Touch typing is a very important skill you must develop if you want to become an efficient programmer. In touch typing, you can easily reach speeds of typing in excess of 300 characters per minute and you can leave your focus on the screen, as opposed to playing hunt-and-peck. This tutorial will teach you step-by-step as to how to touch type. First, open your favour editor or word processor.

Quick review: we will refer to the fingers of the hand starting with the thumb as the thumb, the index finger, the middle finger, the ring finger, and the pinky.

Letters

We will introduce the home row and then one letter at a time. In all cases, you should try to avoid looking at the keyboard.

The left hand: A S D F

Place your left hand on the keys A, S, D and F and gently rest your four fingers on these keys. You should only ever press the A with your pinky finger, the S with your ring finger, etc. Your thumb should hover in the air, as it will only be used for striking the Spacebar.

Now practice typing the following words that use only the four letters and the Spacebar.

a aa sass as ad add sad dad daff fa fad

Practice typing these words in any order you wish, but try to do so without looking down at your hands. You may be tempted to type, for example, add with only one finger or perhaps with the middle finger and then the index finger, but resist this temptation.

R

We will carry on by adding one more character to the left hand: R. You will press R by using the index finger of the left hand but once you have done so, you should bring your finger back to rest over the F.

Now practice typing the following words:

afar arras far farad rad radar raff sard sassafras 

Again, try not to look down at they keyboard.

The right hand: J K L

Place your right hand on the keys J, K, L and ; and rest your four fingers on these keys. Your thumb should hover in the air, as it too will only be used for striking the Spacebar.

all ask fall salad alaska dallas kafka la alas alfalfa fad flask la lad lass

The following words include the letter r as well as those letters from the right hand's home row:

dark jar ajar alar arak ark lard lark

Shift

If you want to type a capital letter, if the letter you wish to capitalize is being typed by the left hand, use the right-hand pinky to hold down the Shift key; otherwise, use the left-hand pinky to hold down the other Shift key.

E

Now, use the left middle finger to type the letter e. You can practice this using the following list of words that uses those letters we have already seen together with the letter e. The first list of words always contains all or most of the letters you have already seen.

are see lead feel jade seek

area real read else sell leader free less federal red deal fear sea address
safe release refer sales reader feed ear dress leaf desk fee rare era seed
assess self lake sale false dealer fade deer flee ease sake dear dare laser
seal rear elder ladder added fare seller adder addressee ale allele arrears
dale dead deadfall deaf deed defer deferral deferred dell drake dread dresser
earl easel eel elf elk erase eraser err fadeless fake faker feal fearless fed
feeder felafel fell feral flake flare flea fled freak jaded jerk kale keel
ladle larder leak lease led leek lesser raddle raddled raffle rake redress reed
reef reek reel referee resale saddle seafarer sealed sealer seeker selfless
sled sleek 

N

Next, us the right index finger to type the letter n. The following list of words contains all letters that we have already previously seen together with the letter n:

and send defense jeans knee learn

need end sense land near fan earn lean defend sand rank darkness naked snake
render lens lend arena endless needle ankle lane sneak defender dense kneel an
arsenal dank deaden deafen dean den drank endear ensnare errand fallen fanfare
fender fennel fern flank flannel frank jane keen kennel kernel knead kraken
laden landed landfall lands learned lessen nasal needless needs ran redness
sadden sadness sandal sander sane sank sarsen seen selfness sender senseless
serenade serene snare snarl sneaker sneakers sneer 

T

The letter t is also pressed with the left index finger.

at last stand after take jet

tell state let talk start set later least art late rate star eat street data
test tree letter rest enter east left staff trade standard ten seat treat tend
task relate fast stare attend date settle eastern tall salt fat trend stress
estate steal tank tear talent taste asset arrest steel tea desert tale transfer
flat stake teen draft latter translate net alter fate tent assert defeat
defendant related rent rat starter tender talented nest dessert fleet streak
faster steer steak neat rental retreat fatal aftertaste alert alternate ant
anteater antenna antler ardent asserted assets ate atlas attendant attest
attested daft dart dated dealt deflate delete delta dent dental deserted deter
deterrent detest earnest eaten eats elated eldest entrant errata eternal falter

H

The letter h is pressed with the right index finger.

