Free Typing Lessons for Beginners
Eight structured lessons that take you from hunting for keys to typing 60 words per minute without looking. Each lesson takes about 10 minutes a day. Work through them in order, and test yourself on the typing speed test at the end of every session.
How to use these lessons
Do one lesson per day and repeat the previous lesson as a warm-up. Never look at the keyboard, even if that means typing at five words per minute at first — looking down is the habit that keeps most people stuck at 30 WPM for years. Stop the session the moment your accuracy collapses; tired practice teaches your hands the wrong things.
The eight lessons
Home row: a s d f — j k l ;
Rest your left fingers on a s d f and your right fingers on j k l ;. Feel the raised bumps on F and J — they are your compass. Type the sequence asdf jkl; twenty times without looking down. Keep wrists floating, not resting on the desk.
asdf jkl; fjfj dkdk slsl a;a; fdsa ;lkj
Adding G and H
The index fingers reach inward for G and H, then return home immediately. This return is the single most important habit in touch typing — every key you press should end with your fingers back on the home row.
fgf jhj gh hg fgfg jhjh gag hah flag hash
Top row: q w e r t — y u i o p
Move up one row without twisting your wrists. The fingers do the travelling, the hands stay still. Slow, deliberate reps beat fast sloppy ones — aim for 100% accuracy before speeding up.
qwer tyui op we io rt yu quiet power true type
Bottom row: z x c v b — n m , .
The bottom row is the most error-prone. Curl your fingers slightly and keep the same finger assignments as the row above. Practice slowly with a metronome or a steady internal rhythm.
zxcv bnm, .. zx cv bn m, cave mind zebra
Capitals and shift
Always shift with the hand opposite to the letter you are capitalising. Left Shift for right-hand letters, right Shift for left-hand letters. This keeps your rhythm even and avoids wrist rotation.
Alpha Bravo Charlie Delta Echo Foxtrot Golf Hotel
Numbers and symbols
The number row is a long reach, so most typists glance down. Break the habit by typing dates, prices and phone numbers with your eyes fixed on the screen. Accept that this row will be slower — consistency matters more than speed here.
1234 5678 90 $19.99 (2026) 45% #7 a1 b2 c3
Common words and bigrams
Fast typists do not type letters, they type chunks. The 200 most common English words make up roughly half of everything you write. Drill them until they feel like single keystrokes.
the and that have with this from they would there their
Speed bursts
Once accuracy is above 97%, run 15-second bursts at roughly 20% faster than comfortable. You will make mistakes — that is the point. Follow each burst with a slow accuracy set to consolidate.
Run a 15s test, then a 60s test at a calm pace. Repeat 3 times.
A four-week schedule
- Week 1: Lessons 1–3, accuracy target 95%. Ignore speed entirely.
- Week 2: Lessons 4–5 plus daily home-row warm-up. Target 30 WPM at 96%.
- Week 3: Lessons 6–7, add one 60-second test per day. Target 40 WPM at 97%.
- Week 4: Lesson 8 speed bursts three times a week. Target 55–60 WPM at 97%.
Frequently asked questions
How long does it take to learn touch typing?
Most learners type without looking within two to three weeks of 15–20 minutes of daily practice, and reach 60 WPM in roughly six to ten weeks.
Should I learn accuracy or speed first?
Accuracy first. Speed follows automatically once your fingers know the layout; chasing speed early bakes errors into muscle memory that take months to unlearn.
Next: read the complete practice guide or see how to type faster.