Free typing course

Learn to type on Colemak-DH

Colemak-DH is a 2014 modification of Colemak that moves D and H out of the hard-to-reach centre columns, so the index fingers stretch sideways far less.

The Basic course teaches touch typing on Colemak-DH from the first key: every drill, hint and keyboard on screen follows your layout.

About the Colemak-DH layout

Sets your keyboard layout to Colemak-DH. You can change it any time in Settings.

Created
2014
By
SteveP
Home row
A R S T · N E I O
Course
Free · 65 tasks

The Colemak-DH home row

Your fingers rest on A R S T N E I O

The first step finds T and N under your index fingers.

  • ALeft pinky
  • RLeft ring
  • SLeft middle
  • TLeft index
  • NRight index
  • ERight middle
  • IRight ring
  • ORight pinky

Step 1 of 65 · Find Your Starting Position

~2 min

tttt nnnn

nnnn tttt

Index fingers on T and N — feel the bumps.

Colemak-DH next to QWERTY

5 letters stay exactly where they are on QWERTY: Q, W, A, G and V. The other 21 move. So the course starts from the home row rather than from what you already know.

QWERTY

What most keyboards ship with

QWERTYUIOP
ASDFGHJKL;
ZXCVBNM,./

Colemak-DH

Colemak with D and H moved off the stretchy centre columns.

QWFPBJLUY;
ARSTGMNEIO
XCDVZKH,./
  • Same key on both
  • Colemak-DH home row
  • Moved

The course

How the course works on Colemak-DH

Eight levels, 65 tasks, from the first key to everyday writing.

  • Positions, not letters

    Every lesson names a finger and a row, so each drill is built from the keys on Colemak-DH. Your first two keys are T and N.

  • A Colemak-DH keyboard on screen

    The next key lights up in its finger’s colour on a Colemak-DH keyboard, and the hands show which finger presses it.

  • Progress that stays yours

    Stars and checkpoints are saved as you go. Switch layouts later and nothing is lost: steps passed on another layout are marked, not wiped.

  1. 1

    Foundations

    Where your hands rest, how they move, and why you look at the screen.

    6 tasks
  2. 2

    Home Row Mastery

    All eight home keys, one finger at a time, then together and in real words.

    13 tasks
  3. 3

    Upper Row

    Reaching up from home, finger by finger, until two rows feel like one.

    10 tasks
  4. 4

    Lower Row

    Reaching down, then all three rows and the whole alphabet.

    8 tasks
  5. 5

    Shift and Punctuation

    Capitals with the opposite Shift, and the marks that make sentences.

    7 tasks
  6. 6

    Numbers and Symbols

    The number row and the symbols above it, in the contexts they appear.

    7 tasks
  7. 7

    Fluency

    From letters to patterns, words and paragraphs, and your first timed test.

    8 tasks
  8. 8

    Full Layout Graduation

    Real messages, documents, a mixed-character challenge, endurance and the final assessment.

    6 tasks

About Colemak-DH

Colemak with D and H moved off the stretchy centre columns.

Colemak-DH was launched by SteveP in October 2014 and is now maintained by the Colemak community.

Keep Colemak’s home row and shortcuts while taking the common letters D and H off the centre columns.

On a standard staggered keyboard Colemak-DH is typed with the angle mod: the left hand’s bottom row is struck one finger over, so the ring finger takes the key left of X and the pinky stays home. On split and ortholinear keyboards it is typed straight.

Colemak-DH: history, pros and cons, statistics

Why people learn Colemak-DH

  • D and H no longer need sideways index-finger stretches, the main complaint about Colemak.
  • Keeps Colemak’s home row, and Z, X, C and V stay on the left of the bottom row.
  • One version works on standard, split and ortholinear keyboards.

Setting it up on your computer

  • Linux

    Ships with Linux in several versions.

  • Windows

    Installs from the Colemak Mods site.

  • macOS

    Installs from the Colemak Mods site.

FAQ

Questions about Colemak-DH

Colemak-DH was launched by SteveP in October 2014 and is now maintained by the Colemak community.

Your fingers rest on A R S T on the left and N E I O on the right. The course starts by finding T and N under your index fingers.

5 letters stay exactly where they are on QWERTY: Q, W, A, G and V. The other 21 move.

Colemak-DH ships with Linux in several versions. Windows and macOS do not include it; it installs from the Colemak Mods site.

Yes. It runs in your browser; sign in when you want to keep your stars.

No. Steps passed on another layout are marked, not wiped.

Courses for other layouts

Same course, same progress — on the layout you type with.

Ready for T and N?

Free, in your browser. Sign in when you want to keep your stars.