{"id":87809,"date":"2024-12-07T19:45:48","date_gmt":"2024-12-07T19:45:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/ratatype.net\/?p=87809"},"modified":"2026-10-15T11:15:04","modified_gmt":"2026-10-15T11:15:04","slug":"home-row-position","status":"publish","type":"touch_typing","link":"https:\/\/ratatype.net\/en\/touch-typing\/home-row-position\/","title":{"rendered":"Home Row Position"},"content":{"rendered":"<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Home row position is where every touch typing lesson starts. The home row is the middle row of letter keys on your keyboard, and it is the spot your fingers rest on and return to between keystrokes. Get this right, and every other key becomes a short, predictable reach. Get it wrong, and nothing else in the course will feel natural.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Where each finger goes<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Place your fingers on the keys A, S, D, F on the left hand and J, K, L, semicolon on the right hand. The pairing looks like this:<\/span><\/p>\n<ul dir=\"ltr\">\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Left hand: pinky on A, ring finger on S, middle finger on D, index finger on F<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Right hand: index finger on J, middle finger on K, ring finger on L, pinky on semicolon<\/span><\/li>\n<li><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Both thumbs rest lightly on the space bar<\/span><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Most keyboards have a small raised bump on the F and J keys. Your index fingers can feel them without looking, so you can find the home row in the dark. If your fingers drift away during a lesson, the bumps tell you where to return.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>How this lesson works<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Put your fingers on the ASDF and JKL; keys, then press Start Typing Now. Type the letters shown on screen without looking at your hands. The lesson counts your typos and your words per minute. Don&#8217;t worry about speed here. Aim for clean, even keystrokes, and let your hands get used to the position.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>Habits to build from day one<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Keep your wrists level and your fingers curved, with only your fingertips touching the keys. Sit about an arm&#8217;s length from the screen, with your back straight. Don&#8217;t hover your fingers high above the keys. They should stay close to the home row so every reach is short.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">After each key you press, return that finger to its home key. It feels slow at first, but this return habit is what makes touch typing accurate. Your fingers learn the distance from home to every other key, and that distance map is the skill you are building.<\/span><\/p>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">It&#8217;s normal to feel awkward in the first few sessions. Most people need several short practice rounds before the position feels natural.<\/span><\/p>\n<h2 dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><strong>What comes next<\/strong><\/span><\/h2>\n<p dir=\"ltr\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">When the home row feels comfortable, move on to the <em><strong><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/ratatype.net\/en\/touch-typing\/index-fingers\/\">index fingers<\/a><\/strong><\/em>, which cover the most keys of any finger. You can see the full 15-lesson course in the <em><strong><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/ratatype.net\/en\/typing-tutor\/\">free typing tutor<\/a><\/strong><\/em>. If you want to know more about the long-term goal, read about <em><strong><a style=\"color: #000000;\" href=\"https:\/\/ratatype.net\/en\/how-to-type-without-looking-at-the-keyboard\/\">how to type without looking at the keyboard<\/a><\/strong><\/em>.<\/span><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>Learn the foundational typing technique by positioning fingers on the home row.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"template":"","class_list":["post-87809","touch_typing","type-touch_typing","status-publish","hentry"],"aioseo_notices":[],"aioseo_head":"\n\t\t<!-- All in One SEO 5.0.2.1 - aioseo.com -->\n\t<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn the foundational typing technique by positioning fingers on the home row.\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"robots\" content=\"max-image-preview:large\" \/>\n\t<link rel=\"canonical\" href=\"https:\/\/ratatype.net\/en\/touch-typing\/home-row-position\/\" \/>\n\t<meta name=\"generator\" content=\"All in One SEO (AIOSEO) 5.0.2.1\" \/>\n\t\t<meta 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