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Typing Practice for Beginners
If you have never learned which finger presses which key, this page is the first week, day by day. Watch the demo to see how every letter is colour-coded to a finger, then start with the home row. You do not need an account, and you do not need to be fast.
Before day one: how the keyboard is divided
Touch typing rests on one idea: each finger owns a small set of keys and always returns to its home key. The left hand rests on A S D F, the right on J K L and the semicolon, and the thumbs sit on the space bar. From there each finger reaches up one row or down one row and comes straight back. The index fingers do double duty, covering two columns each toward the middle of the keyboard.
The demo shows this without you typing anything. Sentences are typed on screen letter by letter, and every letter appears in the colour of the finger that should press it: red for the left little finger through to pink for the right little finger. Spend two minutes watching it and the layout starts to make sense before your hands are involved.
Day 1: home row and the F and J bumps
Sit with your feet flat, elbows at roughly a right angle, and your wrists floating just above the desk rather than resting on it. Curve your fingers as if holding a small ball. Now feel for the two small bumps on F and J; they exist so you can find the home row without looking. Rest your index fingers on them and let the other fingers settle on the keys beside them.
Open the first home-row lesson. Narration names each key, the hand guide shows which finger moves, and the key lights up on the on-screen keyboard. Type slowly. The only goal today is pressing the right key with the right finger and returning to home. Ten minutes is plenty.
Days 2 and 3: home row until it is boring
Repeat the home-row lessons, adding G and H, which the index fingers reach inward for. Boredom is the sign you are looking for: it means the reach has become automatic. Keep your eyes on the screen the whole time. If you catch yourself looking down, cover the keyboard with a tea towel; it feels absurd and works.
Check the finger results after each lesson. Beginners usually see the ring and little fingers lagging, because those fingers have never been asked to work alone. That is normal and it is exactly what the drills fix.
Days 4 and 5: the top row
The top row, Q W E R T and Y U I O P, is reached by moving each finger up and slightly left, then returning home. The top-row lessons introduce a few keys at a time and mix them with the home row so you practise the return, not just the reach. Keep going slowly; a beginner who types 15 accurate words per minute on day five is ahead of one who types 30 with errors.
- E, R, U and I carry most of English, so give them extra attention.
- Keep the unused hand resting on its home keys instead of lifting it.
- Turn narration off only when you can type the row without thinking about it.
Days 6 and 7: the bottom row and your first test
The bottom row, Z X C V B and N M with the comma, full stop and slash, is the least familiar and the most awkward, because the fingers curl down and inward. Take it slowly over two days. When you can type a bottom-row lesson with accuracy above 90 percent, take the 1-minute typing test for a baseline. Do not judge the number; keep it so you can compare in a month.
After the first week, let the Recommended Practice list pick your drills. It is built from your recent mistakes, so it will send you back to the keys and fingers that need it. Shift and punctuation come in week two, numbers in week three, and speed arrives on its own once your fingers stop hesitating.
What to expect after the first week
Most beginners who practise ten to fifteen minutes a day can type simple sentences without looking after a few weeks. Speed continues to climb for months. Practising is free to start as a guest; when you have done enough for saved progress and per-finger history to be worth keeping, save with an email link and continue with a subscription.
FAQ
Do I need to be able to type at all to start?
No. The first lessons begin with the home row and introduce a few keys at a time, with narration naming each key and a hand guide showing which finger moves.
What are the bumps on F and J for?
They let your index fingers find the home row without looking. Rest the index fingers on them and the other fingers settle on the keys beside them.
How fast should a beginner type?
Do not aim for a speed in the first week. Aim for the correct finger on every key and accuracy above 90 percent. Speed follows once the reaches are automatic.
Should I look at the keyboard while learning?
No. Looking down is the habit that keeps people slow. Use the on-screen keyboard and narration instead, and cover the keys if you have to.
Is the beginner practice free?
Watching the demo and starting lessons as a guest is free and needs no account. Continuing beyond the guest allowance, with saved progress and finger history, requires a subscription.