What is the line under the letters F, J and number 5 on your keyboard for?

After the mobile phone, the computer is undoubtedly the most widely used device, mainly because it's the most common tool for doing virtually any job. Whether desktop or laptop, all computers share the same characteristics: they have a screen and a keyboard.

After so many years and hours of using them, many people already know the keyboard by heart and can type without looking, although there are also many others who, despite the passage of time, still need to take a quick look to avoid confusion. Whatever the case, keyboards are familiar to everyone, but have you ever noticed that some of the keys on your keyboard have a small raised line?

It's not a manufacturing defect or a random feature, those little marks on the F, J, and often the numpad 5 keys , have a very specific purpose, as they're designed to improve your typing speed and accuracy, especially if you're not looking at the keyboard while you're typing.

These little lines are tactile guides . Their main function is to allow you to correctly position your index fingers on the F and J keys without having to look at the keyboard. Most keyboards, whether computer or typewriter, have incorporated this feature for decades. The idea is that, without looking, your fingers can find or position the letters on the keyboard, and these little lines are positioned so that you can establish the base or center of the keyboard without having to look down.

The dash on the 5 key on the numeric keypad serves a similar function. The numeric keypad, usually located to the right of the main keyboard, is designed for rapid number entry. In this case, the 5 key is the central reference point. The other number keys are reached by extending the fingers from this central position, making it easier to quickly enter numeric data without having to look.