Every key and what it produces, plus the two positional rules that catch out beginners and break converters. The same chart covers the whole Kruti Dev family and DevLys.
Position matters more than the keys
You can memorise the whole chart and still type wrongly, because two characters do not sit where you would expect.
The i-matra comes first
ि is typed before its consonant, because that is where it sits on the page. For कि you press f then d. Unicode stores it the other way round, and that mismatch is the single biggest source of conversion bugs.
The reph comes last
र् is typed after the whole syllable it sits above, matras included. For धार्मिक you type धा, then मि, then reph, then क. It reads backwards and feels wrong for about a week.
There is a third rule that is less famous but just as important: a half consonant followed by k becomes the full independent letter. So H gives भ् but Hk gives भ. Miss that and भारत comes out as भ्ाारत.
Key to character
Capital letters mean the Shift layer. Where two keys are listed, press them in that order.
| Key | Gives | Note |
|---|---|---|
d | क | Plain, single key |
D | क् | Half form |
Dk | क | Half form plus vertical bar gives the full letter |
Hk | भ | Same rule. This one trips up a lot of converters |
[k | ख | |
x | ग | |
?k | घ | |
p | च | |
t | ज | |
V | ट | |
B | ठ | |
M | ड | |
< | ढ | |
.k | ण | |
r | त | |
Fk | थ | |
n | द | |
/k | ध | |
u | न | |
i | प | |
Q | फ | |
c | ब | |
Hk | भ | |
e | म | |
; | य | |
j | र | |
y | ल | |
G | ळ | Used in Marathi |
o | व | |
'k | श | |
"k | ष | |
l | स | |
g | ह | |
f | ि | Typed before the consonant |
h | ी | |
q | ु | |
w | ू | |
` | ृ | |
s | े | |
S | ै | |
k | ा | Also the vertical bar that completes a half form |
¨ | ो | |
© | ौ | |
Z | र् | Reph, typed after its cluster |
z | ्र | Subjoined ra |
a | ं | Anusvara |
¡ | ँ | Chandrabindu |
+ | ़ | Nukta |
% | ः | Visarga |
A | । | Danda |
{k | क्ष | Dedicated conjunct key |
= | त्र | Dedicated conjunct key |
K | ज्ञ | Dedicated conjunct key |
J | श्र | Dedicated conjunct key |
| | द्य | |
} | द्व | |
Á | प्र | |
v | अ | |
vk | आ | |
b | इ | |
à | ई | |
m | उ | |
Å | ऊ | |
, | ए | |
,s | ऐ | |
vks | ओ | |
vkS | औ |
Alt codes
Characters that did not fit on the keyboard are reached with Alt plus a four-digit code, typed on the right-hand numeric keypad with Num Lock on. The number row above the letters will not work, which is the first thing to check when a code does nothing.
Alt+0131 through Alt+0140 give the Devanagari digits १२३४५६७८९०. Others worth knowing: Alt+0124 and Alt+0125 for द्य and द्व, Alt+0152 for द्भ, Alt+0193 for प्र, and Alt+0192 for the explicit halant used to build half consonants by hand.
On a laptop without a separate numeric keypad you will need the function-key overlay, or an on-screen keyboard, or a lot of patience.
What this chart also covers
Kruti Dev 010, 011, 012, 016, 020, 040 and 055 all share these key positions. So does the DevLys family. The font changes how the letters are drawn; the keyboard does not move.
That is why typing exams specify “Remington keyboard with Kruti Dev 010 / DevLys 010” as one option rather than two. Learn the layout once and it carries across SSC, CPCT, UPSSSC, RSSB, High Court clerical recruitment and most state PSC typing tests.
Layout questions
Is the Kruti Dev layout the same as Remington?
Yes. It follows the Remington typewriter layout, which is why typists trained on mechanical Hindi typewriters could move to computers without relearning anything. Remington Gail differs in a few positions and is worth checking separately if that is what your exam specifies.
Do Kruti Dev and DevLys use the same keys?
They do. DevLys came first and Kruti Dev kept its key positions, so the same character sits on the same key in both families.
Why is the i-matra typed before the consonant?
Because Kruti Dev stores text in visual order and the matra is drawn to the left. Unicode stores text in logical order and puts it after. Converting between the two means moving it across the whole consonant cluster, which is where most converters go wrong.
My Alt codes are not working.
Use the right-hand numeric keypad with Num Lock on. The number row will not produce Alt codes. On laptops without a keypad, use the function-key overlay or an on-screen keyboard.
How long does it take to learn this layout?
Roughly three weeks of daily practice to reach 20 words per minute, six weeks or so for the 30 wpm cutoff most recruitments use. The two positional rules feel unnatural at first and then stop being noticeable.