Home Row Keys: What They Are, Finger Chart and Practice Words
Every touch typing course starts in the same place: the home row. It is the position your fingers rest on, leave from, and come back to. Learn it properly and the rest of the keyboard becomes much easier.
โจ๏ธ What are the home row keys?
On a standard QWERTY keyboard the home row is the middle row of letters. Your eight fingers rest on these keys:
| Hand | Little finger | Ring finger | Middle finger | Index finger |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Left hand | A | S | D | F |
| Right hand | ; | L | K | J |
Both thumbs rest on the space bar. The keys G and H are also on the home row. They sit between your hands and are pressed by the index fingers.
๐ The bumps on F and J
Run a finger over F and J and you will feel a small raised line on each. These bumps let you find the home position by touch, without looking down. Whenever you lose your place, feel for the two bumps with your index fingers.
๐บ๏ธ Finger chart for the whole keyboard
Each finger is responsible for the keys above and below its home key:
| Finger | Top row | Home row | Bottom row |
|---|---|---|---|
| Left little finger | Q | A | Z |
| Left ring finger | W | S | X |
| Left middle finger | E | D | C |
| Left index finger | R, T | F, G | V, B |
| Right index finger | Y, U | H, J | N, M |
| Right middle finger | I | K | , (comma) |
| Right ring finger | O | L | . (period) |
| Right little finger | P | ; (semicolon) | / (slash) |
The rule is simple: press the key, then bring the finger straight back to its home key.
๐ Home row practice words
These words use only home row letters, so you can type them without moving your hands at all:
- Short: as, ad, all, add, ask, sad, dad, lad, gas, had, has, fad
- Medium: fall, hall, glad, flag, half, lash, dash, salad, flask
- Longer: shall, glass, flash, slash, falls, alaska
- Phrases: "a sad lad", "dad has a flask", "ask a lass", "all fall glad"
Type each line slowly and without looking at the keyboard. Speed does not matter yet. The goal is that each finger finds its key on its own.
๐ A first-week plan
- Days 1 and 2: the eight resting keys only. Type "asdf jkl;" forwards and backwards.
- Days 3 and 4: add G and H, then the practice words above.
- Days 5 to 7: add the top row one finger at a time, starting with E and I.
Ten minutes a day is enough. When the home row feels automatic, try a short typing test with 10 words to see where you stand.
โ Common questions
Is the home row the same on every keyboard?
The idea is the same, but the letters change with the layout. On a French AZERTY keyboard the left hand rests on Q S D F, and on a Dvorak layout the home row holds the most used letters. The bumps are almost always on the two index finger keys.
Do I really need to use all ten fingers?
It helps, but consistency matters more. Fast typists keep their hands in one position and always use the same finger for the same key. The home row is the easiest way to get there.
โ Conclusion
The home row keys are A S D F and J K L ;. Rest your fingers there, use the bumps on F and J to find the position, and return after every key press. It is the single habit that makes typing without looking possible.
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