Keyboard sound test
Same sentence, same speed, three switch types. Then the same switch on three boards. Play them one after another and the difference stops being a description and becomes something you can hear.
Linear vs tactile vs clicky
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Linear
Smooth all the way down. You hear only the bottom-out and the return.
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Tactile
A soft bump before the bottom-out: a quiet rub, then the strike.
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Clicky
A sharp click at the actuation point, then the bottom-out. Loud on purpose.
Thock vs clack
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Thocky
Deep and muffled, like a heavy case with thick keycaps.
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Balanced
A typical stock board: some body, some bite.
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Clacky
Bright and sharp, like thin keycaps on a stiff plate.
How to listen
Use headphones or decent speakers if you can. Laptop and phone speakers drop most of the low end, which is exactly where "thock" lives, so on a phone the thocky board will sound closer to the balanced one than it really is. Play each demo twice. The first listen is for the overall character, the second for details: the bump before a tactile strike, the double event of a clicky switch, the rattle under a spacebar.
The three switch types, by ear
| Switch | What happens inside | What you hear here |
|---|---|---|
| Linear | The stem travels straight down with no bump. | Only the bottom-out and the return. The cleanest, most even sound. |
| Tactile | A small bump on the stem pushes back partway down. | A short, soft rub, then the strike about 16 ms later. |
| Clicky | A separate part snaps when the key actuates. | A sharp, high click, then a quieter bottom-out; a smaller click on release. |
The millisecond figures are the settings of this simulator, chosen to be audible, not measurements of any particular switch.
Thock and clack are about the board, not just the switch
Keyboard fans use "thock" for a deep, rounded sound and "clack" for a bright, snappy one. Most of that comes from what the strike rings through: keycap thickness and material, the plate, the case, and whatever foam is packed inside. That is why the same switch can sound thocky in one board and clacky in another, and why this test treats the two as separate choices. In the simulator, the thocky board puts its strongest ringing tones down near 150 to 350 Hz, the clacky board around 1.3 to 2.6 kHz.
A short glossary
- Actuation: the point in a key's travel where the press registers. On a clicky switch the click happens right there; on a tactile one the bump sits just before it.
- Bottom-out: the key hitting the end of its travel. Most of the sound of typing is this impact, which is why the board matters so much.
- Upstroke: the key springing back and its stem tapping the top of the housing. Quieter and higher than the downstroke; turn the key-up sound off in the simulator to hear how much texture it adds.
- Stabiliser: the wire under long keys that keeps them level. Its rattle is the reason spacebars are usually the loudest key on a board.
- Foam and lube: soft materials and grease that hobbyists add to damp ringing and scratchiness. In sound terms they cut the high, ringing parts, pushing a board toward thock.
What this test can't tell you
It can't tell you how a switch feels, and feel is half of choosing one. It also can't stand in for a specific product: every brand and model sounds a little different, and these are generic, synthesized types. Treat it as a way to learn the vocabulary and train your ear, then listen to recordings of the exact boards you are considering.
Questions people ask
Which switch is quietest?
Clicky switches are the loudest by design. Between linear and tactile the difference is small; how hard you bottom out and the board itself matter more. In this simulator, linear keys on a thocky board make the softest sound.
Why does the spacebar sound different?
Long keys sit on metal stabiliser wires so they press evenly. The wire and its housings add a low, longer ring and sometimes a small rattle. Press the Spacebar buttons above to hear it on each switch.
Can I compare my own keyboard with these?
Yes. Open the mechanical keyboard simulator, turn the volume down a bit and type on your real keyboard: you will hear both at once.
Are these the sounds of real switch brands?
No. They are three generic switch types made from synthesis, so nothing here is a recording of, or endorsed by, any manufacturer.
Why do I hear nothing at first?
Browsers keep pages silent until you interact. Your first tap or click unlocks the sound; if a demo was cut off, press it again.
Does this work offline?
Once the page has loaded, every sound is made on your device, so the demos keep working even if your connection drops.