Touch Typing

The home row is the middle row of letters on a QWERTY keyboard (A S D F J K L ;). All fingers rest here when not actively reaching for other keys.

The right index finger controls J. The key has a small raised bump so typists can feel the home position without looking down.

The F key has a small bump so your left index finger can locate the home row by touch, allowing you to keep your eyes on the screen.

The left index finger presses B. It reaches down and slightly left from the home row position on D and F.

The right pinky finger presses the semicolon (;). It rests on that key as part of the right pinky's home row keys (;, L, and .).

Sit upright with feet flat on the floor, back straight, shoulders relaxed, and elbows bent at roughly 90 degrees. Keep wrists level and not resting on the desk while typing.

Position your monitor about an arm's length away, roughly 50–70 cm (20–28 inches) from your eyes, with the top of the screen at or slightly below eye level.

WPM stands for Words Per Minute. One word is standardized as five characters (including spaces), so WPM = (total characters / 5) / minutes typed.

Most beginners type around 20–30 WPM with acceptable accuracy. With consistent practice, average typists reach 40–60 WPM within a few months.

Aim for at least 95–98% accuracy before focusing on speed. Building bad habits by typing fast with many errors is harder to fix than slowing down first.

Practice regularly with timed drills, focus on accuracy first, and gradually increase speed while keeping errors low. Avoid looking at the keyboard by trusting muscle memory.

No specific finger is assigned, but the most common technique is using the right thumb for the spacebar while the left thumb handles Shift or other modifiers when needed.