If you have ever bought a computer keyboard before, you’ve most likely seen a wide range of buzzwords and jargon used to describe the various features of the keyboard contained within. To help cut through the noise and make purchasing keyboards more straightforward, we’ve compiled a glossary of the keyboard terms you’re most likely to come across.
Actuation Point: The point in the keypress where the computer keyboard recognises a key as pressed, typically marked by a tactile bump in mechanical switches.
Anti-Ghosting: A technology that prevents unintended keypresses when multiple keys are pressed at the same time. Anti-ghosting ensures that each keypress is registered accurately, avoiding false inputs.
Backlit Keyboard/Backlighting: A computer keyboard with built-in LED lighting under the keycaps, enhancing visibility in low-light environments and providing aesthetic customisation.
Chiclet Keyboard: A keyboard featuring flat, square, and evenly spaced keys. Chiclet keyboards are typically used in laptops and slimline desktop computer keyboards.
Compact Keyboard: Sometimes referred to as a 60% or even 40% keyboard, compact computer keyboards forgo several full-size keyboard keys to achieve a compact size. The keys typically missing include the numpad, arrow keys, navigation keys, and function row.
Ergonomic Keyboard: A computer keyboard designed with a more comfortable and natural hand position to reduce strain during prolonged use.
Function Key (Fn): A key that activates secondary functions on other keys when pressed in combination with them. Common on laptop keyboards.
Key Rollover: The maximum number of keys a keyboard can register simultaneously. It can be expressed as 2-key rollover, 6-key rollover, or full N-key rollover.
Key Switch: The mechanism beneath each keycap that registers a keypress. Key switches can be mechanical or membrane-based, with each type offering different tactile and auditory feedback.
Key Travel: The distance a key travels from its resting position to the actuation point. Keyboards can have short or long key travel, affecting typing comfort and speed.
Keycap: The removable top part of a key that displays characters or symbols. Keycaps are interchangeable and can be customised for aesthetics or feel.
Latency: The amount of time it takes for a key stroke to be registered after a key is pressed. Lower latency means a faster response time, which is generally desirable for a more responsive and efficient typing experience.
Macro: A sequence of keypresses or actions programmed to execute with a single keypress, often used for automating tasks or for shortcuts.
Mechanical Keyboard: A type of computer keyboard that uses individual mechanical switches for each key, providing enhanced tactile feedback and durability.
Membrane Keyboard: A keyboard with a membrane layer beneath the keycaps, often found in standard and low-cost keyboards.
Modifier Key: Keys like Shift, Ctrl, and Alt that, when combined with other keys, modify their functions, enabling shortcuts and commands.
Multimedia Keys: Special keys on a keyboard for controlling audio and video playback, volume, and other multimedia functions.
N-Key Rollover (NKRO): A feature that allows a keyboard to register and process multiple key presses simultaneously. With NKRO, each keypress is recognised independently, ensuring accurate input, especially in fast typing.
Optical Keyboard: An optical keyboard is a type of keyboard that uses infrared light beams to detect keypresses, offering faster response times and potentially greater durability compared to traditional mechanical keyboards. When a key is pressed, the interruption of the light beam registers the keypress.
Response Time: The measure of how quickly the keyboard registers a keypress and sends that input to the connected computer or device.
Scissor Switch: Commonly used in laptops low-profile keyboards. Scissor switches consist of two interlocking plastic pieces resembling a pair of scissors, with a spring-loaded plunger in the middle. When a key is pressed, the scissor collapses allowing electrical contact to register the keypress.
Tactile Feedback: The sensation felt when a key is pressed, providing physical confirmation of the keypress. This feedback can be a physical and audible click, or a more subtle “bump”.
Tenkeyless (TKL): A computer keyboard layout without the numeric keypad, offering a more compact design for portability.
Toggle Key: A key that switches a function on or off with each press, such as Caps Lock or Num Lock.
USB Pass-Through: A feature that allows a keyboard to provide an additional USB port for connecting other devices, such as a mouse, microphone or portable drive.
Wireless Keyboard: A keyboard that connects to a computer or device via Bluetooth or a USB wireless receiver, eliminating the need for a physical cable connection.
