Two patterns slow down almost every typist, including experienced ones. This lesson isolates both.
Double letters
ll, ss, ee, oo, tt, ff, pp, mm and cc need the same key pressed twice in quick succession. The problem is the gap: many typists pause between the two taps, or press the second one too hard, which breaks the rhythm of the whole word.
Think of a double letter as a light bounce — one quick down-up-down — rather than two separate presses. Bookkeeper is the classic drill because it has three double letters in a row; committee, accommodation, embarrass and possession are close behind, and they are also among the most commonly misspelt words in English.
Same-finger pairs
Some letter pairs are typed by the same finger moving between two different keys: ed and de (left middle finger), ce, un, my, ju, gr, br, ki and lo. Because one finger must finish the first key and travel to the second, these pairs cannot overlap the way other pairs do.
They feel slow because they are slow. The goal is not to make them fast but to make them clean — a precise, confident movement with no hesitation and no wrong key.
How to practise
- Slow down on the accuracy and mix steps; these patterns reward care, not force.
- Keep the bounce on double letters light and even.
- Watch for the common error of pressing the key beside the one you meant on a same-finger reach —
r instead of e in ed, for example.
Practice notes
These are the last reinforcement drills before the story and editorial tracks, where the same patterns appear in continuous prose. If they still feel awkward, repeat this lesson before moving on.