New to the world of mechanical keyboards? This keyboard glossary breaks down all the keyboard terms, definitions, and lingo you need to stop Googling and start building your perfect thock.

Hit Ctrl+F (or Cmd+F) to find a term fast



A ● B ● C ● D ● E ● F ● G ● H ● I ● J ● K ● L ● M ● N ● O ● P ● Q ● R ● S ● T ● U ● V ● W ● X ● Y ● Z

A

  • ABS: A lightweight, shiny keycap material that gets slick fast.
  • Actuation Force: The push needed to make a key register.
  • Actuation Point: The spot in a keypress where it counts.
  • Alpha Keys: The main letter keys (A-Z) on your board.
  • Aluminum Case: A premium metal case, sturdy and sleek.
  • ANSI Layout: The standard US layout with a wide Enter key.
  • Anti-Ghosting: Tech to prevent missed keypresses in combos.
  • Artisan Keycap: Handcrafted, fancy keycaps like tiny art pieces.
  • ASA Profile: A modern, slightly curved keycap shape, comfy with a subtle scoop.
  • Assembly: Putting together your custom keyboard from parts.

B

  • Backlight: Lights behind keys for typing in the dark.
  • Barebones Kit: A keyboard without switches or keycaps, ready to customize.
  • Base: The switch’s bottom foundation, holds pins and contacts.
  • Base Kit: The core keycap set for your keyboard layout.
  • Bezel: The edge around the key area, sets the case’s style.
  • Bottom Case: The base of the keyboard, holds everything together.
  • Bottom Housing: The lower part of a switch’s shell, holds the spring.
  • Bottom Out: Smashing a key all the way to the bottom.
  • Bouncy: A soft, springy typing feel from flexible plates.
  • Build: Your custom keyboard creation.
  • Buy-In: Joining a group buy to score custom parts.

C

  • Case: The outer shell of your keyboard, metal or plastic.
  • Case Foam: Foam inside the case to soften sound.
  • Chamfer: Beveled edges on the case for a slick look.
  • Chattering: A key registering multiple times from one press.
  • Cherry Profile: A shorter, sculpted keycap profile with a comfy, low curve.
  • Clack: A sharp, crisp sound when you press a key.
  • Click Bar: The piece in clicky switches that makes the snap sound.
  • Clicky Switch: Loud switches that snap with every press.
  • Coiled Cable: A stretchy, retro-style keyboard cable.
  • Compatibility: Whether keycaps or switches fit your board.
  • Custom: A keyboard you build to your exact specs.

D

  • Dampener: A mod like O-rings to quiet keypresses.
  • Debounce: Tech to stop accidental double keypresses.
  • Deskmat: A soft pad under your keyboard for style and comfort.
  • Detachable Cable: A keyboard cord you can unplug.
  • Doubleshot: Keycaps with molded-in legends that last forever.
  • DSS Profile: Sculpted keycaps with a spherical top, like SA but with unique curves.
  • Dye-Sub: Keycap printing where letters are dyed into plastic.

E

  • Electro-Capacitive Switch: Smooth hybrid switches, part mechanical, part rubber dome.
  • Endgame: The “perfect” keyboard you swear you’ll never replace.
  • Enter Key: The big key for starting a new line.
  • Ergonomic Keyboard: A wrist-friendly board, often split or curved.

F

  • F-Row: The function keys (F1-F12) at the top.
  • Finish: The case’s surface treatment, like anodized or powder-coated.
  • Foam Mod: Foam inside your board to dampen sound.
  • Form Factor: The size/layout of your board, like TKL or 60%.
  • Function Layer: Extra key functions accessed with a modifier.

G

  • Gasket: Soft material in gasket-mount keyboards for a cushy feel.
  • Gasket Mount: A soft mounting style for a cushy typing feel.
  • GB: Group Buy, a pre-order for custom keyboard parts.
  • Grip: The texture of keycaps, like PBT’s matte feel.

H

  • Haptic Feedback: A vibration or bump in some switches.
  • Hot-Swap: A board where you can swap switches without soldering.
  • Housing: The plastic shell of a switch holding the stem and spring.

I

  • In-Stock: Parts you can buy now, no waiting for group buys.
  • Input Lag: The delay between pressing a key and it registering.
  • ISO Layout: European layout with a tall Enter key.
  • Injection Molding: How keycaps are made by pouring plastic into molds.

J

  • Jailhouse Mod: Adding O-rings to clicky switches to hush them.
  • Jig: A tool to hold parts steady during assembly.

K

  • KAM Profile: A low, uniform keycap profile, flat and minimalist.
  • KAT Profile: A sculpted, cylindrical keycap profile with a smooth feel.
  • KBD: Cool shorthand for keyboard.
  • Keeb: A cute nickname for your keyboard.
  • Keycap: The plastic cap on a switch with a letter or symbol.
  • Keyset: A full set of keycaps for your board.
  • Kit: A bundle of parts to build your keyboard.

