Typing practice
for adult beginners.

1. Find your starting point

Take a one-minute test at a comfortable pace. Read the passage and type it as shown, including spaces and punctuation. Use Backspace when you notice a mistake. Your first result is a starting point, not a grade.

Record your words per minute (WPM) and accuracy. If the timer feels distracting, switch to Accuracy practice, which lets you finish a lesson without a countdown.

2. Get to know the home row

On a standard English QWERTY keyboard, the home row is the middle row of letter keys. Place your fingers like this:

Feel for the raised marks on F and J. They help your index fingers find their place. After reaching for another key, return to the home row. If your keyboard uses a different layout, the letters may be in different places.

3. Try three short exercises

Read each line before typing it. Start slowly enough to notice which finger you are moving. Looking down occasionally is fine; try finding F and J by touch before continuing.

fff jjj ddd kkk sss lll aaa ;;;
fj fj dk dk sl sl a; a;
asdf jkl; asdf jkl;

sad lad ask dad fall salad flask

I can take my time.
A little practice is a good start.
Today I will type one line at a time.

To practice these skills with feedback, open the typing tool, select Accuracy practice, and choose Home row, Everyday words, or Simple sentences.

4. Follow a five-minute practice plan

1. Minute 1: Settle in. Find F and J, relax your hands, and repeat a home-row line.
2. Minutes 2–3: Practice accuracy. Choose a lesson and type at a pace that lets you notice mistakes.
3. Minute 4: Try everyday text. Move to simple sentences and pay attention to spaces, capitals, and punctuation.
4. Minute 5: Take one short test. Note your accuracy and choose one thing to work on next time.

This is a suggested routine, not a deadline. Shorten it, repeat a step, or stop for a break whenever you need to.

5. Make your results useful

WPM estimates typing speed using five characters as one word. On Can You Type?, the speed score uses currently correct characters. Accuracy counts correct character entries out of all entries, including mistakes you later correct. That means fixing a letter improves the passage, but does not erase the original error from your accuracy score.

If accuracy drops when you rush, slow down on the next round. If one letter keeps causing trouble, return to a short exercise using that letter. Compare sessions of the same duration and similar difficulty for a more useful picture of your progress.

Common questions