FoundationsLesson 25 of 30 · Whole hands, whole words
Alternating hands
Words where every letter switches hands. The easiest shape there is, and the one to build rhythm on.
- New keys
- No new keys
- To pass
- Done when the check reaches 92% accuracy and 19 words a minute.
Lesson 25 is locked
It opens when you pass the check in lesson 24 (One-hand words). Lessons open one at a time, in order.
The opposite of a one-hand word is a word that switches hands on every letter: the, world, island, signal, shape, title, when, make, dish, wish. These are the easiest words to type fast, because while one hand is pressing, the other is already moving to its key. If you have ever wondered how a fast typist seems to type in a single smooth motion, this is most of the answer. They are not faster on each key; they overlap the movements.
This lesson is where you first practise that overlap on purpose. Type the word the as one motion rather than three, letting the right index finger head for H while the left index is still on T. It will feel like cheating. It is not. It is what the fingers were always going to do once they stopped waiting for permission, and giving them permission early is what turns careful typing into fluent typing.
Rhythm matters here more than speed. A good alternating word sounds like an even tap, tap, tap. If you hear a stumble in the middle, it means one hand was late, and the usual cause is a finger that had not yet returned home from the previous word. Keep the returns crisp and the rhythm looks after itself.
the world island signal shape title when make dish wish