What is touch typing?
Touch typing is typing without looking at the keyboard, using all 10 fingers with each finger assigned to a specific set of keys. The home row (ASDF on the left, JKL; on the right) is the resting position your fingers return to after every keystroke.
The key advantage is eliminating the visual scan time between deciding what to type and pressing the key. Hunt-and-peck typists must look down, find the key, press it, look back at the screen, and repeat. Touch typists go directly from thought to keystroke.
| Zone | Left hand | Right hand |
|---|---|---|
| Number row | 1–5 (left) | 6–0 + symbols (right) |
| Top row | Q W E R T | Y U I O P |
| Home row (resting) | A S D F | J K L ; |
| Bottom row | Z X C V B | N M , . / |
| Thumbs | Left Alt/Space | Space / Right Alt |
Touch typists average 20–30 WPM faster than equivalently experienced hunt-and-peck typists, with much lower cognitive load. Because your eyes stay on the screen, you also catch errors immediately rather than after looking back up. Take the Typing Speed test to establish your baseline before starting to learn.
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Touch typing is typing without looking at the keyboard, using all 10 fingers assigned to specific key zones. Touch typists average 20–30 WPM faster than hunt-and-peck typists.
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