How Many Keys Are on A Computer Keyboard

The invention of the keyboard has resulted in the ease of human beings as now they can perform various tasks of typing with the alphabet keys and accounting with the numeral keys.

Moreover, due to the rapid advancement in the field of technology, these keyboards have made their way to smartphones, making human lives much easier and more progressive. They have become so important parts of our lives that our daily tasks are incomplete without keyboards.

Thus, one needs to have an in-depth analysis of the keyboard as it becomes their need to know how many keys are on a computer keyboard and what functions they serve.

Therefore, when thinking of keyboards, the first thought that comes to one’s mind is how many keys are on a computer keyboard, as these keys are the main component that one will be dealing with to give input to the computer.

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There are some keys of huge significance, as they are frequently used while others end up collecting dust. Thus, the number of keys on one’s keyboard is less than the actual number of keys on a keyboard. So, the question about how many keys are there on a computer keyboard is thoroughly discussed below.

To know how many keys are on a computer keyboard one needs to look at the keyboard of the desktop or a laptop. This will lead to the realization that there is a variety of keys, which are having specific indicative letters on them.

These different types of keys are having their specific functions which perform specific actions and shortcuts on pressing them. Thus, how many keys are on a computer keyboard for the Windows Operating System is given below:

Alphabet Keys

The first thing to know about how many keys are on a computer keyboard leads to the most important keys on the keyboard named Alphabet keys, ranging from A to Z. They are 26 in number, usually not arranged in alphabets as the QWERTY arrangement of the keys.

One can use these alphabet keys to write words that form phrases, clauses, and eventually sentences such as in articles, essays, and documents.

Moreover, by using the Shift key, which acts as a modifier, one can write both uppercase and lowercase letters for maintaining grammatical and formatting rules in writing.

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Number Keys

Then to know how many keys are on a computer keyboard, we have a number of keys that are situated in two different locations on the keyboard, serving different functions. In both locations. They range from 1 to 0.

Option 1: Symbol keys:

These number keys are directly above the alphabet keys and serve as symbol keys, which can be typed out by using them with the Shift key. Hence, number keys such as 1, 2, 3, and 4 have their respective symbols such as ! @, #, %, and the same goes for other number keys.

Option 2: Numeric keypad

When Num Lock On, all the keys from 1 to 0 produce their respective digits, and when Num Lock Off, 7,1,9, and 3 keys act like scroll keys, and 8,6,4, and 3 act as navigation keys.

1. Punctuation Keys

The answer to how many keys are on a keyboard also includes punctuation keys such as comma (,), full stop (.), colon (:), semi-colon (;), etc. These are the important keys and produce two punctuation marks with one key with the help of the Shift key. They help in producing grammatically correct and properly punctuated texts.

2. Special Keys

Special keys, another label under how many keys are on a computer keyboard, perform special actions in the task of the text editor. Some of these functions are shifted below:

Spacebar key: It is used for spacing between two independent words to form a sentence.
Enter key: It is in the text editor to shift the cursor to the next line.
Window key: It is used for different shortcuts such as Window + I to open the Settings app or this key can be used to open the Start Menu.
Backspace key: It is used to delete words as well as the space before the cursor.
Escape key (Esc): It is used to cancel current running programs or processes as well as close up a popup window.
Delete key: It is used to delete texts or images.

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3. Modifier Keys

Modifier keys have no function of their own, due to this, they are used in combination with other keys to perform a specific action. Thus, they serve to modify the action of another key for a temporary period.

Shift key toggle between uppercase/lowercase letters and also switch between different punctuations with one specific key.
Control key (Ctrl) helps in opening new folders, new tabs in the browser, and different task windows.
Alternate Graphic Key (Alt Gr) type characters like ®, ™, ©, etc by using the alphabet and other modifier keys.