that she hand father thank health

the her there than then these here three hear head death hard heart half share
herself rather shake heat ahead threat fresh handle threaten hell hate theater
athlete thanks earth sheet hall hat shall shell shelter leather shelf shade
heel flesh ah harsh flash hers shared sheer shed heal trash shark feather ash
thread 

I

The letter i is pressed with the right middle finger.

idea this find jail think their

in it his if like its first life still like different side kind little friend
sit line kid air die interest kill raise field site hit itself either third
hair listen risk fire fill fine series rise artist lie list disease fail skill
sister indeed entire final trial finish fish inside instead detail skin dinner
like strike nine define drink resident hide interested ride title faith lift
fit insist affair afraid fair hire tie island train intend rain desire thin aid
trail shift internal link file shirt neither relief aside stir dish initial
essential tired hill hi sir airline diet silent slide knife intense retire kiss
illness disaster inner resist assist fifth install arise killer distant
satellite assistant retain elite dirt sink ideal tire stair ill tail differ

O

The letter o is pressed with the right ring finger.

also so do of join look for one to other into

on not or no those too another old off hold national lot often lose others door
reason food offer foot nation role effort son road international season oil
north attention soon short floor order store note hot shoot loss ok sort
station radio traditional onto hotel soldier total shot nor none front senior
alone forest relation therefore afternoon hole stone tradition roll horse tool
additional lesson folk soft editor shoe session lots northern nod loan notion
root nose soil forth host afford tooth hero fashion tone solid noise addition
honor definition roof tension error transition joint hello joke online iron
disorder toss throat intention honest historian restore onion lost resort
terror odd solar senator offense terrorist loose load ratio stroke float

M

The letter m is also pressed with the right index finger.

make some mind from major market small them

time me him more man most mean same seem million home room mother month meet
almost name team information moment himself someone remain former sometimes arm
model form matter film term administration material similar animal treatment
media determine miss main firm statement maintain mention middle dream method
item modern smile admit mission reform freedom element normal farm middle terms
demand limit demonstrate female mistake remind moral familiar male assessment
metal mental farmer mom married emotional theme storm mark meal meat estimate
manner motion frame eliminate mirror smart master minister aim limited mass
milk emotion settlement inform immediate transform formal stream mine dominate
maker mood monitor entertainment missile smell tomato smoke dimension smooth

U

The letter u is pressed with the right index finger.

around just should four unlike must

out our use us student turn run under issue house until hour minute understand
sure result human return true full situation summer hundred rule south thousand
future author nature sound natural thus fund serious amount outside truth
measure unit adult shoulder institution stuff mouth assume suffer southern
restaurant hurt attitude feature status solution sun mountain refuse unless
failure annual murder suit tour famous studio shut literature fuel fourth
surround soul instrument union fruit museum ensure due user used trust nurse
fun industrial route rush resolution household enormous rural useful unusual
journalist shout foundation dust numerous adjust fundamental illustrate usual
round tourist junior assure routine ultimate found furniture tissue fortune

C

The letter c is pressed with the left middle finger.

can school could fact justice stock car come

child call much such case each since include continue once social face create
office research teacher force education across second music consider cut course
reach local effect class control care economic decide decision difference
action director record official center court teach cost clear recent doctor
certain catch source choose cause difficult culture chance condition choice
medical church close current increase officer focus color reduce common race
concern factor decade article scene career central occur resource success
indicate character attack election section financial crime act discuss
democratic check rock claim cold science card cell nice direction cultural
contain chair camera structure candidate affect conference reflect surface
machine commercial cancer coach discussion notice collection kitchen consumer

Y

The letter y is also (like u) pressed with the right index finger.

say day family enjoy likely year they your country

my many only any may try really system today money story study eye yes yet city
community already history early actually stay yeah finally military carry
society easy industry nearly century economy anyone security myself certainly
recently usually ready identify lay analysis authority clearly memory yourself
theory fly suddenly style necessary reality yard attorney majority key safety
directly immediately sky sorry easily facility tiny identity mostly marry cry
youth deny destroy hey healthy daily fully democracy yesterday lady army injury
dry enemy carefully minority okay jury analyst county difficulty anymore
currently truly hardly duty ultimately funny entirely rely seriously totally
necessarily holiday faculty merely definitely secretary unfortunately closely

W

The letter w is pressed with the left ring finger.

