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How to Improve Your Typing Speed
Typing faster is mostly about accuracy, rhythm and daily practice, not about moving your fingers harder. These ten habits help most people gain 10 to 20 WPM in a few weeks.
10 tips to improve your typing speed
- Learn the home row. Keep your fingers on A S D F and J K L ; and use the bumps on F and J to find your place without looking. Every other key is a short reach from there.
- Never look at the keys. Watch the screen. Looking down breaks your rhythm and your fingers never learn the layout. If you feel lost, use the on-screen keyboard in the Learn tab.
- Put accuracy first. Aim for 95% or better before pushing speed. Fixing a mistake costs more time than typing carefully, so the fastest typists are also the most accurate.
- Use all ten fingers. Each finger has its own keys. Use the Shift key with the opposite hand, and the space bar with either thumb.
- Practice a little every day. Ten to fifteen minutes a day beats one long session a week. Short sessions build muscle memory without tiring your hands.
- Keep a steady rhythm. An even pace is faster than bursts and pauses. The consistency score after each test shows how even your speed was.
- Train your weak keys. Use Weak keys practice to drill the letters you miss most. A handful of problem keys usually causes most of your mistakes.
- