While keeping your palms raised while typing, there are also other tips you can follow to help prevent carpal tunnel and pain while you type. Keep the following suggestions in mind every time you type.
2. What fingers press each key on the keyboard?
Below is a list of the home row keys, the finger used, and the keys
the thumb (spacebar) presses.
A key
The left pinky (little) finger is placed over the "A" key and is also
responsible for the second most keys on the keyboard, including the
following keys.
"`" (back quote) and when pressing Shift, the "~"
(tilde)
1 and when pressing Shift, the "!" (exclamation mark)
Tab
Q
Caps Lock
A
Left Shift
Left Ctrl
Z
Fn key
S key
The left ring finger is placed over the "S" key and is also responsible
for the following keys.
2 and when pressing Shift, the "@" (at sign)
W
S
X
D key
The left middle finger is placed over the "D" key and is also
responsible for the following keys.
3 and when pressing Shift, the "#" (hash)
3. E
D
C
F key
The left index finger is placed over the "F" key and is also
responsible for the following keys.
4 and when pressing Shift, the "$" (dollar sign)
5 and when pressing Shift, the "%" (percent)
R
T
F
G
V
B
J key
The right index finger is placed over the "J" key and is also
responsible for the following keys.
6 and when pressing Shift, the "^" (caret)
7 and when pressing Shift, the "&" (ampersand)
Y
U
H
J
N
M
K key
The right ring middle finger is placed over the "K" key and is also
responsible for the following keys.
8 and when pressing Shift, the "*" (asterisk)
I
K
4. , (comma) and when pressing Shift, the "<" (less than)
L key
The right ring finger is placed over the "L" key and is also
responsible for the following keys.
9 and when pressing Shift, the "(" (left or
open parenthesis)
O
L
"." (period) and when pressing Shift, the ">" (greater
than)
; (semicolon) key
The right pinky (little) finger is placed over the ";" key and is also
responsible for the most keys on the keyboard, including the
following keys.
0 and when pressing Shift, the ")" (right or
close parenthesis)
P
";" (semicolon) and when pressing Shift, the ":" (colon)
"/" (forward slash) and when pressing the Shift, the "?"
(question mark)
"-" (hyphen) and when pressing Shift, the "_"
(underscore)
[ (left or open bracket) and when pressing Shift, the "{"
(left or open curly bracket)
' (single quote) and when pressing Shift, the " (quote)
Right Shift
"=" (equals sign) and when pressing Shift, the "+" (plus
sign)
"]" (right or close bracket) and when pressing Shift, the
"}" (right or close curly bracket)
Backspace or Delete
"" (backslash) and when pressing Shift, the "|" (pipe)
Enter
Right Ctrl
5. Spacebar
Both thumbs are placed over the spacebar and may also be used for
the following keys.
Note
Most people find it awkward to not lift their hands away from
the home row to press these keys.
Alt keys
Windows key
Option key
The remaining keyboard keys not listed above are not necessarily
assigned to a specific finger for pressing them. Instead, you can use
whichever finger is easiest or most comfortable for reaching and
pressing those keys.
How many fingers should be on the home row?
With the four fingers of both hands on the home row, there should
be a total of eight fingers positioned over the home row.
Note
Most don't consider the thumbs "fingers." However, both
thumbs should also be hovering over the spacebar.
Should my palms be resting, or should they be
raised?
When typing, your palms should be raised and not resting on any
surface, including a wrist pad, and held at a 10 to 30-degree angle.
Raising or lowering your wrists too much in either direction or
resting them while typing can cause stress and lead to carpal tunnel
syndrome.
6. Other keyboard safety tips
While keeping your palms raised while typing, there are also other
tips you can follow to help prevent carpal tunnel and pain while you
type. Keep the following suggestions in mind every time you type.
Keep your keyboard home row height as close to elbow
level as possible.
Center the spacebar with your body.
Do not angle or bend your wrists. While typing, keep
your wrists elevated and as straight as possible.
Avoid hunt-and-peck typing as it causes strain on the
neck from having to look down at the keyboard often.
Don't use more force than needed to press the keys;
you don't want to hit the keys, as it could lead to
keyboard damage.
When you're not typing, make sure to rest your arms
and hands. However, never rest your arms, hands, or
wrist on a sharp edge.
Take a break from typing every 20 to 30 minutes. If you
have a hard time remembering when to take a break,
set a timer or drink lots of water, forcing you to go to
the bathroom more often.