Pinchord

Pinchord · pinchord.git · Tickets · Changelog

Pinchord is my chorded keyboard layout, enabling you to write entire words at once rather than letter-by-letter, greatly improving the ergonomics and speed of typing. Pinchord is an attempt to get the value out of a system like stenography, but without the steep learning curve. It's designed for you to reach practical speeds as quickly as possible!

Note that Pinchord is in Pre-release, meaning that it not stable yet! It is ready for full time use for those interested, so you can still try it out if you'd like :)

Pinchord's Layout Graphic

Here is the keyboard - it has 24 keys, and is split into 3 sections: the red section on the left side of the board (using your left pinky, ring, middle, and index fingers) is for the start of the word, the blue section in the middle of the board (using your thumbs and right index) is for the vowels in the middle of the word, and the green section on the right side of the board (using your right index, middle, ring, and pinky fingers) is for the ending letters of the word.

To type a word, you press all the letters that make up that word simultaneously. For example, to type "pat", you would press the left P, the middle A, and the right T keys all at the same time, and then release them. (Try pressing the "e", space, and "p" keys on your keyboard at the same time to see what that might feel like)

You can add more keys as well; to type "strip", you'd press T, S, R, I, and the right hand P together. Rather than taking 5 keystrokes, "strip" can be typed in a single motion.

There are a few more things - you'll notice that the board is missing a lot of letters, like "m", "f", "g", etc. To type these letters, you press multiple keys together. Since no word starts with "tp", you can use T and P together to make "f", so T, P, I, and the right hand T make "fit"! On the right hand side, the keys PKFS make "g", so "fig" is TPIPKFS (keys together like THIS means you press each of those keys at the same time). Replace TP with PW which means "b", and you get "big".

If these keys seem completely random... That's because they pretty much are. There's no mnemonic reason why T and P together make "f", it's just something you have to remember - just like memorizing where the keys are on a normal keyboard or an alternate keyboard layout!

Here's every chord and a box to look up how to type things. I have no idea if this all works but its here:

Initials (27 to learn)

Letters	Keys
b	`PW`
c	`SPW`
d	`TPW`
f	`TP`
g	`TSPW`
h	`H`
j	`TWHR`
k	`TSW`
kn	`TSWH`
l	`HR`
m	`PH`
n	`TPH`
p	`P`
ph	`TP&`
q	`WHR&`
qu	`WHR`
r	`R`
s	`S`
sc	`TSP`
sch	`SH&`
sk	`TSP&`
t	`T`
v	`SR`
w	`W`
x	`TPWH`
y	`SWR`
z	`SWH`

39 Combinations

These are just made up of other chords, so you don't really have to learn them if you learn the other chords.

Letters	Keys	Made of
bl	`PWHR`	+
br	`PWR`	+
ch	`SPWH`	+
cl	`SPWHR`	+
cr	`SPWR`	+
dr	`TPWR`	+
fl	`TPHR`	+
fr	`TPR`	+
gh	`TSPWH`	+
gl	`TSPWHR`	+
gr	`TSPWR`	+
kl	`TSWHR`	+
kr	`TSWR`	+
phl	`TPHR&`	+
phr	`TPR&`	+
pl	`PHR`	+
pr	`PR`	+
scl	`TSPHR`	+
scr	`TSPR`	+
sh	`SH`	+
skr	`TSPR&`	+
sl	`SHR`	+
sm	`SPH`	+
sn	`TSPH`	+
sp	`SP`	+
spl	`SPHR`	+
spr	`SPR`	+
squ	`SWHR`	+
st	`TS`	+
sth	`TSH`	+
str	`TSR`	+
sw	`SW`	+
th	`TH`	+
thr	`THR`	+
thw	`TWH`	+
tr	`TR`	+
tw	`TW`	+
wh	`WH`	+
wr	`WR`	+

13 Niche Chords

These are only used in a few words, so you can learn them when you need to, or never!

Letters	Keys
chl	`SPWHR&`
chr	`SPWR&`
hw	`WH&`
ll	`HR&`
mn	`TPH&`
rh	`R&`
schm	`SPH&`
shr	`SHR&`
sph	`SP&`
sv	`SW&`
ts	`TS&`
tz	`TSR&`
vr	`SR&`

Vowels (13 to learn)

Letters	Keys
a	`A`
aa	`A^`
e	`IU`
ee	`IU^`
ei	`AOI`
eu	`I^`
i	`I`
o	`O`
oo	`O^`
u	`U`
ue	`U^`
ui	`AOU`
y	`^`

Patterns, keys that change any chord the same way:

^ reverses, like AO^ -> ao

16 Combinations

These are just made up of other chords, so you don't really have to learn them if you learn the other chords.

