Bottom Row Practice

The Bottom Row

The bottom row — Z X C V B N M , . / — is the hardest row for most typists because the reach downward is less natural than reaching up. The comma, period, and slash are frequently missed in typing tests by people who never practiced this row deliberately.

Finger Assignment

• Left pinky (A): reaches to Z
• Left ring (S): reaches to X
• Left middle (D): reaches to C
• Left index (F): reaches to V and B
• Right index (J): reaches to N and M
• Right middle (K): reaches to ,
• Right ring (L): reaches to .
• Right pinky (;): reaches to /

Practice Words

Work through common words that use bottom row keys: back, came, come, have, move, name, need, next, once, only, same, some, then, them, many, even, been, come, very, know, much, does, both, also.

Punctuation Focus

The comma and period are on the bottom row and are some of the most frequently typed characters in English. Make sure your right middle finger comfortably reaches the comma (,) and your right ring reaches the period (.) without moving your wrist.