Thread: Russian Keyboard online

I thought I'd put out this link of an online keyboard with which one can type in Russian using their own (English) keyboard and not have to 'pick' with the mouse any more!

Russian Keyboard - Type Russian Characters

hi, not sure what you mean with 'pick with mouse'. i have simply added 'russian layout' to my exisiting standard UK keyboard and you can toggle between language lay-outs. but sure you have to remember the location of where which symbol now is (under the 'latin' keys) - but with a little practise sort of becomes 2nd nature...(though i did struggle a little with this too, as up to now all my russian teaching endeavours were sort of cursive hand-written

Russian White and Orange Keyboard Sticker Best Quality Guaranteed | eBay

Stickers suck. I bought some and they are peeling off. Rather than re-apply new ones, I will buy a cheap wireless Russian keyboard.

Originally Posted by eisenherz

hi, not sure what you mean with 'pick with mouse'.

'Pick with the mouse' meaning that one must click on each individual letter (with the mouse) on a screen keyboard rather than just type. Does that make more sense?

Hey, I like that little Google keyboard!
I agree it's still better to setup your keyboard so that you can switch to type Russian anywhere, but it'll be useful as a 'first step' to help encourage people to learn to type Russian. For anyone who is trying to learn to type Russian, we've set up some pages to help you practice, starting with simple words and just 12 letters (что, это, кто, кот, он, она, они, ...) and then in 4 stages work your way up to the entire alphabet/keyboard. You can try it out here: learn to type Russian Удачи!! (Good luck!!)

Just found this topic, almost a year later but because it’s important stuff, I've decided to clarify the things as currently it’s all in one pile –
on-line keyboard, stickers, system keyboard, etc. while really on-line keyboards are rarely used at home (because Windows has its own) while system keyboard is used only at home…

1) Virtual, on-line, on-screen keyboards (like one listed in the 1^st post of this topic).

Usually it’s a tool to be used at work or in an Internet-café where one cannot activate system keyboard tools.
Sometimes on-line keyboard are used at home, too if a user does not want to activate Russian system keyboard layout via Control Panel

In any case, that Virtual Keyboard listed in the top post (based on Google one) is not really handy, has usability issues due to the fact that Google created it for absolutely different purpose – to type 2-3 words into a Search field - and not to type the texts or forum messages.

Known usability issues of the Keyboard listed in the top message of this topic:

a) One can type only Russian (not as with system keyboard when one can switch to “EN”) while in forums it’s often a mixed text like for instance

"Поставил Windows 8. А как в ней в Control Panel зайти?"

b) Yes, it provides a user with keyboard-driven input (press ‘Q’ get ‘Й’) in addition to mouse-based input (which is good only for typing 2-3 words and too tedious to type forum messages).

But there are no Latin letters on the keyboard’s image which limits keyboard-driven input only to people who can blind-type.
Because if a user knows Russian layout very good, but cannot blind-type then it’s very hard to use. For instance, a user sees that Russian ‘T’ is a button number 6 on the image and must count the buttons – while other virtual keyboards which do have Latin letters on the image, let a user see that Russian ‘T’ is on the button where Latin ‘N’ is and thus a user just presses ‘N’ without counting buttons.

The absence of Latin symbols has even worse effect if it’s not an American keyboard (the keyboard of 1^st post has French variant – Azerty, and German – QwertZ), but say Spanish, Italian, German, French or Swedish where Latin symbols location is different – practically impossible to use

c) The keyboard from 1^st post offers only one Russian layout while many people outside of Russia use (at home too) another layout -
so called Phonetic layout (see item (2) below for details) such as for example, a well-known “Student” layout created at http://AATSEEL.org – see it’s image here:
"Images of common variants of Russian Phonetic layout"


I did use and tried many Virtual Keyboards and most of them have the above disadvantages