Letters	Keys	Made of
ae	`AIU^`	+ `^`
ai	`AI`	+
ao	`AO^`	+ `^`
au	`AU`	+
ea	`AIU`	+
eo	`OIU`	+
ia	`AI^`	+ `^`
ie	`AOI^`	+ `^`
io	`OI^`	+ `^`
iu	`AOU^`	+ `^`
oa	`AO`	+
oe	`OIU^`	+ `^`
oi	`OI`	+
ou	`OU`	+
ua	`AU^`	+ `^`
uo	`OU^`	+ `^`

Finals (37 to learn)

Letters	Keys
b	`PK`
c	`PKS`
ch	`KF`
ck	`K*`
cy	`PKFST`
d	`PKF`
dg	`RPKFS*`
f	`F`
g	`PKFS`
gh	`KFS*`
h	`KT`
j	`KST*`
k	`K`
l	`L`
m	`PS`
mb	`LRPK`
mn	`LRPS`
mp	`LRP`
n	`PF`
p	`P`
q	`KF*`
r	`R`
rld	`RPKF*`
s	`S`
sc	`PKS*`
sh	`KFS`
sk	`KS*`
sp	`PS*`
t	`T`
th	`FST`
ty	`KFST`
v	`FS`
w	`PF*`
wn	`LRPF*`
x	`KS`
y	`PFT`
z	`PFS`

Patterns, keys that change any chord the same way:

* doubles, like F* -> ff
* reverses, like LP* -> pl

142 Combinations

These are just made up of other chords, so you don't really have to learn them if you learn the other chords.

Letters	Keys	Made of
bl	`LPK*`	+ `*`
cky	`PKFT*`	+
ct	`PKST`	+
dd	`PKF*`	+ `*`
ff	`F*`	+ `*`
fl	`LF*`	+ `*`
fn	`LRF*`	+ `*`
ft	`FT`	+
gg	`PKFS*`	+ `*`
ght	`KFST*`	+
gl	`LPKFS*`	+ `*`
gn	`LRPKFS*`	+ `*`
hh	`KT*`	+ `*`
hl	`LKT`	+
hp	`PKT*`	+ `*`
hr	`RKT`	+
ky	`PKFT`	+
lb	`LPK`	+
lc	`LPKS`	+
lch	`LKF`	+
lck	`LK*`	+
lcky	`LPKFT*`	+
lct	`LPKST`	+
lcy	`LPKFST`	+
ld	`LPKF`	+
lf	`LF`	+
lft	`LFT`	+
lfth	`LFST*`	+
lg	`LPKFS`	+
lj	`LKST*`	+
lk	`LK`	+
lkt	`LPKST*`	+
lky	`LPKFT`	+
ll	`L*`	+ `*`
lly	`LPFT*`	+
lm	`LPS`	+
ln	`LPF`	+
lp	`LP`	+
lph	`LPKT`	+
lpt	`LPT`	+
ls	`LS`	+
lsc	`LPKS*`	+
lsh	`LKFS`	+
lsk	`LKS*`	+
lst	`LST`	+
lt	`LT`	+
ltch	`LKFT`	+
lth	`LFST`	+
ltion	`LFT*`	+
lty	`LKFST`	+
lv	`LFS`	+
lx	`LKS`	+
lxt	`LKST`	+
ly	`LPFT`	+
lz	`LPFS`	+
mph	`LRPKT`	+
mpt	`LRPT`	+
nc	`LRPKS`	+ `LR`
nch	`LRKF`	+ `LR`
nck	`LRK*`	+ `LR`
ncky	`LRPKFT*`	+
nct	`LRPKST`	+
nction	`LRKFT*`	+ `LR`
ncy	`LRPKFST`	+ `LR`
nd	`LRPKF`	+ `LR`
nf	`LRF`	+ `LR`
nft	`LRFT`	+
ng	`LRPKFS`	+ `LR`
nj	`LRKST*`	+ `LR`
nk	`LRK`	+ `LR`
nkt	`LRPKST*`	+ `LR`
nky	`LRPKFT`	+
nn	`LRPF`	+ `LR`
ns	`LRS`	+ `LR`
nsc	`LRPKS*`	+ `LR`
nsh	`LRKFS`	+ `LR`
nsk	`LRKS*`	+ `LR`
nst	`LRST`	+
nt	`LRT`	+ `LR`
ntch	`LRKFT`	+
nth	`LRFST`	+ `LR`
ntion	`LRFT*`	+ `LR`
nty	`LRKFST`	+ `LR`
nv	`LRFS`	+ `LR`
nx	`LRKS`	+ `LR`
nxt	`LRKST`	+
ny	`LRPFT`	+ `LR`
nz	`LRPFS`	+ `LR`
ph	`PKT`	+
pl	`LP*`	+ `*`
pp	`P*`	+ `*`
pt	`PT`	+
ption	`PFT*`	+
rb	`RPK`	+
rc	`RPKS`	+
rch	`RKF`	+
rck	`RK*`	+
rcky	`RPKFT*`	+
rct	`RPKST`	+
rcy	`RPKFST`	+
rd	`RPKF`	+
rf	`RF`	+
rft	`RFT`	+
rg	`RPKFS`	+
rj	`RKST*`	+
rk	`RK`	+
rkt	`RPKST*`	+
rky	`RPKFT`	+
rl	`LR`	+
rm	`RPS`	+
rn	`RPF`	+
rp	`RP`	+
rph	`RPKT`	+
rpt	`RPT`	+
rr	`R*`	+ `*`
rry	`RPFT*`	+
rs	`RS`	+
rsc	`RPKS*`	+
rsh	`RKFS`	+
rsk	`RKS*`	+
rst	`RST`	+
rt	`RT`	+
rtch	`RKFT`	+
rth	`RFST`	+
rty	`RKFST`	+
rv	`RFS`	+
rw	`RPF*`	+
rx	`RKS`	+
rxt	`RKST`	+
ry	`RPFT`	+
rz	`RPFS`	+
ss	`S*`	+ `*`
st	`ST`	+
t's	`LST*`	+
tch	`KFT`	+
ts	`ST*`	+ `*`
tt	`T*`	+ `*`
ttl	`LT*`	+
vv	`FS*`	+ `*`
wl	`LPF*`	+
xt	`KST`	+
zz	`PFS*`	+ `*`

