Do I need to install a Mongol bichig keyboard?
No. TypingBoo draws its own keyboard on screen, so you can open the page and start. There is no account to create either.
Guide
The Mongol bichig keyboard layout
Typing traditional Mongolian script (ᠮᠣᠩᠭᠣᠯ ᠪᠢᠴᠢᠭ) starts with knowing which letter sits on which key. This page explains the two layouts, shows where they differ, and takes you straight to a place to practise.
The keys follow the sounds
The default layout (Keyman basic_kbdmonst) is phonetic: each key carries the Mongolian letter that sounds like the Latin letter printed on it. F types ᠹ, K types ᠺ, S types ᠰ, M types ᠮ. So for most letters you can work out the key by looking at the keyboard you already own.
Four keys break that rule
The vowels are the exception. O types ᠥ and U types ᠦ, while the back vowels are pushed onto Q for ᠣ and V for ᠤ. The other 22 letter keys follow the phonetic rule, so these four are most of what there is to memorise.
Shift is not upper case
The script has no upper and lower case, so Shift is a second layer rather than a case switch. It carries the nine Galik letters used for loanwords — ᡂ ᠧ ᠿ ᠾ ᠻ ᡀ ᡁ ᠼ ᠩ — and on the other letter keys it produces nothing at all.
The second layout: MNS
The second layout you can pick in Settings is MNS, the one preinstalled on most Windows machines in Mongolia. On it the number row types Mongolian digits ᠐–᠙, Shift becomes a full second layer carrying the variation selectors and Mongolian punctuation, and the vowels move again: Q and W hold the front vowels, U and V the back ones. If you type on an office machine, pick that layout in Settings and practise the keys you will actually use.
Cyrillic hints on every key
Each letter key is drawn with its Cyrillic transliteration in small type at the top-left corner. A Mongolian reader recognises Cyrillic far faster than Latin transcription, so you can start typing before you have memorised anything.
Nothing to install
You do not need to add a keyboard layout to Windows or macOS. The page draws its own board: on a computer you type on your real keyboard, and on a phone you tap the keys on screen.
How to start
- Open the key-position practice and pick the first lesson.
- Watch for the highlighted key on the drawn keyboard and type that letter.
- After a few repetitions you will stop looking down and read only the screen.
- Finish a lesson to see your speed and accuracy — and share the result to challenge a friend.
Common questions
Can I type Mongol bichig on a phone?
Yes. On a phone you type by tapping the keys drawn on screen — the device's own keyboard stays closed, because it has none of these letters on it.
Which layout should I learn?
If you are typing for yourself, the phonetic default is quicker to pick up. If you will be typing on a Windows machine in an office, choose that layout in Settings so the habit you build is the one you need.
How do I type numbers and punctuation?
The default layout leaves the number row as plain 0–9. The Windows layout types Mongolian digits ᠐–᠙ there instead, with punctuation on Shift.
Can I save what I write?
For real text rather than a drill, use the Writer. You can type, save and copy from there.
Try it now
The fastest way to remember any of this is to type a few lines. The first lesson takes under a minute.