When using a dvorak keyboard this file may be of help to you. These mappings have been made by Lawrence Kesteloot . What they do is that the most often used keys, like hjkl, are put in a more easy to use position. It may take some time to learn using this. Put these lines in your .vimrc: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- " Key to go into dvorak mode: map ,d :source ~/.dvorak " Key to get out of dvorak mode: map ,q :source ~/.qwerty -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- write these lines into the file ~/.dvorak: -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- " Dvorak keyboard, only in insert mode and ex mode. " You may want to add a list of map's too. imap! a a imap! b x imap! c j imap! d e imap! e . imap! f u imap! g i imap! h d imap! i c imap! j h imap! k t imap! l n imap! m m imap! n b imap! o r imap! p l imap! q ' imap! r p imap! s o imap! t y imap! u g imap! v k imap! w , imap! x q imap! y f imap! z ; imap! ; s imap! ' - imap! " _ imap! , w imap! . v imap! / z imap! A A imap! B X imap! C J imap! D E imap! E > imap! F U imap! G I imap! H D imap! I C imap! J H imap! K T imap! L N imap! M M imap! N B imap! O R imap! P L imap! Q " imap! R P imap! S O imap! T Y imap! U G imap! V K imap! W < imap! X Q imap! Y F imap! Z : imap! < W imap! > V imap! ? Z imap! : S imap! [ / imap! ] = imap! { ? imap! } + imap! - [ imap! _ { imap! = ] imap! + } -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- write these lines into the file ~/.qwerty -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=- " Qwerty keyboard unmap! a unmap! b unmap! c unmap! d unmap! e unmap! f unmap! g unmap! h unmap! i unmap! j unmap! k unmap! l unmap! m unmap! n unmap! o unmap! p unmap! q unmap! r unmap! s unmap! t unmap! u unmap! v unmap! w unmap! x unmap! y unmap! z unmap! ; unmap! ' unmap! \" unmap! , unmap! . unmap! / unmap! A unmap! B unmap! C unmap! D unmap! E unmap! F unmap! G unmap! H unmap! I unmap! J unmap! K unmap! L unmap! M unmap! N unmap! O unmap! P unmap! Q unmap! R unmap! S unmap! T unmap! U unmap! V unmap! W unmap! X unmap! Y unmap! Z unmap! < unmap! > unmap! ? unmap! : unmap! [ unmap! ] unmap! { unmap! } unmap! - unmap! _ unmap! = unmap! + -=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-=-