These keys generally go by the name of their unshifted character (i.e., the character on the bottom of the key). This is true of most of the keyboard: for example, we generally call the key with 1 and ! the "1 key" not the "exclamation point key". Of course, if you actually want someone to type an exclamation point, you'd tell them, "Type an exclamation point," but if you wanted them to press a button outside of a typing context (while playing a video game, for example) you'd tell them, "Press the 1 key" or simply "Press 1."
The other rule to follow here is that if the unshifted character is not widely used or does not have a well-known name, use the shifted name.
Going in left-to right order across each row:
- (
`/~) The tilde key, since the name for the unshifted "grave accent" or "backtick" character is not widely known. (This may also go by the "squiggle key" or "the key next to the 1 with the squiggle on it" for people who don't know the name for "tilde" either; neither are commonly used outside of programming.) - (
;/:) the semicolon key, since the names for colon and semicolon are both well-known and the semicolon is the unshifted character for the key - (
'/") The quote key, since both characters on the key are quotation marks (so there is no need to distinguish between "single quote" or "double quote" to identify the key; they are both quotes, and they are on the same key) - (
,/<) The comma key - (
./>) The period key - (
//?) Likely the question mark key. The slash key or the forward slash key is also acceptable, but could cause confusion with the backslash key, so it's often easier to use question mark as the identifier instead.