Glossary

Searchable terminology from accessibility, web standards, and related fields.

10 results found in text entry.

Ambiguous keyboard (T9 input, Multi-tap disambiguation)
A text entry method in which multiple letters are mapped to each physical key, requiring disambiguation algorithms (typically dictionary-based) to determine the intended word from the sequence of key …
Braille Input (Braille Keyboard Input, Braille Screen Input)
A text entry method that allows users to type characters using Braille code on a device, rather than a standard QWERTY keyboard. On touchscreen devices, Braille input typically maps finger taps or ges…
Continuous Motion Input (Gesture Typing, Swipe Input)
A text entry method where the user traces a continuous path across an on-screen keyboard, passing through the desired letters or keys without lifting their finger. This approach can be faster than dis…
Dasher
A zooming text entry interface in which users write by navigating through a world of nested boxes, each labeled with a letter and sized proportionally to its probability under a language model. Users …
Gaze Typing (Eye Typing, Gaze-Based Text Entry, Eye-Typing)
A text input method that uses eye tracking technology to allow users to type by looking at keys on a virtual on-screen keyboard. The most common technique is dwell-based selection, where the user fixa…
Gesture Typing (Swipe Typing, Trace Typing, Glide Typing, Shape Writing)
A text entry method on touchscreen devices where the user enters a word by continuously gliding their finger from letter to letter on a virtual keyboard without lifting it, rather than tapping each ke…
Keystroke Savings (KS, Key Savings)
A metric used to evaluate word prediction systems, measuring the percentage of keystrokes eliminated by accepting predictions compared to typing the full text character by character. While keystroke s…
Nomadic Text Entry (Mobile Text Entry, On-the-Go Texting)
The practice of inputting text on a mobile device while moving through or actively engaging with the physical environment, as opposed to typing while stationary. For people who are blind or visually i…
Soft Keyboard (On-screen Keyboard, Virtual Keyboard, OSK)
A keyboard displayed on a screen that is operated by a pointing device (mouse, touch, head tracker, eye gaze, or switch) rather than physical key presses. Soft keyboards are essential assistive techno…
Textonym (T9 Ambiguity)
Words that share the same sequence of key presses on a telephone-style number pad, such as "bat" and "cat" which both map to the key sequence 2-2-8. Textonyms are a significant design consideration in…