Hindi · Keyboard
Remington GAIL keyboard: type Hindi, get Unicode
The typewriter-style layout named in many government typing-test instructions, as a browser keyboard. Press the keys you know; the box fills with Unicode Hindi that works everywhere.
The box shows Unicode Hindi as you type. Hardware keys are read by position, so any OS keyboard language works. Backspace removes one Unicode character (a pending ि first).
Dashed keys depend on position: ि is struck before its letter, reph (र्) before the letter it sits on, rakar (्र) after.
01 · How the layout works
Six rules cover almost everything.
- 01
Most letters are one key
d is क, j is र, l is स, e is म. The lower-case keys are mostly full letters.
dक
- 02
Shift gives the half letter
D is क्, L is स्, H is भ्. A half letter followed by another letter is a conjunct: Lo is स्व.
Loस्व
- 03
Half + k gives the full letter
Some letters have no key of their own. Type the half form, then k (the ा key): [k is ख, Hk is भ, Fk is थ.
Hkभ
- 04
ि is struck before the letter
Like a typewriter: press f, then the letter or the whole conjunct. fd is कि and fLd is स्कि. A setting switches to Unicode order.
fdकि
- 05
Reph before, rakar after
Shift+Z types र् and goes before the letter it sits on: dkZ; is कार्य. z types ्र after a letter: iz is प्र.
dkZ;कार्य
- 06
ो, ौ and ready-made conjuncts
ks is ो and kS is ौ. Single keys give common conjuncts: ( त्र, * द्ध, ~ द्य, } द्व, J श्र, K ज्ञ.
dksको
02 · Key chart
Every key on the default and Shift layers.
Generated from the code that does the typing. Dotted circles (◌) mark signs that attach to a letter.
Without Shift
- `◌़
- -;
- =◌ृ
- q◌ु
- w◌ू
- eम
- rत
- tज
- yल
- uन
- iप
- oव
- pच
- [ख्
- ],
- \(
- a◌ं
- s◌े
- dक
- f◌ि*
- gह
- h◌ी
- jर
- kा
- lस
- ;य
- 'श्
- z◌्र*
- xग
- cब
- vअ
- bइ
- nद
- mउ
- ,ए
- .ण्
- /ध्
With Shift
- ~द्य
- !।
- @/
- #◌ः
- $*
- %-
- ^‘
- &’
- *द्ध
- (त्र
- )ऋ
- _.
- +◌्
- Qफ
- W◌ॅ
- Eम्
- Rत्
- Tज्
- Yल्
- Uन्
- Iप्
- Oव्
- Pच्
- {क्ष्
- }द्व
- |)
- Aा
- S◌ै
- Dक्
- Fथ्
- Gळ
- Hभ्
- Jश्र
- Kज्ञ
- Lस्
- :रू
- "ष्
- Zर्*
- Xग्
- Cब्
- Vट
- Bठ
- Nछ
- Mड
- <ढ
- >झ
- ?घ्
* Position-dependent: ि before the letter, reph before the letter, rakar after it.
03 · Compared with Kruti Dev
Same typewriter family, different keystrokes.
Typists who learned Kruti Dev find most letters under the same fingers. The differences are in conjuncts and reph. Keystrokes below come from the two engines.
| Word | Kruti Dev keys | Remington GAIL keys |
|---|---|---|
| भारत | Hkkjr | Hkkjr(same) |
| कार्य | dk;Z | dkZ; |
| हिन्दी | fgUnh | fgUnh(same) |
| शिक्षा | f'k{kk | f'k{kk(same) |
| प्रति | izfr | izfr(same) |
| ज्ञान | Kku | Kku(same) |
| श्रम | Je | 'kze |
| विद्यालय | fo|ky; | fo~ky; |
| न्यायालय | U;k;ky; | U;k;ky;(same) |
| क्षमता | {kerk | {kerk(same) |
| आवश्यक | vko';d | vko';d(same) |
| द्वारा | }kjk | }kjk(same) |
Single keys that type a different letter
- `KDृRG़
- -KD.RG;
- =KDत्रRGृ
- ~KD्RGद्य
- #KDरुRGः
- %KDःRG-
- &KD-RG’
- *KD’RGद्ध
- )KDद्धRGऋ
- _KDऋRG.
- +KD़RG्
- \KD?RG(
- |KDद्यRG)
- AKD।RGा
KD = Kruti Dev 010, RG = Remington GAIL. Keys that need a neighbouring letter (ि, reph) are left out.
04 · Limits
What this layout leaves out.
Not included: the Right-Alt layers of that keyboard (extra conjuncts, ङ, ञ, Vedic signs), because browsers report Alt Gr unreliably. Words that need ङ or ञ cannot be typed here. Other exam keyboards may place a few signs differently, so check the layout your exam software shows.
05 · FAQ
Questions about this page
Is this the layout used in SSC and other exams?
The SSC CHSL 2023 Tier II typing instructions list “Hindi Remington GAIL” (with “Hindi Inscript”, “Hindi Krutidev” and “Hindi Remington CBI”) as selectable layouts, and a 2018 Allahabad High Court notice lists Remington (GAIL) as a typing option. Exams differ and change, so practise in the layout the current notification names. This page does not claim any exam uses exactly this table.
How is it different from Kruti Dev?
Both follow the Hindi typewriter arrangement, so most letters sit on the same keys. They differ in how conjuncts are typed (GAIL has single keys for त्र, द्ध, श्र, ज्ञ), where reph goes (before the letter in GAIL, after it in Kruti Dev) and in output (GAIL gives Unicode directly; Kruti Dev gives font codes). The table above is generated from both layouts’ code.
Where does the layout come from?
It is a port of the “Remington GAIL (SIL)” Keyman keyboard (MIT licence, © SIL Global), which its authors built from the Hindi Indic Input 3 IME and APS Corporate 2000+. We ported the default and Shift layers. The Alt-key layer of that keyboard is not included.
Do I need Hindi Indic Input 3 or a Hindi font installed?
No. The page turns your keystrokes into Unicode Hindi in the browser, and Unicode shows in Mangal, Noto Sans Devanagari and every modern font. You only need Indic Input 3 to type this layout in other programs.
Why does ि look odd while I am typing?
In typewriter order ि is held until its letter arrives, so pressing f alone shows a lone ि. It moves to the end of the letter or conjunct as soon as you type it. Backspace removes a waiting ि first.
Is my text sent anywhere?
No. Typing is processed in your browser. The text is kept in this tab’s session storage so a refresh does not lose it, and it is cleared when the tab closes.