⌨️ Lesson: Type the Tilde (~)
The tilde (~) is typed with Shift + `. Hold right Shift with your right pinky and tap the key with your left 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 Tilde (~) Correctly
The tilde — also called tilde sign, squiggle, swung dash — lives on the number row of a standard US keyboard. Hold the right Shift key with your right pinky, tap ` with your left pinky, then release both. It shares the backtick key. Hold the right Shift with your right pinky first, then reach with your left pinky.
The tilde means "approximately" (~5 minutes), stands for your home folder in terminal paths (~/docs) and is used in some languages. 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 right Shift with your right pinky and press the ` key with your left pinky.
Your left pinky types the ` key. The right pinky holds the right Shift key, so both hands share the work.
The tilde means "approximately" (~5 minutes), stands for your home folder in terminal paths (~/docs) and is used in some languages.
Keep Practising
Related lessons: Backtick · Exclamation Mark · Capital letters · All typing lessons