Which keys on your keyboard wear down first?
By The Horse
@TheHorse (220625)
Walnut Creek, California
March 21, 2016 10:59am CST
I've had this desktop and keyboard for about two years. Several months ago, I noticed that the white lettering is wearing off of certain letters. Which ones would you expect it to be? I would have thought it to be the vowels, since you can't have a word without a vowel or two. But in my case, it's "i," "o," (vowels, yes), "n," and "m."
My hypothesis is that they're commonly used letters, and they're all on the right side of the keyboard, but not in the middle row. I'm right handed, plus I have longer nails on my right hand for guitar playing. Could these factors (stronger right hand, a bit of a reach for those letters, long nails on my right hand) all contribute? I may Google "most commonly used letters."
Do the letters on your keyboard wear unevenly? If you're left-handed, let us know!
29 people like this
35 responses
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
21 Mar 16
Less than a year it took before the most common keys were letter-less. Thank goodness I know how to type. Looks like your keyboard could use a little cleaning LOL. I'm a keyboard banger!
3 people like this
@AbbyGreenhill (45494)
• United States
21 Mar 16
@TheHorse e, o,s, l, n and m are mine top no letter letters.
2 people like this
@TheHorse (220625)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Mar 16
@AbbyGreenhill A lot of overlap with the "expected" pattern.
1 person likes this
@Hatley (163776)
• Garden Grove, California
21 Mar 16
have two elderly keyboards and I use the best of the two for my elderly desktop
computer and modern led monitor. I see none ot them have worn off but the t and the i keys stll stlck very irritating to type look back and the t and I did not print drat it.
3 people like this
@TheHorse (220625)
• Walnut Creek, California
21 Mar 16
"T" and "i." In the upper middle. Interesting that it looks like it's going to vary by individual. Maybe I can invent a new pseudo-science and get rich off of a garbage book discussing how your keyboard wear defines your personality.
3 people like this
@Asylum (47893)
• Manchester, England
21 Mar 16
Strangely the letter A wears much faster on my keyboard than the letter E does, despite E being the most common letter in the English language. Keyboards are not expensive, so I usually keep a few spares so that I can replace them frequently.
2 people like this
@vandana7 (100664)
• India
21 Mar 16
I think it pretty much depends upon where you keep your hands on the keyboard. Different people position their hands differently, and basically people try to develop memories at their finger tips if I can call that. If two to three fingers are in position movements of fingers of both hands are oriented and coordinated accordingly - sort of pole star for guidance kind. Not only that the level and distance of the keyboard can vary the starting point for you know such coordination. Therefore, wearing may differ based on ergonomics. In present position my "A", "S", "D", and "E" are gone completely, and the upper part of "C" is also missing. I noticed that the same thing happens with all my keyboards on this desk. It was different at my office.
2 people like this
@rina110383 (24492)
•
21 Mar 16
All the keys are fine. I don't see signs of wearing off.
2 people like this
@rina110383 (24492)
•
21 Mar 16
@vandana7 I'm using laptops, one is current, other is backup. The current one is 2 years, the backup is 7 years.
I don't use voice software and I don't have a smartphone.
1 person likes this
@dpk262006 (58678)
• Delhi, India
22 Mar 16
If keys of my key board starts wearing, I prefer to change to change the keyboard altogether. I've noticed that letters 's' and 'd' wear off earlier than other letters in my case. I am a right handed and I know how to type without looking at the letters and I use all my fingers to type.
@dpk262006 (58678)
• Delhi, India
22 Mar 16
@vandana7 - I am sure if you are blindfolded and made to sit in front of a keyboard and you are asked to type, you would type correctly, provided you know the right position of your fingers on the keyboard. 
2 people like this
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32748)
• Calgary, Alberta
22 Mar 16
The Letter S and Y dont really last with me.I also have regular problems with the space bar because I abuse it a lot during gaming.
1 person likes this
@CaptAlbertWhisker (32748)
• Calgary, Alberta
22 Mar 16
@TheHorse It may have something to do with my button mashing while playing games. I have heavy fingers.
@xstitcher (32783)
• Petaluma, California
21 Mar 16
There are several keys on my key board for which I can no longer see the letters. I'm guessing that "E" was one of the first.
2 people like this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
22 Mar 16
The most worn key on my keyboard is "S". The others that show wear are "E", "A", "D", "L" and the period key. I've had my desktop and keyboard for about 5 years now.
1 person likes this
@RichardMeister (5328)
• Otis Orchards, Washington
23 Mar 16
@TheHorse I'm right-handed. I was just thinking that the wear on the A,S,D, keys could also be contributed to the fact that those are the keys I rest my fingers on. Maybe the lack of strength in my left hand lets my fingers rest a little heavier on those keys causing them to have more wear than the other keys. That maybe the reason for the L to be more worn on the right side. After thinking about it and paying close attention I realize I rest my finger on the L key a little heavier than the other keys on the right side. Does that make any sense?
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
21 Mar 16
Just went and checked my laptop. Over seven years and no letter worn down.
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220625)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Mar 16
@teamfreak16 Hey, that's not bad! Can't believe I identified a former baseball player by your keyboard. I'm gonna go read some more Sherlock Holmes (smiley face emoticon).
@teamfreak16 (43418)
• Denver, Colorado
22 Mar 16
@TheHorse - I wish. Actually, I played every infield position except short. Of course, on my Senior Little League team, our SS was drafted by the Cubs, so there was no need to stick me over there.
1 person likes this
@celticeagle (168721)
• Boise, Idaho
22 Mar 16
I'm not sure but the 't' and the 'l' are dirty and stick. Some of the vowels are probably used most. In my word game that I play at night I always go for those first.
1 person likes this
@Jessicalynnt (50523)
• Centralia, Missouri
21 Mar 16
apparently the A, but mine is back lit, not printed, so the A now looks like a glowing square not an A
1 person likes this
@TheHorse (220625)
• Walnut Creek, California
22 Mar 16
I have some that decide to register sometimes, leading me to utter an oath beneath my breath. I sprayed my keyboard with De-Oxit today (a contact cleaner), and it's actually working pretty well. I have a lot of dust here because of all the speaker restoration.
1 person likes this
@CRK109 (14556)
• United States
21 Mar 16
Yes, I'm lefthanded. And yes, some of mine are worn off. A friend came by one night to use my computer and since she needs to see the keys to type, she had trouble with the ones she couldn't find! lol The ones that are gone right now are e, s, d, i, o, l, k, n, m. thankfully, I don't need to see the keys to type, so most of the time I don't know they are gone! lol
1 person likes this
