Pocket Letter Chords
Hold two saved letter keys to insert a phrase in the editor.
How to insert saved phrases with letter chords in Obsidian
As of October 2026, Obsidian supports pasting text and inserting saved snippets with its core Templates plugin. Pocket Letter Chords adds overlapping letter-key input, which needs a physical keyboard that reports key holds.
Background
A chord needs key holds that overlap within 80 ms. Normal typing can overlap too, so test rare pairs in a sample note first.
3 ways to do it
Paste a phrase
Copy the phrase you need and use the documented paste shortcut. This works as a manual way to repeat text without a chord dictionary.
- limits
- You must copy or retain the phrase you want to paste. This route doesn't use overlapping letter keys.
Insert a core template
The core Templates plugin inserts a saved text snippet into your active note. Set its template folder, create a template note, then select Insert template.
You can run its insert command from the command palette or assign a custom hotkey.
- limits
- This route selects a template instead of matching timed letter holds. Template variables can add dates or titles; chord values remain literal text.
Pocket Letter Chords from this site
Save a two-letter pair and its phrase in the default JSON dictionary. Hold one key, press the other within 80 ms, then release both before repeating.
The focused Markdown editor must have one cursor. Use Pause or resume chord input when you want normal typing.
- limits
- You need a physical keyboard that reports overlapping holds. Synthetic desktop tests don't establish physical tablet timing.
Open larger MIT · no telemetry · core features free
Try one chord in a sample note
Run Edit the chord dictionary from the command palette.
Enter
[{"keys":"qw","text":"Done"}]and select Save.Focus a Markdown note for editing, hold q and press w before 80 ms ends.
Release both keys and use Undo if you need to restore the previous text.
Pause chord input and type normally to check the difference.
Common questions
Can I choose a longer chord window?
The window stays fixed at 80 ms. There is no delay slider in the settings.
Can a folder add phrases to my default set?
A Pro folder dictionary replaces the default set for matching notes. It doesn't merge its bindings with the default dictionary.
Sources
- Obsidian editing shortcutsobsidian.md
- Obsidian core Templates documentationobsidian.md
- Pocket Letter Chords READMEgithub.com
That's every step, start to finish.
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