L

  • Layout: The arrangement of keys, like ANSI or ISO.
  • Leaf: The metal contact in a switch for actuation.
  • LED: Tiny lights for backlighting or RGB effects.
  • LED Slot: The switch opening for backlighting LEDs.
  • Legends: The letters or symbols on keycaps.
  • Linear Switch: Smooth switches with no bump or click.
  • Low-Profile Switch: Shorter switches for a slimmer board.
  • Lube: Grease to make switches smoother and quieter.

M

  • Macro: A programmed key combo for quick tasks.
  • Matte: A non-shiny keycap finish, like PBT.
  • MDA Profile: A medium-height, sculpted keycap profile with a gentle curve.
  • Mod: Any tweak to your keyboard, like lubing switches.
  • MOQ: Minimum Order Quantity for a group buy to happen.
  • Mounting Pins: Metal pins for soldering switches to a PCB.
  • Mounting Style: How switches are attached, like gasket or tray.
  • MT3 Profile: Deeply scooped, high-profile keycaps for thumb-friendly typing.
  • Milling: Precision-cutting metal for cases or plates.

N

  • Nav Cluster: The arrow keys and nearby buddies like Home.
  • NKRO: N-Key Rollover, for pressing tons of keys at once.
  • Novelty Key: Fun, themed keycaps, like a tiny star.
  • Num Pad: The number pad on full-size keyboards.
  • Numpad Kit: Extra keycaps for the number pad.

O

  • O-Ring: Rubber rings to soften bottoming out.
  • OEM Profile: A curved keycap shape, standard and comfy.
  • Optical Switch: Switches that use light to register presses.
  • Ortholinear: A grid-like layout with no staggered keys.

P

  • Pad Printing: Cheap keycap printing that wears off fast.
  • PBT: Durable keycap material that resists shine.
  • PCB: The circuit board that runs your keyboard.
  • PE Foam Mod: Foam for a deeper, thocky sound.
  • Ping: A metallic twang from switch springs.
  • Plate: The sheet holding your switches, affects feel.
  • Poron: A soft foam for sound dampening in cases.
  • Posts: Internal pillars for mounting plates or PCBs.
  • Prebuilt: A ready-to-use keyboard, no assembly needed.
  • Programmable: A board you can customize with software.
  • Puller: A tool to remove keycaps or switches.

Q

  • QMK Flashing: Programming your board with custom firmware.
  • Quick-Swap: Another term for hot-swap, easy switch changes.
  • Quiet Switch: Switches designed to keep noise low.

R

  • Rattle: Shaky noise from loose stabilizers.
  • RGB: Color-changing lights for a desk rave.
  • Riser Feet: Adjustable feet to tilt your keyboard.

S

  • SA Profile: Tall, spherical keycaps with a retro vibe.
  • Sculpted: Keycaps shaped differently by row for comfort.
  • Screws: Fasteners for securing case halves or parts.
  • Silent Switch: Extra-quiet switches for stealth typing.
  • Solder: Melting metal to attach switches to a PCB.
  • Spacebar: The long key for spaces, needs stabilizers.
  • Split Keyboard: A board split in two for ergonomic typing.
  • Spring: The coil in a switch that pushes it back up.
  • Spring Weight: The force rating of a switch’s spring.
  • Stabilizer: Support for big keys to prevent wobble.
  • Stem: The moving part of a switch under the keycap.
  • Switch: The mechanism under each key, defines the feel.
  • Switch Film: A layer to stabilize switch housing.
  • Switch Opener: A tool for opening switches to mod.
  • Switch Tester: A board to try different switch types.

T

  • Tactile Switch: Switches with a bumpy feedback.
  • Tape Mod: Tape on the PCB for a richer sound.
  • TBC Profile: A rare, high-profile, spherical keycap shape with a bold look.
  • Thock: A deep, satisfying sound from keypresses.
  • TKL: Tenkeyless, a compact board without a numpad.
  • Top Case: The upper shell where switches and keycaps sit.
  • Top Housing: The upper part of a switch’s shell.
  • Tray Mount: A stiff, basic mounting style.
  • Tuning: Adjusting stabilizers or switches for smoothness.

U

  • Underglow: RGB lights under your board for glow.
  • Uniform Profile: Keycaps with the same shape across all rows, like XDA.
  • Upper Housing: The top cover of a switch, removable for modding.
  • USB-C: Modern, reversible keyboard cable/port.

W

  • Weight Mod: Adding a heavy block for a solid feel.
  • Welded Case: A keyboard case joined by welding, super sturdy.
  • Wire Puller: A tool to yank keycaps or switches.
  • Wobble: When a keycap or switch feels loose.

X

  • XDA Profile: Low, uniform keycaps, modern and comfy.