EN

Typing lessons: learn touch typing

Pick a lesson, press “Start lesson” and type the text without looking at your hands. The on-screen keyboard shows the next key and which finger to use.

This trainer needs a physical keyboard. It does not work on a phone or tablet without an attached keyboard.

Characters/min
–
Accuracy
–
Errors
0
Completed
–

Click the text box and start typing – the timer starts with your first keystroke.

Everything runs in your browser. Only your progress (passed lessons, best scores) is saved locally in your browser and never sent anywhere.

Result

How it is calculated

These typing lessons teach you touch typing step by step: each lesson adds a few new keys and practices them together with everything you have learned so far. The on-screen keyboard is color-coded by finger and highlights the next key – so keep your eyes on the screen, not on your hands. A lesson counts as passed at 90% accuracy, and the trainer then suggests the next one.

The lessons

  1. Home row: a s d f – j k l ;. This is where your fingers rest.
  2. Center keys: g and h (index fingers reach inwards) and the apostrophe (right pinky).
  3. Top row 1–3: e r u i, then t y w o, then q p.
  4. Bottom row 1–2: v b n m, then c x z plus comma, period and slash.
  5. Capital letters: Shift with the pinky of the other hand.
  6. Numbers: the number row 1 to 0.
  7. Punctuation and symbols: ! ? " : ( ) -.
  8. Sentences: full sentences using all keys.

How touch typing works

WPM, characters per minute and accuracy

Characters per minute count the correctly typed characters (spaces included) divided by the time from your first to your last keystroke. WPM (words per minute) is characters per minute divided by 5 – the standard definition treats every 5 keystrokes as one word. Accuracy is the share of correct keystrokes among all keystrokes. Example: 150 characters in one minute with 10 wrong keystrokes are 150 characters/min, 30 WPM and 150 ÷ 160 = 94% accuracy. After a mistake the cursor waits for the right key, so you never need Backspace.

QWERTY or QWERTZ?

The trainer reads the position of the key you press (event.code), not the character your operating system produces. With “US English (QWERTY)” you practice the US layout whatever layout your system uses; “German (QWERTZ)” practices the German layout. UK keyboards differ from the US layout only in a few symbol keys (for example " and @), so the letter lessons work the same. This trainer types the 6 with the right index finger; some courses use the left one.

Limits

Privacy

Everything runs locally in your browser and nothing you type is sent anywhere. So you can pick up where you left off, the trainer saves only your progress (passed lessons, best scores, number of runs) in your browser’s local storage under the key zehnfinger:v1. “Reset progress” removes it.

Related: measure your speed on a longer text with the typing test, or check that every key works with the keyboard test.

Frequently asked questions

How long does it take to learn touch typing?

With 15 to 20 minutes of practice a day, most people learn the key positions in two to four weeks. Getting faster than your old hunt-and-peck speed often takes a few more weeks. Regular practice matters more than long sessions.

Which fingers go on which keys?

Home position: left pinky on A, ring finger on S, middle finger on D, index finger on F; right index finger on J, middle finger on K, ring finger on L and pinky on the semicolon. Your thumbs rest on the space bar. The colors of the on-screen keyboard show which finger types each key.

Are these typing lessons really free?

Yes. All 11 lessons are free, with no sign-up. Your progress stays saved in your browser, so next time you continue where you stopped.

What is a good typing speed?

After a few weeks of practice, 30 to 40 WPM is a good milestone. In a large online study the average on a computer was about 52 WPM. You can check your speed with the typing test.

How do I stop looking at the keyboard?

Keep your eyes on the on-screen keyboard instead: it shows the next key and the finger to use. At first you will be slower – that is normal. Accuracy and the finger memory come first, speed follows.

Can I practice on a phone or tablet?

Only with an attached keyboard. Touch typing is made for physical keyboards, and on-screen keyboards do not report key positions.

Where is my progress saved?

Only in your browser’s local storage (key zehnfinger:v1). Nothing is sent to a server. In another browser, or after clearing site data, you start again at lesson 1.

What is the home row?

The home row is the middle row of letter keys – A S D F on the left and J K L ; on the right. It is where your fingers rest and return after every keystroke.

Sources and legal basis

As of:

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