The Home Row Keys Explained: Where Touch Typing Starts

The home row is the middle row of letter keys. It is where your fingers rest when you are not typing and where every reach starts and ends. Learning it properly is the single most important step in touch typing.

Which finger goes where

• Left little finger: A
• Left ring finger: S
• Left middle finger: D
• Left index finger: F (and G with a small reach)
• Right index finger: J (and H with a small reach)
• Right middle finger: K
• Right ring finger: L
• Right little finger: ; (semicolon)
• Thumbs: the space bar

Why F and J have bumps

Look closely and you will see a small ridge on F and J. They let your index fingers find home by feel. Whenever you lose your place, touch the bumps, settle the other fingers next to them and carry on without looking down.

How other keys connect to the home row

Each finger is responsible for a column of keys. Your left middle finger, for example, types E above D and C below it. Reaching up or down and returning to the home key is the whole movement of touch typing. Once the home row is automatic, the top and bottom rows are just short trips from home.

How to practise the home row

1. Start with only F and J, typing slowly with the correct fingers. TypePlay's first lesson does exactly this.
2. Add D and K, then S and L, then A and ;.
3. Practise short real words that use only home row letters, such as "sad", "lass" and "flask".
4. Play a single-key game such as Key Pop to build reaction speed.
5. Move to the top row only when the home row feels easy without looking.

The home row lessons on TypePlay follow this exact order, with a finger guide on screen so you always know which finger to use.