4. Function keys

These keys reside on the topmost part of the keyboard and begin with the letter F. They start from F1 and end on F12, with another additional key of Fn on the keyboard.

is used to help Windows in browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google, also it helps menu in Microsoft Office.
aids in accessing file edit functions, in addition, to files in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Explorer, etc.
helps search for files in Windows Files Explorer. Moreover, Shift+ F3 searches backward.

F4 as Ctrl+F4 closes a tab in the browser, and Alt+F4 closes the entire browser window as well as the Windows PC.

The rest of the function keys also have their respective functions.

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5. Navigation Keys

These keys navigate a webpage or a text editor window line by line. Numeric Keypad keys such as 8, 4, 2, and 6 can also be used as Navigation keys. They play a major role in playing games and video editing.

6. Toggle Keys

When the toggle key is active, it performs specific functions. The three toggle keys are:

Caps Lock: When active, the letters are in Uppercase, otherwise lowercase.
Num Lock: It toggles the actions of numerical keys on a keyboard.
Scroll Lock: It is not present on many recent keyboards: however, if present then scrolls a page until it is active.

How Many Keys Are on A Computer Keyboard of Different Models

The number of how many keys on a computer keyboard of different models can drastically vary from one type of keyboard to another in terms of layouts and form factors, such as ANSI layout, a standard full-size keyboard in the United States, which has 104 keys and a standard full-size keyboard in Europe, which has 105 keys, uses the ISO format.

Effects of Physical Keyboard layout on a number of keys

ANSI model

A full-size standard ANSI keyboard contains 104 keys, depending on their different functionality. The most common way of grouping these keys is to put them in categories. Given below are how many keys on a computer keyboard of the ANSI model

Alphanumeric keys: It is the main category as is used to input letters, symbols, and numbers. There are 48 alphanumeric keys on the ANSI keyboard, making up the majority of the keys on a keyboard. The further subcategory within alphanumeric keys are letter keys (27 in number), number keys (10 in number), and symbol keys (11 in number), as all of their function is to input certain characters. Moreover, the number keys when used with the Shift key can also insert symbols, on the other hand, symbol keys in this regard have only symbols on them. However, letter keys are the most used keys as they are used for both typing and executing the key combinations.
Numpad keys: These keys are on the right side of the keyboard in most standard keyboards such as forward-slash (/), an asterisk (*), plus (+), dot (.), and also Enter and Numpad keys. There are 17 Numpad keys on the ANSI keyboard, making it the second-largest key group on the keyboard, used for data entry and accounting, making it entirely useless in gaming. Thus, either Numpad keys are used or not, there is no in-between.
Control keys are used to perform actions, often combined with other alphanumeric keys or control functions such as Ctrl, Alt, Escape, Caps Lock, Print Screen, Stroll Lock, etc, belonging to the control keys category. In some cases, Delete and Insert are also part of these control keys. They are usually 17 (18 in the case of Fn, which is usually not part of the standard keyboard) control keys on the ANSI keyboard, making them second-most in number like Numpad keys and second-most used after alphanumeric keys, considering they are used alongside alphanumeric keys such as Backspace and Enter.
Function keys, the F-keys are on the top row of the keyboard, that perform various functions and shortcuts such as Alt+F4. Moreover, they act as media keys when combined with modifiers. There are 12 function keys on an ANSI keyboard.
Navigation keys consist of End, Insert, Delete, Page Up, arrow keys, etc. They help one to navigate documents and web pages, as well as scroll them in several ways. There are 10 navigation keys on the ANSI keyboard. However, these keys are not much in use.

IOS model

International Organization for Standardization keyboard is used as a standard in European countries, which has an extra key as compared to the ANSI layout, bringing the total key number to 105. The extra key is the ‘<’ or ‘|’ key.

JIS Model

Japanese Industrial Standard keyboard is the standard Japanese keyboard, and adds five more keys to the ANSI layout, making up to 109 keys on a keyboard.

This is because the Japanese language requires more characters. To make for these keys, the Backspace, the Right Shift, and the Spacebar keys are narrower in width as compared to ANSI keyboards.

