A method for displaying textual input of a terminal device, wherein a screen of the terminal device comprises a keyboard area and at least two candidate areas, each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas is corresponding to a different candidate-word display priority, each candidate area is used to display a candidate word that is of a corresponding candidate-word display priority and that is in a candidate-word subset of a character entered in the keyboard area, and the method comprises: determining a current operation mode; determining, according to a preset correspondence between an operation mode and a display configuration manner, a display configuration manner corresponding to the current operation mode, where the display configuration manner includes a correspondence between each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas and a candidate-word display priority; after determining a display configuration manner corresponding to the current operation mode, the method further comprises: counting, by the terminal device, a selection frequency at which each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas is selected in a specified duration; calculating, by the terminal device, a delay value from a moment at which entering of one or more characters is completed in the keyboard area to a moment at which each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas is selected each time in the specified duration; calculating, by the terminal device, an average delay value of each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas in the specified duration according to the delay value; after the specified duration, adjusting, according to the obtained selection frequency and the obtained average delay value of each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas, the correspondence between each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas and a candidate-word display priority; and displaying, in each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas according to the adjusted correspondence between each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas and a candidate-word display priority, the candidate word that is of the corresponding candidate-word display priority and that is in the candidate-word subset; wherein the operation mode comprises a left-hand operation mode or a right-hand operation mode. determining a current operation mode; determining, according to a preset correspondence between an operation mode and a display configuration manner, a display configuration manner corresponding to the current operation mode, where the display configuration manner includes a correspondence between each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas and a candidate-word display priority; after determining a display configuration manner corresponding to the current operation mode, the method further comprises: counting, by the terminal device, a selection frequency at which each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas is selected in a specified duration; calculating, by the terminal device, a delay value from a moment at which entering of one or more characters is completed in the keyboard area to a moment at which each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas is selected each time in the specified duration; calculating, by the terminal device, an average delay value of each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas in the specified duration according to the delay value; after the specified duration, adjusting, according to the obtained selection frequency and the obtained average delay value of each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas, the correspondence between each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas and a candidate-word display priority; and displaying, in each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas according to the adjusted correspondence between each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas and a candidate-word display priority, the candidate word that is of the corresponding candidate-word display priority and that is in the candidate-word subset; wherein the operation mode comprises a left-hand operation mode or a right-hand operation mode. counting, by the terminal device, a selection frequency at which each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas is selected in a specified duration; calculating, by the terminal device, a delay value from a moment at which entering of one or more characters is completed in the keyboard area to a moment at which each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas is selected each time in the specified duration; calculating, by the terminal device, an average delay value of each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas in the specified duration according to the delay value; after the specified duration, adjusting, according to the obtained selection frequency and the obtained average delay value of each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas, the correspondence between each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas and a candidate-word display priority; and displaying, in each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas according to the adjusted correspondence between each candidate area in the at least two candidate areas and a candidate-word display priority, the candidate word that is of the corresponding candidate-word display priority and that is in the candidate-word subset; wherein the operation mode comprises a left-hand operation mode or a right-hand operation mode.