Based on this experience (and user input in discussions like this one in numerous forums followed by keyboard modifications) I created my own Virtual Keyboard and had it test-driven by many people in different countries, to make it as close as possible to “regular home typing”:

a) Image does have Latin letters - with variants for American English, British English, German, French, Hebrew, Italian, Swedish, Norwegian, Spanish
b) Allows to type mixed text – lets a user switch from Russian typing to Latin typing
c) offers not only regular Russian layout, but several widely used Phonetic Russian layouts

Please see by yourself and try to type – using your physical keyboard – while choosing different layouts:

- my Virtual Keyboard as Russian language page: http://WinRus.com/klava.htm

- my Virtual Keyboard as English UI page: http://winrus.com/keyboard.htm


PS Because it was made after carefully analyzing older virtual keyboard (which helped to avoid usability problems) and was discussed many times at forums with end user suggestions,
my keyboard is among top three smu.gif (after the sites that pay for ranking) if you search in Google or Yahoo! with words like
Virtual Russian keyboard


PS1 My modern Virtual Keyboard is a freeware so it can be placedon that page of masterrussian.net where there is an older one right now.
There are different variants of inserting it into a page, and they all are described here:
"Virtual Cyrillic Keyboard on your Web site: implementation variants and working examples"

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2) Typing at home with system keyboard, with "RU" in task bar

Originally Posted by eisenherz

hi,i have simply added 'russian layout' to my existing standard UK keyboard and you can toggle between language lay-outs. but sure you have to remember the location of where which symbol now is (under the 'latin' keys) - but with a little practice sort of becomes 2nd nature... though i did struggle a little with this too...

Yes, many people do the same. But other people prefer to type "in Russian - as in English" - with an alternative, Phonetic layout for Russian. Stickers then are not needed.

As one can choose Dvorak layout for "EN", same way on can choose Phonetic Russian layout for "RU" (no special program, just another layout file as Dvorak layout comparing to regular US English layout):


the Russian letters are located where the closest Latin letters are:
'O'-'O', 'A'-'A', 'T'-'T', Russian 'Ф' - English 'F', etc.

AATSEEL.org recommends Russian phonetic layout in addition to the regular one and therefore Russian phonetic layout is installed and used in the Russian Studies labs at Harward, Princeton, Berkley, UCLA


Here is the information (and activation instructions) for Russian Phonetic layout:

1. Macintosh already has Russian Phonetic layout in addition to the regular Russian layouts:
"Mac: Russian keyboard layouts" (in Russian)
Linux also has Russian Phonetic layouts right out-of-the-box

2. Windows does not have one but offers its own way of adding a layout to the system. System tools do not distinguish the original layouts and added ones.

Instructions (including download and activation) for Russian Phonetic layout under Windows:

- in Russian:http://phon.WinRus.com
- in English: http://phonetic.WinRus.com

The phonetic layouts for Windows are created (and activated) with the help of free Microsoft layout editor:
- about MSKLC in Russian: "About MSKLC" (in Russian)
- about MSKLC in English: "About MSKLC" (in English)

I would strongly recommend anyone who is serious about Russian to install the Russian Keyboard in Windows.
Add a keyboard layout - Windows Help
Then you set up a shortcut so you easily switch between English and Russian input.

You will have to either learn where the keys are located, or buy stickers for your existing keyboard.
Amazon.com: Russian Cyrillic Keyboard Stickers with Red Lettering on Transparent Background: Computers & Accessories

Memorizing the location is definitely the best solution. If you can touch type in one language there is no reason why you can't do it in another. If you can't touch type, consider learning it.

Waht i used to do when i had no chance to get a russian keyboard or stickers i drew letters on the upper side of buttons and covered them with clear nail polish or drew letters on the front side of buttons.

Originally Posted by Hanna

You will have to either learn where the keys are located, or buy stickers for your existing keyboard.

Russian Cyrillic Keyboard Stickers with Red Lettering on Transparent Background:

Amazon.com: Russian Cyrillic Keyboard Stickers with Red Lettering on Transparent Background: Computers & Accessories

Thanks for the Amazon link, I think it will be useful for many...