Effect of keyboard form factor on the number of keys

The aspect of how many keys are on a computer keyboard depends on the keyboard form factors. Full-size keyboards are a thing of the past, now one can have various numbers of keys on a keyboard.

1. Tenkeyless keyboards

These keyboards are the second most form factor after full-size that one encounter on the keyboard of popular brands. Tenkeyless keyboards do not have a Numpad at all on their keyboards i.e., there are 17 keys less than the full-sized 104 keys.

Thus, it has 87 keys in total and is popular in the gaming industry, where Numpad keys are useless. Therefore, they are manufactured for gamers.

2. 75% keyboards

75% are smaller than tenkeyless keyboards but have the same number of keys i.e, 87 keys in total. This is because its keys are cramped as there are not many gaps between keys, which makes it aesthetically pleasing

3. 65% keyboards

It takes compactness to another level with several keys that are lacking as there are 65 to 68 keys in total. There are Function keys, some control keys, and navigation keys removed from the keyboard as compared to the 75% form factor. However, function keys are still available through modifiers.

4. 60% keyboard

60% is half the size of full-size keyboards as 40% of the keyboard is gone. As compared to the 65% keyboard, it lacks navigation keys, and lesser-used control keys such as Insert and Delete keys.

It has 61 keys in total, with only alphanumeric keys and vital control keys. If a person uses arrow keys a lot, then this keyboard will make them uncomfortable, however, if compactness is all they want, then this keyboard is for them.

5. 40% keyboard

They are the most compact keyboards that one can get without the sacrifice of core functionality. It contains 45 to 50 keys, having no number row. A lot of keys are gone, so some common inputs are performed using two modifiers, which is extremely inconvenient. If one prefers compactness, then it is for them, but it is uneasy to use.

6. Apple keyboards

They are 109 keys on the Apple Keyboard with Numeric Keypad, 78 keys on the Apple Wireless Keyboard, and the same for Apple Macbook Air Laptop.

7. IBM /PC keyboards

IBM PC keyboards (1981) have 83 keys, 84 for AT keyboard, 84 for the IBM PC keyboard (1984), 101 keys on the AT Enhance keyboard, 101on US traditional keyboard, 102 on the Enhanced European keyboard, 104 keys on the Windows keyboard, 86 key laptop keyboards for Windows.

8. Miscellaneous keyboards

Miscellaneous keyboards such as those in Japan, Brazil, and Korea, have more than 104 keys. There are also keyboards, for operating CD drive or Media Centre capabilities, having 100 programmable keys, labeling those keyboards as programmable or gaming keyboards.

110 to115 keys are considered to be normal for programmable, gaming, and media keyboards, as their number depends on the extra functionality they bring to the computer and its users.

FAQs

What are the types of keys on the keyboard?

Each key is designed to perform its specific function.

There are alphabet keys ranging from A to Z. One can use these alphabet keys to write words that form phrases, clauses, and then sentences such as in articles, essays, and documents.
There are number keys ranging from 1 to 0. They can both serve as symbol keys and numeric keypad.

Punctuation Key: How many keys are on a keyboard also include punctuation keys such as comma (,), full stop (.), colon (:), semi-colon (;), etc. These are the important keys and produce two punctuation marks with one key with the help of the Shift key. They help in producing grammatically correct and properly punctuated texts.

Special Keys: Special keys, another label under how many keys are on a keyboard, perform special actions in the task of the text editor. These include the Spacebar key, Enter key, Window key, Backspace key, Escape key (Esc), Delete key

Modifier Keys: Modifier keys have no function of their own, due to this, they are used in combination with other keys to perform a specific action. Thus, they serve to modify the action of another key for a temporary period. These are the Shift key, Control key (Ctrl, and Alternate Graphic Key (Alt Gr) Function keys.

Function keys: These keys reside on the topmost part of the keyboard and begin with the letter F. They start from F1 and end on F12, with another additional key of Fn on the keyboard. These function keys have their respective functions.

