Typing ToolkitTouch typing for beginners
Touch typing means typing without looking at the keys, with each finger responsible for its own set of keys. It feels slow at first, but it removes the constant glance between keyboard and screen that holds most self-taught typists back.
Find the home row
Rest your left fingers on A S D F and your right fingers on J K L ;, with both thumbs over the space bar. The small bumps on F and J let your index fingers find home without looking. Every reach starts from, and returns to, this position.
Which finger presses which key
| Finger | Keys |
|---|---|
| Left little finger | Q A Z, 1, Tab, Caps Lock, left Shift |
| Left ring finger | W S X, 2 |
| Left middle finger | E D C, 3 |
| Left index finger | R F V T G B, 4 5 |
| Right index finger | Y H N U J M, 6 7 |
| Right middle finger | I K comma, 8 |
| Right ring finger | O L full stop, 9 |
| Right little finger | P ; / ' [ ], 0 - =, Enter, right Shift, Backspace |
| Thumbs | Space bar |
Learn in this order
- Home row only, until you can type simple words like "sad", "fall" and "flask" without looking.
- Add E and I, then R U T O, then the rest of the top row.
- Add the bottom row, then capitals using the opposite hand's Shift key.
- Finish with punctuation and numbers.
Typing Toolkit's 12 lessons follow this order, and each one is complete when you reach 90% accuracy.
Habits that make it stick
- Do not look down. If you must, cover your hands with a cloth for a few sessions.
- Go slowly. Accuracy builds the finger memory. Speed comes later on its own.
- Return to home after every reach.
- Practise little and often. Fifteen minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
What to expect
If you already type with a few fingers, your speed will probably drop for the first week or two. That is normal. Most people get back to their old speed within a few weeks of daily practice and keep improving beyond it, with far less looking at the keyboard.
Reviewed October 2026 · How we write our guides · Suggest a correction