About three weeks ago, I started learning the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard layout. Among its benefits are that the layout helps typists type faster while reducing repetitive strain injury as compared to the now-ubiquitous QWERTY layout. The first time I tried the layout, I averaged a torturously slow 8 words per minute, and that was with heavy guessing. Now, I am writing this entire blog post with the layout, and not having to think through every letter.

If you want to start learning to type with Dvorak, I’ll lay it on you now that it’s not easy. But luckily, you have the Internet, and with that comes a plethora of resources to help you become a Dvorak typist.

• Personally, I started out with The Typing Cat. I knew I did not want to switch to Dvorak cold turkey, so I gave myself plenty of practice on finger and key placement. Remember those typing exercises you did way back in elementary school? Typing Cat brings back the nostalgia, but this time with AOEU ID HTNS as the home row.
• I’m guessing that 99% of you reading this post don’t actually have a Dvorak keyboard. Don’t buy one; you don’t actually need it. Instead, add a keyboard layout to your machine. It literally takes 30 seconds on Windows, Linux, or Mac.
  • For some typing tutor websites like Typing Cat, you don’t actually need to do this. Typing Cat in particular has an option to Emulate Keyboard Layout, where the website interprets your keystrokes as being typed on a DV keyboard.
• Go through all the lessons on Typing Cat, but don’t rush them. It’s not a race… yet. We’ll get to that later. For me, it took close to a week to progress through the lessons covering the home row and the top row.
• At first, you’ll feel like you’re treading through molasses, and that is perfectly fine. You’ll start by thinking “okay, where is the T key… there it is. Okay, where is the H key… found it.” In time, you will be able to type some letter pairs and short words without having to think. One of the first words I committed to muscle memory was “the”. After that, I didn’t have to think about which fingers I was using.
  • As an extension, it helps to recognize and memorize sequences of characters that you see very frequently. Among some of these are: ing, ght, the, cr, ch, and er. Committing these to muscle memory will give you some nice speed boosts while you’re typing words.
• Once you feel ready to type words, start racing! Literally! You’ll want to create an account on Typeracer.com. where you can compete against typists of all abilities. This is where you can get real-world Dvorak practice, by typing passages from songs, books, and poetry. Your first few races may seem demeaning as other typists whizz past you. But resist the temptation to go Beast Mode and switch to QWERTY, and do not quit. Personally, Typeracer boosted my Dvorak WPM five-fold, from the time when I started to now. I have found myself improving my typing speed overnight thanks to this service.
• Now that we’re in 2014, it’s a safe bet that your time in front of a screen is no longer limited to the computer and TV. Get the Dvorak layout on your phone’s keyboard, and text away! Use Dvorak on your tablet too. The more you immerse yourself into the layout, the faster you will be able to learn.
• If you find that your hands are thinking in Dvorak, you’re doing it right.

What’s next?

You may want to explore other keyboard layouts, such as Colemak or Workman. These layouts are themselves alternatives to Dvorak, and represent the ongoing search for the ideal placement of keys for general use as well as for specific purposes.

There are also one handed versions of the Dvorak Simplified Keyboard, a nice alternative to pecking around on a QWERTY keyboard. With one hand typing, you have your other hand free to hold food, drink, or use the mouse while typing. Unfortunately, free training resources for these handed versions are scarce, so you’ll have to devise your own method to train yourself.

Resources, again

These are the sites that I used to teach myself the layout. If you have used any other services to learn, please let me know in the comments.

• The Typing Cat – learn typing from scratch
• Typeracer – race against other typists. You’ll probably encounter a fellow using Dvorak while you’re there!
• Keybr – learn typing “at the speed of thought
• Learn Dvorak – for those who are daring, a crash course on Dvorak