How to touch type

Which finger presses which key

Each color is one finger. Press any key on your keyboard, or hover over a key below, to see which finger types it and which other keys that finger covers.

The home row

Every key is reached from a resting position on the middle row of letters, called the home row. Rest your fingers lightly on these keys:

• Left hand: A S D F, pinky to index finger.
• Right hand: J K L ;, index finger to pinky.
• Both thumbs rest on the space bar.

Feel for the small bumps on F and J. They let your index fingers find home without looking. After every key, your finger goes back to its home key.

The index fingers do the most work: each covers two columns, reaching in to G and H and the keys above and below them.

Posture

• Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and the screen at eye level.
• Keep your elbows bent at about a right angle, close to your sides.
• Keep your wrists straight and slightly raised. Don't rest them on the desk while you type.
• Curve your fingers so the tips touch the keys, and press lightly.

Rules to follow

• Don't look at the keyboard. It feels slow at first, but looking down stops your fingers from learning. If you're lost, feel for the bumps on F and J.
• Use the opposite Shift. For a capital letter typed with the left hand, hold the right Shift with your right pinky, and the other way around.
• Return to the home row after every key.
• Accuracy before speed. Type slowly enough to make few mistakes. Speed comes on its own once the movements are automatic.
• Practice a little every day. 15 minutes daily does more than an hour once a week.

Start practicing

1. Keep the finger chart above open and learn the home row first, then the rows above and below.
2. Practice the 100 most common words until you can type them without looking, then move up to 200, 500 and 1,000.
3. Move on to passages from classic books for capitals, punctuation and real sentences.

Questions

How long does it take to learn touch typing?

Most people learn where every letter is in one to two weeks of 15 to 30 minutes a day. Getting back to your old speed, and then past it, usually takes a few weeks more of regular practice.

What is a good typing speed?

The average adult types around 40 words per minute. 60 WPM is comfortably fast for everyday work, and 80 WPM or more is fast. Accuracy matters just as much: aim for 95% or better.

Will I type slower at first?

Yes. Switching from hunt-and-peck to touch typing makes you slower for a while, because your fingers are learning new habits. Stick with it: within a few weeks you'll pass your old speed, without looking down.

Which finger should press the space bar?

Either thumb. Many people use the thumb of the hand that didn't type the last letter, but using the same thumb every time is fine too.