Estonian typing practice
Learn to touch type Estonian in your browser for free, with Smart Lessons in Estonian words, Estonian books to type, and the keys for õ, ä, ö, ü and š on any keyboard.
What you can practise
Smart Lessons in Estonian
Real Estonian words, built around your slowest key. You start on six keys, and š, õ, ä, ö and ü join as the others come up to speed.
The Estonian alphabet
Every letter in order against the clock, with how to type each Estonian letter on your keyboard.
Typing games in Estonian
Pilot and Spaceship: steer through the gaps or shoot down enemy ships by typing Estonian words.
6 Estonian books
Classic Estonian books, out of copyright, typed a passage at a time.
Estonian letters
Estonian has four vowels beyond a to z, õ, ä, ö and ü, plus š in loanwords such as "šokolaad". Õ is the one Estonian is known for, a sound of its own: "õun" (apple), "õhtu" (evening), "või" (or, butter). The others are just as common: "jää" (ice), "töö" (work), "üks" (one).
An Estonian keyboard puts Ü and Õ to the right of P and Ö and Ä to the right of L, each on a key of its own; š is a dead ˇ then S. On a US or UK keyboard with US-International, õ is Shift+` then O and the umlauts Shift+' then the vowel. Windows' US-International has no ˇ, so š needs a Mac (Option+V, then S), Linux (AltGr+Shift+., then S) or the Estonian layout.
On an Estonian keyboard
Windows: Estonian · macOS: Estonian · Linux: Estonian
Add it in Windows under Settings > Time & language > Language & region, in macOS under System Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources, in Linux under Settings > Keyboard > Input Sources.
| Letter | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| š | ˇthen S | ˇthen S | ˇthen S |
| õ | Õ | Õ | Õ |
| ä | Ä | Ä | Ä |
| ö | Ö | Ö | Ö |
| ü | Ü | Ü | Ü |
On a US or UK keyboard
Windows: United States-International · macOS: ABC – Extended · Linux: English (US, intl., with dead keys)
Add it the same way. On US-International ' and " become dead keys: type a space after one for the mark itself. Windows' US-International cannot type š.
| Letter | Windows | macOS | Linux |
|---|---|---|---|
| š | Not on this layout | Option Vthen S | AltGr Shift .then S |
| õ | Shift `then O | Option Nthen O | Shift `then O |
| ä | Shift 'then A | Option Uthen A | Shift 'then A |
| ö | Shift 'then O | Option Uthen O | Shift 'then O |
| ü | Shift 'then U | Option Uthen U | Shift 'then U |
Tips for typing Estonian
Four keys for the right little finger
Ü and Õ on the top row and Ö and Ä on the home row all sit to the right of P and L. Õ is the longest reach; practise "õhtu" and "või" until it comes without a glance.
Long vowels are double presses
Estonian writes a long vowel twice: "jää", "töö", "keel", "saal". Keep an even beat on the repeated key, above all with ä and ö, which are already a stretch.
Pick a layout that has š
Typing on Windows with a US keyboard, US-International cannot make š. Adding the Estonian layout alongside is the simplest fix: a to z stay where they are, and š is ˇ then S.