Navigation Keys: These keys navigate a webpage or a text editor window line by line. Numeric Keypad keys such as 8, 4, 2, and 6 can also be used as Navigation keys. They play a major role in playing games and video editing.

Toggle Keys: When the toggle key is active, it performs specific functions. The three toggle keys are Caps Lock, Num Lock, and Scroll Lock.

What are the functions of F1, F2, and F3 on the keyboard?

F1 is used to help Windows in browsers such as Microsoft Edge and Google, also it helps menu in Microsoft Office.
F2 aids in accessing file edit functions, in addition, to files in Microsoft Excel, Microsoft Explorer, etc.
F3 helps search for files in Windows Files Explorer. Moreover, Shift+ F3 searches backward.

What is the function of the F7 key?

The F7 key is used to check spelling and grammar in Microsoft Word, Excel, and Outlook. Shift+F7 is used for a thesaurus check.

What is the function of the F9 key?

This key found at the top of the computer keyboard is used for opening Mission Control on an Apple computer.

What is the function of Ctrl+H?

Ctrl+H in word processors and text editors helps in opening the find and replace tool that searches for any character, word, or phrase and replaces it with something else.

What is the function of Ctrl+F?

It is the shortcut of the keyboard for the find command. If one wants to find something in a word document or a web browser, then pressing this will bring the search box.

What is the function of Ctrl+V?

It is the paste command. It is used to paste the information being saved in your virtual clipboard to the desired place by placing the mouse cursor over there.

How many keys are on a 60 keyboard?

Sixty percent of keyboards have 61 keys. They lack both the F row and arrow cluster keys. Only 5 rows and 15 items are present. The majority of the keys have multiple layers of functionality.

What are the 104 keys in a keyboard?

The de facto standard keyboard with new desktop PCs has 104 keys and is set up in the US layout. The 101-key Improved keyboard was replaced by the three Windows-specific keys on the 1995-introduced Windows keyboard.

What are the 3 types of keyboards?

There are three primary key layouts for languages that use the Latin alphabet: QWERTY, QWERTZ, and AZERTY. Based on these keyboards, a number of nations have developed their variants.

What are the 7 special keys in the keyboard?

These shortcuts come in handy for text processing and file management tasks in particular.

Ctrl-S – save.
Ctrl-O – open.
Ctrl-N – new.
Ctrl-C – copy.
Ctrl-V – paste.
Ctrl-X – cut.
Ctrl-Z – undo.
Ctrl-A – select all.

What is an F12 keyboard?

A function key called F12 can be located near the top of almost every computer keyboard. The key is frequently utilized when opening Firebug, Chrome Developer Tools, or other browser debugging tools. Depending on the computer and software, F12 can also be used for various things, as noted below.

What are the 2 main types of the keyboard?

Basic or expanded keyboards are the two main types into which computer keyboards are commonly divided. Keyboards come in various styles and features within these two divisions.

What are the Four types of keys?

Using your keyboard

(Alphanumeric) keys for typing The letter, number, punctuation, and symbol keys of a conventional typewriter are all present on these keys.

Control buttons. To carry out specific tasks, these keys can be used alone or in conjunction with other keys.
Function buttons.
directional keys.
Keypad with numbers.

What is symbol in keyboard?

Listing of non-alphanumeric keys

Key/symbol	Explanation
&	Ampersand, epershand, or and symbol.
*	Asterisk, mathematical multiplication symbol, and sometimes called a star.
(	Open or left parenthesis.
)	Close or right parenthesis.

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CONCLUSION

This article aims to make the reader realize how many keys are on a computer keyboard and what different kinds of functions they perform. Through this knowledge, they will be able to know about these keys and their functions which is going to make their lives easier and their tasks are done.

Thus, this article gives a vast variety of knowledge of different types of keyboards by stating how many keys are on a computer keyboard of different layouts and form factors, making a reader aware of which kind of keyboard they should buy. Thus, this article is an in-depth study on keyboards and how many keys are on a computer keyboard, and their functions.