Keyboard
Keyboard
A device with rows of buttons used to input letters, numbers, and symbols into a computer or smartphone.
In Simple Terms
A keyboard is a tool you use to input letters and symbols into a computer or smartphone by pressing buttons. Each button corresponds to a specific letter or number, and pressing it displays that character on the screen. It's used as the basic tool for typing text, whether you're writing a document or searching for something.
Behind the Name
It's a combination of "Key," meaning a button, and "Board," meaning a flat panel. Originally, the word referred to the keys on musical instruments like pianos and organs, and it later came to be used for typewriters and computer input devices too.
Take a Closer Look!
A keyboard is an input device that lets you send character data and commands to a computer by pressing buttons labeled with letters and numbers.
There are also on-screen keyboards, which you operate by touching buttons displayed on the screen with your finger.
Broadly speaking, there are two types: physical keyboards, where you press actual buttons, and touch-based keyboards, which appear on a screen.
The type commonly used with computers gives you tactile feedback when you press a key, making it easy to type quickly without looking at your hands.
On smartphones and tablets, on-screen keyboards are more commonly used.
Simply put, a keyboard isn't just for typing characters — it also handles special commands like deleting text, adding line breaks, and undoing actions.
Key layouts vary by country and language, and are designed to match the needs of different environments, such as Japanese or English input.