Typing guides

Short, practical guides to learn touch typing: finger placement, posture, how to practise and how to type faster.

Hi, I'm Octo! Pick a guide: I'll be there when you practise.

01
How to touch type
Learn to type without looking at the keyboard: where to put your fingers, how to practise and how long it takes. A short, practical guide.
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02
Home row and finger placement
Where to place your fingers on the keyboard, which keys each finger types, and why the bumps on F and J matter. With a diagram.
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03
Typing posture
How to sit, where to put the screen and how to hold your wrists to type faster and without pain. A simple checklist.
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04
How to type faster
Eight practical tips to increase your typing speed: accuracy, rhythm, weak keys, reading ahead and the right way to practise.
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05
What is a good typing speed?
Average typing speeds, what counts as fast, and why accuracy matters as much. With a simple table of levels in words per minute.
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06
A 10-minute daily typing routine
A simple plan for ten minutes of typing practice a day: warm-up, a lesson, your weak keys and a short test, with what to do each week.
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07
Typing for kids: when and how to start
Typing for kids made simple: the right age to start, ten-minute sessions, games, a posture that fits a child and what progress to expect.
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08
Typing on a laptop: practical tips
Typing on a laptop without strain: a light touch on flat keys, numbers without a keypad, the touchpad under your palms and the right screen height.
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09
Keyboard shortcuts everyone should know
The keyboard shortcuts everyone should know on Windows and Mac: copy, paste, undo, tabs, screenshots and moving through text one word at a time.
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10
How to type without mistakes
How to type without mistakes: why accuracy beats speed, the 95% rule, a steady rhythm, reading ahead and drilling the keys that trip you up.
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11
Typing numbers and symbols
Typing numbers without looking: which finger types each digit on the number row, how to use the numeric keypad, Num Lock and symbols with Shift.
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Learn the method

These guides explain the method behind the lessons: where to put your fingers, how to sit, and how to practise so that your speed keeps growing. Read one, then put it into practice in the lessons.