Top Row Typing Lesson: Q, W, E, R, T, Y, U, I, O, P
In this top row typing lesson, you'll learn the row — also called the QWERTY row — that contains ten keys: Q, W, E, R, T on the left side and Y, U, I, O, P on the right. Despite sitting above the home row, the top row actually contains some of the most frequently used letters in the English language, including E (the most common letter overall), T, R, O, I, and U. Mastering the top row in these typing lessons dramatically increases your typing speed because you'll use these keys constantly in everyday text.
Each top row key is typed by the same finger that covers the key directly below it on the home row. Left pinky handles Q (above A), ring handles W (above S), middle handles E (above D), and index handles R and T (above F and G). On the right side, index handles Y and U, middle handles I, ring handles O, and pinky handles P. The motion is a simple upward curl from the home row position.
How to Practice the Top Row in This Typing Lesson
Begin this top row typing lesson by resting on the home row typing lesson (ASDF JKL;) and consciously curl your fingers upward to reach each top row key, then return immediately. Don't lift your wrist or reposition your hand — the reach should come from your fingers alone. This keeps your hands anchored and ensures you can return to home row quickly after each keystroke.
Practice with words that heavily use top row letters: type, your, power, tower, write, route, quote, report, and require. These words force your fingers to move between the home row and top row repeatedly, building the upward-reach muscle memory quickly. Notice that many common English words rely almost entirely on top row and home row letters combined.
The keys most typists find hardest on the top row are Q, W, P, and Y — either because they appear less often in common words, or because they require the weaker pinky and ring fingers to stretch. Give these keys extra attention during your top row typing lesson. Slow, deliberate typing with perfect accuracy is more valuable than rushing through errors.
Once the top row typing lesson feels comfortable, complete your full keyboard coverage with the bottom row typing lesson, the number row typing lesson, and the punctuation typing lesson. Test your overall speed at any point with a typing speed test.