| Layout | Pros | Cons | |--------------|-------------------------------------------|-------------------------------------------| | | Great ergonomics, low stretch, balanced, retains QWERTY shortcuts (mostly) | Less common than QWERTY/Colemak, slight learning curve from Colemak | | Colemak | Well-known, good all-rounder | D and H cause lateral stretch | | Dvorak | Low finger travel, good hand alternation | Poor row balance, no QWERTY shortcuts | | Workman | Excellent for low wrist movement | High same-finger usage, non-standard | | QWERTY | Universal, no learning | Poor ergonomics, high RSI risk |
: The letter D moves to the left-hand index finger's lower-row curl position. colemak dh
Colemak-DH strikes the perfect balance. It isn't as radical as Dvorak, nor does it suffer from the inward stretches of standard Colemak. It is comfortable, efficient, and, dare I say, fun to type on. It is comfortable, efficient, and, dare I say,
The standout feature of DH is the improvement in "rolls"—typing adjacent keys with a smooth, rolling motion of the fingers. Common bigrams (two-letter combinations) like TH , HE , IN , and ON flow effortlessly. The T and H placement is particularly brilliant, allowing for a smooth roll to type the most common digraph in the English language. The T and H placement is particularly brilliant,
) become almost effortless "rolls" instead of jagged stretches. Medium +3 How it Compares to Other Layouts Feature QWERTY Dvorak Colemak Colemak-DH Home Row Usage ~32% ~70% ~74% ~74% Learning Curve N/A (Standard) High (Very Different) Moderate Moderate Lateral Stretch High Moderate Moderate Lowest Shortcut Support Original Poor (Moves ZXCV) Excellent Excellent Is it right for you? Switching to Colemak-DH is a long-term investment. Users report that while initial speeds may drop below 20 words per minute (WPM), many reach 40–50 WPM within 15–20 hours of practice on tools like
In the world of keyboard layouts, the QWERTY layout has reigned supreme for over a century. However, as typing speeds and efficiency have become increasingly important, alternative layouts have gained popularity. One such layout is Colemak DH, a variant of the Colemak layout that has been optimized for improved typing efficiency and ergonomics.