Typing Practice: Learn Touch Typing and Type Faster

Typing fast is a skill, not a talent. With the right finger positions and a few minutes of practice a day, almost anyone can learn to touch type — typing without looking at the keyboard — and double their speed. This guide shows you how, and Typing Derby turns the practice into a race so you keep coming back.

Get set up

• Sit up straight with your feet flat and the screen at eye level.
• Keep your wrists relaxed and slightly raised; don’t rest them on the desk while typing.
• Elbows at about 90 degrees, close to your body.
• Look at the screen, not your hands. This feels slow at first and fast later.

The home row and which finger types which key

Rest your fingers on A S D F (left) and J K L ; (right). The small bumps on F and J let you find the home row without looking. Each finger is responsible for its own column of keys:

After every key, your finger returns to the home row. Use your thumbs for the space bar and the opposite hand’s pinky for Shift.

A 10-minute daily typing routine

1. Warm up with one 1-minute typing test to see today’s speed.
2. Do a 3-minute race slowly, aiming for at least 95% accuracy. Speed comes from accuracy, not the other way round.
3. Notice the keys you miss most and type a few sentences that contain them.
4. Finish with another 1-minute test and compare it with your warm-up and your best.

Short daily sessions beat one long session a week. Most people can type without looking after a few weeks of regular practice.

How to type faster

• Don’t look down. Every glance at the keyboard costs you time.
• Keep a steady rhythm instead of bursts and pauses.
• Read ahead: while you type a word, your eyes should already be on the next one. Typing Derby shows the next sentence for this reason.
• Fix bad habits early, such as typing with two fingers or always using the same thumb.
• Measure your progress. Racing the ghost of today’s #1 player is a great motivator.

Common mistakes

• Practising only at full speed: you just repeat your mistakes faster.
• Resting your palms on the desk, which locks your fingers in place.
• Skipping punctuation, numbers and capitals — real text is full of them.

👉 Average typing speed

Practise typing in 5 languages

• Korean Typing Test & Practice
• English Typing Test & Practice
• Japanese Typing Test & Practice
• Chinese Typing Test & Practice
• Spanish Typing Test & Practice

1-minute typing test ▸

FAQ

How long does it take to learn touch typing?

Most people can type without looking after a few weeks of 15–30 minutes of daily practice. Speed then keeps improving for months.

Are typing games good practice?

Yes, as long as they make you type real sentences accurately. In Typing Derby a wrong key does not move you forward, so you build accuracy and rhythm while racing.

What is a good typing speed?

Around 40 WPM (200 keystrokes per minute) is often cited as average for adults in English, and 60–80 WPM counts as fast. See our average typing speed guide for every language.