Find the cause step by step
- Press Shift + 2 in the box above. On a US keyboard you should see @; if you see ", the UK layout is active.
- Click the language icon next to the clock (ENG US, ENG UK…) and choose the layout that matches your keyboard.
- Remove the other layouts: Settings › Time & language › Language & region › your language › ⋯ › Language options › Keyboards › remove the ones you don’t use.
- Other characters wrong (letters swapped, accents appearing)? A foreign layout such as US-International, French (AZERTY) or German (QWERTZ) is active: remove it the same way.
Symptom, cause and fix
| Symptom | Likely cause | What to do |
|---|---|---|
| @ and " swapped | UK layout on a US keyboard (or the reverse) | Switch to the layout printed on your keys |
| # types £, \ in the wrong place | UK layout | Choose English (United States) – US |
| Quotes don’t appear until the next key | US-International layout (dead keys) | Switch to the plain US layout |
| Y and Z swapped, or A and Q | German or French layout | Remove the extra layout |
| Changes by itself now and then | Alt + Shift or Win + Space shortcut | Keep only one layout installed |
Where to find it on your device
- Windows 11: Settings › Time & language › Language & region › your language › ⋯ › Language options › Keyboards.
- Windows 10: Settings › Time & Language › Language › your language › Options › Keyboards.
- Mac: System Settings › Keyboard › Text Input › Edit: remove the input sources you don’t use.
Related questions
How do I know if my keyboard is US or UK?
Look at the keys: a UK keyboard has £ on the 3 key, @ next to the semicolon key and a tall, L-shaped Enter. A US keyboard has # on the 3, @ on the 2 and a wide, single-row Enter.
Why does the layout change by itself?
With more than one layout installed, the Alt + Shift and Windows + Space shortcuts cycle through them. With only one layout, there is nothing to switch to.
I press one letter and get another. Is the keyboard broken?
Almost always it’s the wrong layout. Check the language icon on the taskbar and test here: if the box shows the key you pressed, the keyboard is fine.
My keyboard is typing backwards. What is it?
If the text runs right to left, the paragraph direction was switched (in some apps, right Ctrl + Shift does it when a right-to-left language is installed). If new letters overwrite the text ahead, the Insert key was pressed.
Can this happen on a Mac?
Yes. Check the input menu at the top right of the screen (a flag or letters), choose the right input source and remove the extra ones in System Settings › Keyboard.
More problems: keyboard test
- A key on your laptop not working: how to test and fix it
- Laptop keyboard not working: what to do first
- Keyboard typing by itself: how to fix it
- Keyboard typing numbers instead of letters: how to fix it
- Keyboard typing double letters: how to fix it
- Keyboard locked: how to unlock it
- Mechanical keyboard key not working: how to fix it
- USB keyboard not working on your PC: how to fix it
- How to test a keyboard without a computer: use your phone
- How to test a keyboard: online, mechanical, wireless, MacBook and BIOS
Updated November 12, 2026.