Touch typing
Learn to type without looking at the keys. Short lessons teach each finger which keys to press. Then practice as much as you like, with extra practice on your slowest keys.
Do the lessons on your computer.
Lessons and Practice run in your browser on a laptop or desktop, with your own keyboard. Free, with no sign-up.
On your computer, go tolearnford.com/touch-typing
What you'll be able to do
After the course, you can do all of this without looking at your hands.
Home row
5 lessons
All letters
12 lessons
Capitals and punctuation
4 lessons
Numbers
4 lessons
How a lesson works
Each lesson teaches one or two new keys. Every lesson has the same four parts.
Learn the new keys
The screen shows the new key and the finger that presses it. You press it a few times without looking at your hands.
Short practice
You type short groups of letters, so each finger learns where its keys are. If you press a wrong key, nothing moves until you press the right one.
Words
Then you type words, using only the keys you've learned so far. In the first lessons some are made up, so every key gets the same practice.
A final test
At the end you type some new text. To finish the lesson, you need to press almost every key correctly on your first try.
You see your speed after each part, next to a goal, but it never holds you back. Getting the keys right comes first. Speed comes with practice.
The Roadmap
One skill at a time, from the home row to every letter, capitals, numbers and speed. Start at the top, or jump ahead whenever you like.
Home row
Beginner · 5 lessons
Find the F and J bumps, rest all eight fingers on the home row, and type your first words without looking.
All letters
Beginner · 12 lessons
Reach every letter from the home row with the right finger, from E and I to X, Q and Z.
Capitals and punctuation
Confident · 4 lessons
Capitals with the Shift key on the other hand, then the apostrophe, question mark, quotes and parentheses.
Numbers
Confident · 4 lessons
The number row and the symbols above it, then dates, prices and order numbers in everyday text.
Speed
Advanced · 3 lessons
Read ahead, keep a steady rhythm, and take 1, 3 and 5 minute tests the way employers count them.
Practice
Practice as much as you want, between lessons or after you finish them. It's free and never runs out.
Your slowest keys
You type the keys you've learned, with extra practice on the ones you're slowest at or get wrong most. The screen tells you which keys and why.
Words, sentences and numbers
Common words, everyday sentences, and text with numbers in it, like dates and prices.
Typing tests
1, 3 and 5 minute tests. You get your speed in words a minute and how many mistakes you made, like a job typing test.
Saving your progress
You don't need an account to start, and nothing is lost when you make one.
Start without an account
Open lesson 1 and start typing. Your progress is saved in this browser.
Sign in to keep it on any computer
Sign in with Google or your email and your progress moves into your account, so it's there on any computer.
We keep results, not your typing
Your account keeps the lessons you finished, your speed, how many keys you got right, and how fast you type each key. It never keeps the text you typed.
Questions
Is the course really free?
Yes. Every lesson and all of Practice are free, and you don't need an account to start.
Can I use my phone or tablet?
Not for lessons. Touch typing needs a real keyboard, so lessons and Practice open on a laptop or desktop. You can read about the course on your phone and send yourself the link.
Do I have to reach a speed to move on?
No. A lesson is done when you reach its accuracy goal. Your speed is shown with a goal, but it never holds you back, and you can open any lesson whenever you like.
How are speed and accuracy counted?
Speed is counted in words a minute. Every 5 characters you type correctly count as one word, and spaces count as characters. Accuracy is how many keys you got right the first time, out of every 100. You see both after each part of a lesson.
Which keyboards does it work with?
It works with US and UK keyboards. These are the most common English keyboards. You pick yours in the menu at the top left of a lesson, and the screen shows that keyboard.
I type with two fingers now. Will I get slower?
For the first weeks, probably. That's normal. Keep your eyes on the screen and practice a little every day, and your speed comes back.
I already type fast without looking. Will this help?
Maybe less than you'd think. If you type 40 words a minute or more and use the same finger for each key, switching to all ten fingers will make you slower for a few weeks, and you may end up only a little faster. It helps most with mistakes. You can still take any lesson, and Practice and the typing tests work with the fingers you use now.
Are there points, badges or streaks?
No. You get plain results: your speed, your accuracy and your slowest keys.