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How to Change Keyboard Layout in Windows 11
Data: 2025-11-26
How to Change Keyboard Layout in Windows 11 – English (US) & English (UK)
A simple guide to adding, switching, and removing English (US) and English (UK) keyboard layouts in Windows 11.
1. Open language settings
- Click Start.
- Select Settings.
- Go to Time & language → Language & region.
2. Add a language
In newer versions of Windows 11, the Keyboards section appears only when more than one language is installed. Adding a language automatically enables switching between keyboard layouts.
- Under Preferred languages, click Add a language.
- Add any English language variant, for example:
- English (United States)
- English (United Kingdom)
- English (Canada)
- English (Australia)
- English (New Zealand)
- English (India)
- English (Trinidad & Tobago)
- English (Zimbabwe)
- English (Singapore)
- English (Philippines)
- English (Jamaica)
- English (Hong Kong SAR)
- English (Ireland)
- English (Indonesia)
- English (Belize)
- English (Caribbean)
- English (Malaysia)
- English (South Africa)
- English (Maldives)
- The new language will appear in the list with a … menu that gives access to Language options.
- Under … → Language options, you will find the Keyboards section.
In practice, adding a language is enough to switch between keyboard layouts — even without adding additional layouts manually.
3. Add a new keyboard layout (optional)
- Click the … icon next to the language you want to configure.
- Select Language options.
- In the Keyboards section, click Add a keyboard.
- Choose a layout, such as:
- English (US) — American standard
- English (UK) — British standard
4. Switch between layouts
- Windows + Space — quick switch.
- Alt + Shift — change keyboard layout.
- On the taskbar near the clock, click the language indicator (e.g., ENG US or ENG UK) to switch manually.
5. Remove layouts you don’t need
- Open the Language options for the language you want to edit.
- In the Keyboards section, click the layout you want to remove.
- Select Remove.
Tips
- English (US) is widely used in the United States and many countries outside Europe.
- English (UK) is standard in the United Kingdom and commonly used across Commonwealth countries such as Ireland, Australia, and New Zealand.
- If you work with documents in both variants, add both layouts for quick switching.