what show would few jaw know work with woman which way

we who will when now how two want new well down world own while why where week
always without water write word away law white whether watch follow allow war
within walk low win toward wait wife whole town wear whose wall worker news
draw window west throw answer wonder forward lawyer network wide worry writer
whom owner wish western wind weekend slowly wood winter crowd wild tomorrow
worth warm anyway wonderful twice aware wine flower otherwise welcome sweet
software somewhere weather works somehow yellow shadow crew slow wake warn snow
row meanwhile anywhere somewhat winner welfare fewer witness flow waste wheel
towards narrow lower weak twenty wash widely elsewhere wire twin tower fellow
wet wooden wealth award switch lawsuit whereas raw awareness withdraw newly

G

The letter g is pressed with the left index finger.

great something good figure judge knowledge change young

go get thing through high might against again right during night large right
though long game among nothing ago together anything grow morning girl guy
enough although age including college suggest along strong drug light according
agree ground image technology energy single daughter wrong fight goal foreign
agency significant language eight dog sign thought meeting argue growth degree
region training general feeling message glass stage design gun strategy song
leg laugh guess hang forget manager legal religious green management imagine
tonight huge charge manage weight range edge throughout challenge marriage
tough sing agent gas generation finger garden agreement interesting original
encourage argument generally gain gold willing strength target guard flight

P

The letter p is pressed with the right pinky.

part president performance project keep people help up company power group

put place program play point happen important political pay parent stop speak
spend person party open policy process appear plan perhaps pass report police
pull price hope relationship position player especially pick paper special
space support couple produce phone picture practice piece product patient
personal simply step computer type period plant opportunity campaign population
hospital sport per top past represent drop upon push page poor response despite
happy protect approach simple pressure accept prepare cup particularly pretty
physical present professor operation compare spring impact respond popular
weapon employee peace pain apply particular politics perform production trip
deep specific property purpose pattern partner painting capital newspaper
professional speech option participant opinion troop species plane concept

B

The letter b is pressed with the left index finger.

about because bad before job back problem between both big by

be but become begin number bring book business black member best body public
remember boy maybe able buy probably build behind better possible break
building base table describe baby billion brother husband bank board subject
bed blood beyond ability bill benefit blue establish ball bit trouble bar
beautiful somebody bag beat budget responsibility debate born global publish
bird neighborhood basic absolutely nobody object labor brain possibility battle
beginning boat club band basis bright contribute block border responsible
baseball belief anybody background broad blow burn neighbor bone combine below
bus grab birth bottom football abuse climb urban obtain impossible bear breath
balance belong breast being bridge basically possibly comfortable beauty bottle
brown contribution blame basketball branch combination bowl bedroom debt bond

V

The letter v is also (like b)pressed with the left index finger.

have service provide five objective overlook even however government value very

give over never leave every move live believe ever several level everything
love serve development themselves voice develop view drive receive event
everyone activity cover movie evidence available involve private behavior
movement save seven individual whatever television everybody arrive
environmental environment various prove remove above visit avoid reveal
interview discover evening improve heavy violence investment positive civil
victim vote travel prevent eventually video version effective achieve
conversation variety involved investigation vision university driver survey
village previous obviously deliver vehicle observe average advantage river
living survive review wave native perspective active voter relatively victory

X

The letter x is pressed with the left ring finger.

explain six extend fix juxtapose textbook experience exchange example exactly wax
executive

next expect tax box sex expert sexual exist examine express text context
exercise expression extra expand explore complex expensive extremely extent mix
except expectation experiment expose explanation excellent expense existing
existence exposure approximately exception mixture anxiety exhibition extreme
index extraordinary expansion extensive relax external exciting galaxy
explosion examination explode taxpayer extension exceed exhibit exact excited
export experimental exclude excuse excitement sixth unexpected maximum execute
exclusive complexity exit anxious oxygen exploration expertise sexually
extended toxic mixed exotic exam flexible execution sexy expected flexibility
fixed experienced exploit texture exclusively excessive expedition exhaust

Q

The letter q is pressed with the left pinky.

quality question headquarters frequently quillaja quickly equipment skwawk torquing
subsequent equivalent equinox

require quite quick technique quarter quiet consequence unique equal
requirement acquire request quote equally quit quietly square frequency qualify
sequence frequent adequate quarterback inquiry questionnaire acquisition equity
equation quantity quest queen equip earthquake liquid consequently required
equality squad 

Z

The letter z is pressed with the left pinky.

organization size dozen freeze jazz klutz emphasize recognize crazy wizard breeze
civilization oxidize squeeze

realize magazine citizen organize zone amazing analyze criticize characterize
horizon seize gaze prize apologize frozen pizza minimize specialize puzzle
utilize organizational authorize citizenship hazard organized bronze 

Numbers

With the exception of the left index finger, which is used to press 4, 5 and 6, all other fingers press the respective number.

