How to Learn Touch Typing in 2 Weeks: A Step-by-Step Plan

Why Touch Typing Matters

Hunt-and-peck typing — where you look at the keyboard and use one or two fingers — creates a hard ceiling on your speed. Most hunt-and-peck typists max out around 25–35 WPM. Touch typists, on the other hand, routinely reach 60–90 WPM with 95%+ accuracy.

Beyond speed, touch typing frees your eyes to stay on the screen. This means fewer errors, less mental fatigue, and the ability to compose thoughts more fluidly. For writers, programmers, and anyone who works on a computer, it's a career-defining skill.

Before You Start: Setup Checklist

Before diving into the 14-day plan, set yourself up for success:

• Chair height: Feet flat on the floor, thighs parallel to the ground
• Desk height: Elbows at 90° when resting on home row
• Screen position: Top of screen at eye level, arm's length away
• Wrists: Floating (not resting on the desk or keyboard)
• Environment: Quiet space, 15 minutes blocked out daily

Week 1: Building the Foundation (Days 1–7)

Days 1–3: Home Row Mastery

The home row — A S D F (left hand) and J K L ; (right hand) — is your anchor. Every other key is reached from this position, and you always return here.

Your index fingers rest on F and J — feel the bumps? Those are your tactile guides. You should never need to look down again.

Daily drill (15 min): Type only home row letters. Focus on accuracy, not speed. Use our typing test in Words mode at 15s durations.

Days 4–5: Top Row Introduction

Now extend to the top row: Q W E R T and Y U I O P. Each finger reaches straight up from its home row position. Your ring finger on S reaches up to W, your middle finger on D reaches up to E, and so on.

Daily drill: Alternate between home row words and top row words. Switch to Quote mode for more natural text practice. Target: 20 WPM with 90%+ accuracy.

Days 6–7: Bottom Row & Full Keyboard

Add the bottom row: Z X C V B and N M , . /. These are the trickiest because the reach is slightly diagonal. Take it slow.

By Day 7, you should be able to type all 26 letters and basic punctuation without looking. Speed doesn't matter yet — 15–25 WPM at 85%+ accuracy is a great Week 1 result.

Week 2: Building Speed & Confidence (Days 8–14)

Days 8–10: Rhythm & Flow

Now that you know where every key is, focus on rhythm. Type at a steady pace — like a metronome — rather than bursting fast and then slowing down. Consistent rhythm builds stronger muscle memory than erratic speed.

Daily drill: Use 30-second and 60-second tests. Try Quotes mode for natural sentence flow. Aim for 30 WPM / 90% accuracy.

Days 11–12: Common Words & Bigrams

The 100 most common English words make up 50% of all typed text. Words like "the", "and", "have", "that" — these should feel automatic. Our typing test already weights these heavily in Words mode.

Focus on bigrams — common two-letter combinations like "th", "he", "in", "er", "an". When bigrams become automatic, your speed will jump noticeably.

Days 13–14: Speed Push

Your accuracy should be at 90%+ by now. These last two days, push speed by 5–10% above your comfort zone. It's okay if accuracy dips to 88% temporarily — you'll recover it quickly.

Try different modes: Words, Quotes, and even Code mode for variety. Challenge yourself with the Expert difficulty for complex vocabulary.

Beyond 2 Weeks: The Road to 60+ WPM

After 14 days you'll be a functional touch typist, but the real gains come over the next few months:

• Month 1: 40–55 WPM — Muscle memory solidifies
• Month 2: 50–65 WPM — Speed becomes automatic
• Month 3: 60–80 WPM — You're faster than 75% of typists

The key is consistency. 10–15 minutes daily will always beat irregular marathon sessions. Your brain consolidates motor skills during sleep, so daily practice + rest = fastest improvement.

5 Mistakes That Slow Your Progress

1. Peeking at the keyboard — Resist the urge. Cover the keys with a towel if needed.
2. Prioritizing speed over accuracy — Errors create bad muscle memory that's hard to undo.
3. Skipping days — Neural pathways decay without reinforcement. Daily > weekly.
4. Using the wrong fingers — Each key has an assigned finger. No shortcuts.
5. Practicing too long — Fatigue leads to sloppy technique. 15 minutes is optimal.