Editing Keyboard terminology (section)

==Switch types==
The overall feel of a switch can be classified into several specific types. In addition to feel, some switches emit a distinct sound as they actuate, as a form of feedback to the operator. The three most common types of switch sound and feel are given below; other types are also described under [[force]].

===Tactile switch===
Tactile switches are the most common type of switch. A tactile switch provides a change in force during the keystroke. The typical usage of the term is for a switch that suddenly feels lighter when pressed part way down, often described as a "bump". In higher-end switches, this drop in force tells you that the actuated, but in standard rubber dome over membrane keyboards it is simply a characteristic of how the key feels.

===Linear switch===
A linear switch is a switch that gets progressively stiffer during key travel, and thus has no tactile 'bump'. A force graph of an ideal linear switch will show a straight line rise of force from the start to the end of travel, but in practise the rate of force increase may be change at different points of the travel. Linear switch designs are simple and reliable, and are common in specially-designed rugged keyboards. They were very common in the 1970s and early 1980s for terminal and PC keyboards, but have been eclipsed by the popularity of tactile switches since the mid to late 1980s.

===Clicky switch===
A '''[[clicky]]''' switch is designed to emit a sound when it actuates. While all keys make some sound when they are struck, a clicky switch is one that generates a separate, deliberate sound to notify the operator that the keystroke was registered. A '''clicky keyboard''' is a keyboard with clicky switches; keyboards that do not click but nonetheless have a crisp and distinct or simply loud typing sound (which is frequently the case with old keyboards due to the metal construction inside) are often incorrectly described as "clicky" by people not familiar with intentionally clicky keyboards.

Because click mechanisms use a spring that must be primed and triggered, there is always a drop in force at the point that the click is heard. That is, all clicky switches are also tactile. It is possible for the keyboard itself (not the switches) to generate sound separately (using a buzzer or solenoid) without affecting the feel of switches, but "clicky" keyboards refer to keyboards where the switches themselves produce the sound.

Clicky switches are generally more tactile than switches designed to be tactile without making a noise, but the extra sound on top of what is often an already loud keyboard is not always desirable.