Keyboarding Vocabulary Terms

Delete Key

a key used to erase characters once they are highlighted

Error

any misstroke of a key; also any variation between source copy and displayed or printed copy; departure from acceptable format.

Numeric Keypad

arrangement of figure keys and special keys, such as +, -, and =, on the right side of most keyboards; used for keying all number copy

Keyboard

arrangement of keys on a device attached to a computer or typewriter; also the act of keying or typing

Editing

arranging, changing, and correcting existing text; editing includes proofreading but is not limited to it.

Tab

causes the cursor (or print point) to skip across the display screen (or paper) to a place set by the operator or the default tab settings

Accuracy

degree of freedom from errors measured from zero; usually expressed as one error, two errors, and so forth

Enter

ends a line or paragraph

ESC key

key on the keyboard that is used to exit a program

Caps Lock

key on the keyboard that is used to key all capital letters without holding the shift key

Space Bar

key on the keyboard that spaces the cursor forward one space at a time and produces a blank space when pressed

Technique

keyboard operator's form or keying style

Arrow Keys

keys on a keyboard that move the cursor left, right, up or down

Letter Keys

keys on the keyboard which contain the letters of the alphabet

Shift Keys

keys that make occasional capital letters or allow you to get the character on the top of a key

Cursor

lighted point on a display screen where the next character of space can be entered

GWAM (Gross Words a Minute)

measure of the rate of keying speed; GWAM = total standard five-stroke words keyed divided by the time required to key those words

Backspace Key

moves the cursor to the left one space at a time

Centering

placing text so that half of the text is on each side of the center point

Default

preset condition in software that controls margin, line spacing, and tab settings. Operators may override default settings.

Proofreading

process of comparing copy on a display screen or paper to the original copy and correcting (or marking for correction) errors; one of the editing steps

Function Keys

set of keys (F1, F2, etc.) used alone or with Shift, Ctrl, and Alt keys to issue software commands

Return

software feature that moves the cursor to the left margin of the next line; inserted automatically (soft) when text exceeds the line length, and inserted manually (hard) to force software to begin a new line

Rate

speed of doing a task; see gross words a minute (GWAM) and net-production rate a minute (N-PRAM)

Word Wrap

text automatically moves to the next line when it reaches the right margin

Document

text, especially formatted, such as a numbered list, memo, letter, report, outline, title page, or reference page

Home Row Keys

the keys A S D F J K L; designated as the keys from which all keystrokes are made

QWERTY Keyboard

the most common keyboard arrangement, named for the first letters across the top row

Ergonomics

the technology concerned with the design, manufacture, and arrangement of products and environments to be safe, healthy, and comfortable for human beings

Key

to strike buttons for printing or displaying copy; also called "enter," "keyboard," "input," and "type"