Finger placement chart

Each colour is one finger. Rest your fingers on the keys with a line on them: that is the home row.

  • left little finger
  • left ring finger
  • left middle finger
  • left index finger
  • right index finger
  • right middle finger
  • right ring finger
  • right little finger
  • thumbs

The home row

Put your left fingers on A S D F and your right fingers on J K L ;, with both thumbs over the space bar. Feel for the small bumps on F and J: they let you find the home row without looking. Every key is reached from here, and your finger goes back home after pressing it.

Which finger presses which key

  • Left little finger: ` 1 Q A Z, plus Tab, Caps Lock and the left Shift.
  • Left ring finger: 2 W S X
  • Left middle finger: 3 E D C
  • Left index finger: 4 5 R T F G V B
  • Right index finger: 6 7 Y U H J N M
  • Right middle finger: 8 I K ,
  • Right ring finger: 9 O L .
  • Right little finger: 0 - = P [ ] \ ; ' /, plus Enter, Backspace and the right Shift.
  • Thumbs: the space bar.

Capital letters and the Shift key

Use the Shift key on the opposite hand: for a capital A, hold the right Shift with your right little finger and press A with your left. That keeps both hands close to home.

How to practise

  1. Start with the home row only. Type slowly and say the letters in your head.
  2. Add the top row, then the bottom row, one row at a time.
  3. Do not look down, even when you make a mistake. Cover your hands with a cloth if you have to.
  4. Practise 10 to 15 minutes a day. Use the simple sentences test at first, then the typing test.
  5. Only push speed once you reach 95% accuracy. See how to type faster.

Posture

Sit up straight with your feet flat on the floor and your elbows at about a right angle. Keep your wrists level and let them float over the keyboard while you type. Curve your fingers slightly, as if holding a ball.

Practise what you learned on real words.

Take the typing test →

Questions

What is touch typing?

Typing without looking at the keyboard, with each finger responsible for its own keys. Your fingers start on the home row and return to it after each key.

What are the home row keys?

A, S, D and F for the left hand and J, K, L and ; (semicolon) for the right hand. The thumbs rest on the space bar. F and J have small bumps so you can find them without looking.

How long does it take to learn touch typing?

Most people can type every letter without looking after one to two weeks of daily practice, and reach their old speed again within a few weeks. After that, touch typists usually keep getting faster.

Which finger presses the 6 key and the B key?

On the usual chart, B is pressed by the left index finger and 6 by the right index finger, but some typists use the left index finger for 6. Either is fine, as long as you always use the same finger.

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