Quick answer: place your left index finger on F and your right index finger on J. Keep the rest of your fingers on the home row, use the nearest finger for each key, and return to the home row after every key press.
Good touch typing is not just about being fast. It is about typing accurately, keeping your eyes on the screen and building reliable muscle memory so emails, documents, spreadsheets and everyday office work feel easier.
Test your typing speed and accuracy with our:
Quick answer: touch typing means typing without looking at the keyboard. Keep your fingers on the home row, use the correct finger for each key, focus on accuracy first and practise for short, regular sessions.
Do not look down for awkward symbols, capital letters or punctuation. Covering your hands with a towel can help you break the habit because it makes looking at the keyboard more effort than correcting the occasional mistake.
Typing speed improves when the words are right first time. Fewer errors means fewer corrections, better rhythm and a higher net words-per-minute score.
On a standard UK keyboard, the F and J keys have raised bumps. Rest your index fingers there and let the other fingers settle naturally on the home row.
Each finger has a set of nearby keys to cover. After pressing a key, return to the home row so your hands always know where they are.
Sit upright with your feet on the floor, shoulders relaxed and wrists light. Your fingers should move freely rather than being pressed flat against the desk.
Short daily practice is usually better than one long session. Touch typing uses muscle memory, so regular repetition matters more than cramming.
Step away from the screen, stretch your hands and reset your posture. Test your speed occasionally so you can see how accuracy, actual WPM and net WPM improve.
Useful practice links:
You are unlikely to learn touch typing in a single day, but regular practice makes progress visible. Keep returning to the home row, avoid old two-finger habits and measure your speed occasionally so you can see how your accuracy and words per minute improve.
(correct characters ÷ 5) ÷ elapsed minutes
max(0, Gross WPM − (errors ÷ elapsed minutes))
((typed − errors) ÷ typed) × 100%
Gross WPM is your raw typing speed. It answers: how quickly did you get through the passage?
In the race, gross speed is closely tied to finish time. If two people type the same passage, the person who finishes sooner has the higher gross speed.
Net WPM is your practical typing speed after mistakes are taken into account. It answers: how fast were you while still staying accurate?
This is the better everyday measure because real office typing includes the cost of spotting and correcting errors.
You can finish first (fast time = high gross) but still have a lower net if you made slips. Place is about time; net is about tidiness.
You finish in 24s → 100 WPM gross. Mistakes knock off 20 WPM → 80 WPM net. You still win because you finished first.
(characters ÷ 5) ÷ (elapsed seconds ÷ 60)
max(0, Gross WPM − (errors ÷ elapsed minutes))
((typed − errors) ÷ typed) × 100%
Your fingers should start on the home row. The left index finger rests on F and the right index finger rests on J, which usually have small raised bumps to help you find them without looking.
Each finger should cover the keys nearest to its home row position. For example, the left index finger covers F, G, R, T, V and B, while the right index finger covers J, H, U, Y, M and N. After pressing a key, return the finger to the home row.
Practise accuracy first. Speed improves more naturally when you make fewer mistakes, use the correct finger position and keep a steady rhythm.
Practise for about 10 to 15 minutes a day. Short, regular sessions are enough to build muscle memory without making your hands tired.
For many office tasks, 40 to 60 words per minute with high accuracy is a useful target. Document-heavy roles may benefit from a higher speed, but accuracy still matters because corrections slow down real work.
Yes. The Typing Drag Race game measures your words per minute, accuracy, finish time and placing, so you can check your progress as you practise.
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