How do you touch type the number row and symbols?

Touch the number row the same way you touch the letters: each number key belongs to the finger that owns its column, and that finger moves up from its home key to reach it and back down afterward. Symbols that sit on the number keys need shift, and the rule is to press shift with the pinky of the hand opposite the key you type. The touch typing guide puts the number row and punctuation in the third of its four stages, so expect it to take longer than the home row.

Each number key sits in the column of a letter its finger already covers

Touch typing gives every key to a finger, and every finger is assigned to one or two columns of the keyboard ¹. A number key sits above the letter key in the same column, so the finger that owns the letter also owns the number above it. The usual assignment looks like this:

The left little finger covers 1 above Q, the left ring finger covers 2 above W, and the same pattern continues to the right. This is the common convention. It follows the column rule, so if you learn the letters in their columns, the number row mostly follows.

Reach up and return, and keep the hand in place

The number row sits two rows above the home row, one row beyond the top row of letters. Keep the fingers returning to their home positions, moving only up or down toward each key, so the hands stay in one place ². A finger reaches up for a number, then comes straight back down to its home key. If your hand moves to reach the number row, the motion is the thing to fix, not the finger.

Each key should be pressed only by its own finger. Ratatype, a typing tutor company, says to "Hit keys only with the fingers for which they have been reserved." ³ Using a different finger for the same number is the habit that breaks the pattern, so pick one finger for each number and keep it.

Press shift with the opposite pinky for symbols

The symbols above the numbers need shift. Ratatype's tutor advice is that "The SHIFT key is always pressed by the pinky finger opposite to the one hitting the other key." ⁴ For example, to type an exclamation mark you press shift with the right little finger and the 1 with the left little finger, and then return both fingers to their home keys.

The same rule works for the other symbols on the number row, and for capital letters. The shift key is pressed by one hand while the other hand types the key, so the hands work together rather than in turns.

The 6 key is where guides differ

The table above gives the 6 to the right index finger. AgileFingers, a typing training site, recommends the other option: "Use the "shifted cascade" method (number "6" with the left hand) for better ergonomics." ⁵ That guide also notes that some typists find the full cascade more comfortable, so the best choice depends on your keyboard and hands.

Whichever you choose, keep it. The study that tracked finger use found three predictors of high performance, and one is that a letter is always pressed by the same finger ⁶. The same logic holds for the 6. A consistent choice matters more than the particular finger, so switch only if the choice is causing strain or errors.

What to do

1. Learn the number row after the home row and the letters above and below it. The stages in the touch typing guide put it third, after the rows the fingers reach from home.
2. Practice finger by finger. Start with the left little finger on 1, then the left ring finger on 2, the left middle finger on 3 and the left index finger on 4 and 5. Then learn the mirror keys on the right.
3. Use the number row in short, real strings. Type phone numbers, dates and prices rather than the row in order. Ratatype, a typing tutor company, says daily sessions of 10 to 15 minutes can significantly improve touch typing skills ⁷.
4. Add shift once the digits are steady. Practice the symbols on each key in the same order, with the opposite pinky on shift.
5. Measure accuracy. A digit typed with the wrong finger may still come out right, which hides the problem. Check your errors in the practice text, not only your speed. Our glossary entry for words per minute explains how speed is counted.

It depends on the keyboard and the keypad

This page covers the number row above the letters. A separate numeric keypad on the right of many keyboards has its own finger pattern, and it is often easier to reach with the right hand. Laptops often lack a keypad, so the number row is the only option there. If you mostly enter numbers, a keypad may be the faster route, and that is a practical choice rather than something the studies test.

For the basics of the letter keys, read our question on finger placement. If you type with one hand, our question on touch typing with one hand shows how number and symbol keys change for that method. Our question on how to stop looking at the keyboard covers the habit that makes the number row harder at first. The full subject is in our overview of typing speed.