29 Niche Chords

These are only used in a few words, so you can learn them when you need to, or never!

Letters	Keys
'd	`LRPKT*`
'll	`LPKT*`
'm	`LPS*`
're	`RPKT*`
's	`LS*`
've	`LFS*`
bbl	`LRPK*`
ction	`KFT*`
ddl	`LRPKF*`
fth	`FST*`
gm	`LRPS*`
hn	`LRKT`
kt	`PKST*`
mpl	`LRP*`
n't	`LRT*`
ndl	`LPKF*`
ndth	`LRFST*`
ngth	`LRPKFST*`
nny	`LRPFT*`
nsion	`LRKF*`
rly	`LR*`
rmth	`RFST*`
rnt	`RT*`
sion	`LKFT*`
stian	`RKFT*`
stion	`RFT*`
sy	`PKFST*`
tion	`FT*`
y'd	`LKFST*`

You still have the red, blue, and green sections, representing the start, middle, and end of the word. There aren't too too many things to memorize in the initials, vowels, and finals, as most of them are just combinations of other chords (or very niche).

The nice thing is that you really only have to memorize the chords you actually use, so you can learn them very gradually, which you can't really do a normal keyboard layout. Some chords are only used in a single word (because english), so you may never even have to learn them.

Besides the letters, there are 4 other keys: e, s, #, and + - these keys are pretty simple:

e adds an "e" to the end of the word, so SITe is "site"
s adds an "s" to the end of the word, so SITs is "sits" (and SITes is "sites")
# capitalizes the word you're typing, so #THIS is "This".
+ joins the current word to the previous. Without using +, each word will automatically have a space between it, but not all words can be written at once, larger words need to be split up into multiple chunks:

Take "typical", which is split into ty/pi/cal, or the chords T^ +PI +SPWAL.

You can use this to write any word of any size, take "antidisestablishmentarianism", which you can break up into an/ti/dise/stab/lish/ment/ar/ian/ism which is APF +TI +TPWISE +STAPK +HRIKFS +PHELRT +AR +AI^PK +ILRS* :p

If you know how to spell it, then you can write it with Pinchord :)

For a somewhat more realistic example, "the quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog" can be written as THIU WHRIK* PWROLRPF* TPOKS TWHRULRPs O +SRER THIU HRA +SWH^ TPWOPKFS :p

At a very reasonable 4 of these chords per second, that's 187 words per minute. Chording is notably easy to keep up for really however long you want, where typing at that speed is a genuinely difficult thing to do for more than a few minutes.

If you'd like to try Pinchord out, see Setting up Pinchord :)

Source at pinchord.git, Tickets at Pinchord Tickets, Changelog at Pinchord Changelog.

If you need help setting anything up or want to make suggestions or anything like that, you can join the Pinchord discord server :D https://discord.gg/64eccde3jN, or you can email me or send a message in the Pinchord Chat room (although its kinda in the works)

Text and images on this page are licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0