QWERTY/Dvorak Comparison

Part of The Dvorak Keyboard and You

Here is a simple comparison between Dvorak and QWERTY, using a list of the 100 most common words in written English. This test is to see how easy or hard different words are to type on each layout.

For each word, score ½ point for a reach on the home row, 1 point for a top row reach, 2 points for a bottom row reach, and no points for the home keys. The lower the score, the better. A score of 0 means that the word can be typed using only the home keys (aoeuhtns on Dvorak, asdfjkl; on QWERTY).

For a word that is easier to type on Dvorak, its row is blue. For a word that is easier to type on QWERTY, its row is red. If the scores for a particular word are a tie, the word's row does not change. This should provide a good at-a-glance view of the results.


Rank Word Score
Dvorak QWERTY
1. the 0 2½
2. of 1 1
3. and ½ 2
4. a 0 0
5. to 0 2
6. in ½ 3
7. is ½ 1
8. you 1 3
9. that 0 2½
10. it ½ 2
11. he 0 1½
12. for 2 2
13. was 2 1
14. on 0 3
15. are 1 2
16. as 0 0
17. with 2½ 3½
18. his ½ 1½
19. they 1 3½
20. at 0 1
21. be 2 3
22. this ½ 2½
23. from 4 4
24. I ½ 1
25. have 2 3½
26. or 1 2
27. by 3 3
28. one 0 4
29. had ½ ½
30. not 0 4
31. but 2 4
32. what 2 2½
33. all 2 0
34. were 3 4
35. when 2 4½
36. we 2 2
37. there 1 4½
38. can 1 4
39. an 0 2
40. your 2 4
41. which 3½ 5
42. their 1½ 4½
43. said 1 1
44. if 1½ 1
45. do ½ 1
46. will 4½ 2
47. each 1 3½
48. about 2 5
49. how 2 2½
50. up 1 2
 
Rank Word Score
Dvorak QWERTY
51. out 0 3
52. them 2 4½
53. then 0 4½
54. she 0 1½
55. many 3 5
56. some 2 4
57. so 0 1
58. these 0 3½
59. would 3½ 3
60. other 1 4½
61. into 0 5
62. has 0 ½
63. more 3 5
64. her 1 2½
65. two 2 3
66. like 3½ 2
67. him 2½ 3½
68. see 0 2
69. time 2½ 5
70. could 2½ 4
71. no 0 3
72. make 4 3
73. than 0 3½
74. first 2½ 3
75. been 2 6
76. its ½ 2
77. who 2 2½
78. now 2 4
79. people 3 5
80. my 3 3
81. made 2½ 3
82. over 3 5
83. did 1½ 1
84. down 2½ 4
85. only 2 4
86. way 3 2
87. find 2 3
88. use 0 2
89. may 3 3
90. water 3 4
91. long 2 3½
92. little 2½ 4
93. very 4 5
94. after 2 3
95. words 3½ 3
96. called 3½ 3
97. just 2 2
98. where 3 4½
99. most 2 4
100. know 4 4

Previously I have asked for readers to contribute scripts/programs that could calculate this stuff automatically. I've received a quite a few, so here they are in ZIP files for download. I am not responsible for the functioning of these programs and I make no warranties; each program is the property of its author. Use common sense. If something's wrong, contact the author; you can probably find their e-mail address in the readme file.