The World of Modes

Working Code

First, create a practice file:

vim modes.txt

Once Vim opens, try the following three steps in order:

Step 1: Enter Insert mode with i

i
This is the first line.

You'll see -- INSERT -- at the bottom of the screen. You can type freely.

Step 2: Return to Normal mode with Esc

Press Esc. -- INSERT -- disappears. In Normal mode, every key is a command.

Step 3: Enter Command-line mode with :

From Normal mode, press : — the cursor jumps to the bottom of the screen. Type wq and press Enter:

:wq

You've now experienced all three modes!

Try It Yourself

Open the file again:

vim modes.txt

Wait, there are several ways to enter Insert mode?

i isn't the only one. Each key starts typing at a different position:

Key	Where it starts	Mnemonic
`i`	Before the cursor	insert
`a`	After the cursor	append
`o`	New line below	open below
`I`	Start of the line	Insert at start
`A`	End of the line	Append at end
`O`	New line above	Open above

Try them one by one:

From Normal mode, press A — you start typing at the end of the line immediately!
Press Esc, then o — a new line opens below and you're in Insert mode!
Press Esc, then O — a new line opens above.

Get a feel for which one fits your flow best.

"Why?" — Why do we need modes?

Think about driving a car:

Gear	Vim mode	What it does
Drive (D)	Insert	Type text
Park (P)	Normal	Issue commands (move, delete, yank)
Reverse (R)	Command-line	System commands (save, quit, search)

Just as you shift gears while driving, you switch to the mode that matches what you want to do.

In a regular editor, pressing d types the letter d. In Vim's Normal mode, pressing d is a delete command. The same key behaves completely differently depending on the mode. That's how Vim turns every key on your keyboard into a command.

How to check your current mode

Look at the status bar at the bottom of the Vim screen to see your current mode:

Indicator	Mode
(nothing)	Normal
`-- INSERT --`	Insert
`-- VISUAL --`	Visual (covered later)
`:` (cursor at bottom)	Command-line

When you're unsure, press Esc once or twice. You always return to Normal mode. Esc is your "home base."

Common mistake: typing in the wrong mode

If you start typing without realizing you're in Normal mode, strange things happen:

Say you wanted to type "hello" but you're in Normal mode:

h → move cursor left
e → move to end of word
l → move cursor right
l → move cursor right
o → open a new line below + enter Insert mode!

If the cursor suddenly jumps around and a new line appears, you were typing in Normal mode. Don't panic — press Esc → u (undo).

Deep Dive

Open a file with vim practice-modes.txt.
Press i, type "First line", and press Esc.
Press o, type "Second line", and press Esc.
Press O above the first line and type "Title", then press Esc.
Move to the end of the first line and press A to append " (added)", then press Esc.
Save with :wq and check the result with cat practice-modes.txt.

Quiz

Why doesn't your text appear when you start typing right after opening Vim?

Which key lets you start typing immediately at the end of the current line?