colemak: Works well with most games since WASD and other standard key positions remain familiar.

5. Finger Comfort

Dvorak: Designed for minimal finger movement, reducing fatigue. Encourages alternating hands, which can feel more natural. However, the pinky still gets significant use in certain positions.

Colemak: More balance between fingers and hands, reducing strain. Less reliance on the pinky and ring fingers compared to QWERTY. Comfortable for long typing sessions.

6. Learning Difficulty

Dvorak: Since the letter positions are very different from the QWERTY keyboard, users need to spend more time and energy to relearn the letter positions and fingerings.

Colemak: Easier to learn because it maintains many similarities to QWERTY.

Colemak vs Dvorak: Pros and Cons Summary

Layout	Pros	Cons
Dvorak	1. Proven ergonomic benefits 2. High speed potential	1. Steep learning curve 2. Inconsistent hand usage
Colemak	1. QWERTY familiarity 2. Balanced design for modern typing	1. Less radical efficiency gains 2. Requires manual setup

The Dvorak keyboard layout concentrates the most commonly used letter keys in the middle, allowing fingers to quickly find the target keys during typing, reducing the finger movement distance and time. Especially for some users who need to input English frequently, using the Dvorak keyboard layout can greatly improve typing efficiency.

Since the Dvorak keyboard layout is completely different from the QWERTY keyboard layout, there are certain compatibility issues. In addition, for users who are accustomed to using the QWERTY keyboard layout, learning the Dvorak keyboard layout takes a certain amount of time and effort.

The Colemak keyboard layout is better than the Dvorak keyboard layout in terms of key optimization, and typing is more efficient. It is easier to learn the Colemak keyboard layout than the Dvorak keyboard layout.

Although the Colemak keyboard layout has made great improvements in compatibility and learning difficulty, it still cannot completely replace the QWERTY keyboard layout. And there are still certain limitations in compatibility and popularity, so it is still a niche keyboard layout choice.

Colemak vs Dvorak: Which is Better?

Both Colemak and Dvorak keyboards are designed to improve typing speed and comfort. The Colemak keyboard is optimized while maintaining similarity to the QWERTY keyboard, making the learning cost relatively low. While the Dvorak keyboard maximizes typing efficiency by rearranging the keys more thoroughly, it also takes longer to learn and adapt accordingly.

• If you want maximum efficiency and don’t mind relearning everything, you can choose Dvorak layout.
• If you want a balance of efficiency and ease of transition, you can choose Colemak layout.
• If you use a lot of keyboard shortcuts or work in coding/productivity software, you can choose Colemak layout.

When choosing a keyboard layout, it is recommended to choose according to your actual needs and preferences.

For most people, Colemak is the better choice due to its smooth learning curve and shortcut-friendly design. But if you're fully committed to speed and ergonomics, Dvorak might be worth it.

Conclusion

With the continuous development of technology and people's increasing requirements for typing efficiency and comfort, the design of keyboard layout will continue to be optimized and improved. Although the QWERTY keyboard layout still occupies a dominant position at present, new keyboard layouts such as Dvorak and Colemak keyboard layouts are gradually being recognized and applied. You can choose a keyboard layout that suits you according to your usage habits and needs.