86943  22090  75326  93425  03921  85845  48199  84836  65136  58146
39153  59129  98349  93132  42810  47977  00562  61667  39949  83931
40040  84557  88859  18217  79131  81960  09813  81405  28058  82337
27260  41669  77720  55874  82607  85618  90591  93217  33209  31878
02741  23613  46773  05495  94105  19346  58127  17359  97374  12225
99836  95084  19953  42886  79777  35905  07708  29011  72681  82073
42287  47745  53113  84808  82060  31686  79518  12204  82640  43094
13940  30662  35582  74240  61022  70698  25227  24733  88228  29974
70792  56971  46346  89636  75443  16551  53278  02104  49263  28284
06221  45217  31279  83035  36052  81445  33706  72898  53688  96573

Other characters

The C++ programming language uses essentially all of the symbols on the keyboard. At this point, we will introduce one character at a time staring with the semicolon ;:

int opening;
double velocity;
long registers;
short variable;

The underscore _ is pressed by the right pinky.

int iteration_count;
double up_time;
long content_list;
short temp_datum;

The double quote " is pressed by the right pinky, as well:

"Douglas Harder"
"Fundamentals of programming"
"Algorithms and data structures"
"Operating systems"

The period . is pressed by the right ring finger.

9357.238;
0.9614;
56470.281;

The opening and closing parentheses ( and ) are pressed by the right ring finger and pinky, respectively.

is_prime( 3206 );
sin( 4.15 );
acsc( 9.87 );

The comma , is pressed by the right index finger:

gcd( 32, 59 );
lcm( 41, 87, 50 );
display( "Some text", 5, 4, "Name" );

The plus symbol + is pressed by the right pinky:

5 + 7;
39 + 16;
9.342 + 44.6 + 18.5;
++i;
j++;

The minus sign - is pressed by the right pinky, as well:

4 - 2;
80 - 51;
92.3 - 23.5 - 0.05;
--k;
m--;

The asterisks * is pressed by the right middle finger:

8*9;
72*41;
92.3*5.17*4.02;
int *p;

The slash / is pressed by the right pinky:

7/3;
59*32;
32.8/5.47/1.096;
// This is a comment

The equals sign = is pressed by the right pinky, as well:

32 == a;
right = 54;
left = 1.937;

The less than and greater than symbols < and > are pressed by the right index and ring fingers, respectively:

a < 723;
var >= 3.532;
cout << "Hello world!";

The opening and closing braces { and } are also pressed by the right pinky, while the Tab key is pressed by the left pinky:

int sign( int x ) {
	if ( x == 0 ) {
		return 0;
	} else {
		return 1;
	}
}

double abs( double x ) {
	if ( x < 0 ) {
		return -x;
	} else {
		return x;
	}
} 

The pipe | is pressed by the right pinky:

if ( (a == b) || (c == 5.2) ) {
	w |= 1;
}

The ampersand & is pressed by the right index finger:

if ( (p < q) && (w => 7.3) ) {
	u &= 1;
}

The pound symbol # is pressed by the left middle finger:

#include <iostream>
#include <algorithm>
#include "Single_list.h"

The square brackets [ and ] are pressed by the right pinky finger:

my_array[0] = 3;

for ( int k{1}; k < 10; ++k ) {
	my_array[k] = 0;
}

The question mark ? and the colon : are also pressed by the right pinky:

return (a == b) ? 1 : 0;

my_var = (local_var < 0) ? -local_var : local_var;

A single quote (or apostrophe) ' is pressed by the right pinky, as well:

array[3] = 'c';

if ( array[k] == '\0' ) {
	std::cout << 'h' << std::endl;
}

Acknowledgements

Prof. Dietl for pointing out a number of typos.