If you are learning Turkish, or you have just moved to Türkiye and need to type in Turkish every day, you will quickly run into a choice: the Turkish Q layout or the Turkish F layout. Both include the letters ç, ğ, ı, ö, ş and ü. The difference lies in where those letters, and the rest of the alphabet, sit on the keys. Let’s compare them, so you can choose the layout that fits how you type.
The main difference
Turkish Q and Turkish F keyboards use the same physical keys. What changes is the letter printed on each key. You press the same spot on the board, but a different letter appears. That means a habit you build on one layout can work against you on the other for a while. Knowing this from the start makes the decision easier.
The Turkish Q layout
On Turkish Q, the home row is a, s, d, f, g, h, j, k, l, ş and i. The top row is q, w, e, r, t, y, u, ı, o, p, ğ and ü. The bottom row includes z, x, c, v, b, n, m, ö, ç and the period.
If you already know the US QWERTY layout, the top row will look familiar. The first letters are the same, so people who type a lot of English often find Q easier to pick up at first. The Turkish letters are added at the right end of the rows.
The tricky part is the pair of i letters. The dotted i sits on the home row, just to the right of ş. The dotless ı sits on the top row, under the right middle finger. Many learners mix these two up at the beginning. To type capital letters, you hold Shift: Shift with ı gives I, and Shift with i gives İ. Practice these pairs on purpose, because they are easy to get wrong.
The Turkish F layout
Turkish F was designed around how often letters appear in Turkish. Its home row is u, i, e, a, ü, t, k, m, l, y, ş and x. The top row is f, g, ğ, ı, o, d, r, n, h, p, q and w. The bottom row includes j, ö, v, c, ç, z, s, b and the comma.
On F, the left hand rests on u, i, e and a, and the right hand rests on k, m, l and y. The bump keys are a under the left index finger and k under the right index finger. So the home row looks very different from Q. That can feel confusing at first, but the logic is simple: frequently used letters sit where your fingers can reach them easily.
The advantage of F shows up once the layout feels natural. In the first few weeks, though, learners coming from Q often find it slower, because the letters they expect to find under their fingers are somewhere else.
Special letters to practice
Turkish has several letters that English keyboards do not include: ç, ğ, ı, ö, ş and ü. On Turkish Q, ş sits on the home row at the right end, while ğ and ü sit on the top row near the right edge. On Turkish F, ş also sits near the right end of the home row, while ğ is on the top row near f and g. Practice these letters inside real words, so your fingers learn their paths. A word such as “ışık” is a good drill because it mixes the dotless ı with other common letters.
Which one suits you?
The answer depends on how and where you type. A few questions can point you in the right direction:
- Which layout do the computers you use already have? Switching layouts often on shared machines gets tiring.
- Which layout does your child, student or colleague use? Using the same layout makes it easier to practice together and share help.
- Do you write mostly in English or mostly in Turkish? If English makes up most of your typing, the Q layout’s familiar top row may feel more natural.
- Do you have a course or teacher? Check which layout their material teaches before you start.
On Windows and macOS, you can add a keyboard layout in the settings and switch between layouts when you need to. That is useful if you want one layout for daily work and another for a specific purpose. Still, starting with a single layout usually works better. Learning two layouts at the same time tends to create confusion.
Typing English on a Turkish layout
If you type mostly in English on a Turkish keyboard, you will notice that some letters sit in different places. The Turkish Q layout keeps much of the familiar QWERTY top row, so English text is usually more familiar on Q than on F. On F, the home row shifts, and English words feel less natural at first. That does not make F a poor choice. It means you should decide based on what you type most.
If you switch between English and Turkish often, pick a layout that feels natural for both, then use the layout switch in your system settings when you need the other one.
Living in Türkiye with a new keyboard
If you are moving to Türkiye, you will likely meet both layouts. Shared computers at work, at school or at home may use either one. Before you arrive, check how your devices are set up and whether you can add a Turkish layout. Windows and macOS both let you add a keyboard layout in the settings, so you can switch between your usual layout and a Turkish one whenever you need to.
Try both for yourself
Spend about ten minutes on each layout with the same text. Place your hands on the home row for that layout and try these lines:
a s d f g h j k l ş i
u i e a ü t k m l y ş xNotice which layout feels more comfortable and which one gives you fewer errors. If both feel manageable, choosing the layout that matches the computers and people around you is a practical decision. Once you choose, stick with it for at least two weeks. Habits form through regular practice, not by switching back and forth.
Where to start
Choose the layout that matches the computers and people around you, then stay with it for a few weeks. Use the course for that layout, and take the typing test to measure your starting point. Compare your results after two weeks rather than after two days, because early numbers mostly reflect the learning curve. Once you feel confident, you can decide whether learning the second layout is worth the time.
If your stay in Türkiye is temporary, you may still want to learn the layout used by the people you work or study with. A steady ten to fifteen minutes a day can help you pick up the basics without making the rest of your routine harder. Keep the practice light and regular, and let your comfort guide the pace.
Next step
If you choose the Turkish Q layout, the Q keyboard course will guide you through it step by step. If you prefer the Turkish F layout, the F keyboard course is built for that home row. To compare the layouts side by side, visit the keyboard layouts page. And if you are curious why F was designed the way it was, the post on the story of the Turkish F keyboard is a good next read.