⌨️ Lesson: Type the Pipe (|)
The pipe (|) is typed with Shift + \. Hold left Shift with your left pinky and tap the key with your right pinky. These 4 exercises take it from a single tap to real-world uses, with a live keyboard showing the exact fingers.
How to Type the Pipe (|) Correctly
The pipe — also called vertical bar, vertical line, pipe symbol — lives on the top row of a standard US keyboard. Hold the left Shift key with your left pinky, tap \ with your right pinky, then release both. It shares the backslash key. Hold the left Shift, then reach with your right pinky.
The pipe chains terminal commands, means "or" in code (||) and separates items in titles and menus. Practising it now means you can type it without looking down when you meet it in emails, code, passwords or documents.
Note: keys can move on non-US layouts (UK, German, French and others), so if the symbol does not appear, check that your keyboard language is set to US English.
Hold left Shift with your left pinky and press the \ key with your right pinky.
Your right pinky types the \ key. The left pinky holds the left Shift key, so both hands share the work.
The pipe chains terminal commands, means "or" in code (||) and separates items in titles and menus.
Keep Practising
Related lessons: Backslash · Colon · Capital letters · All typing lessons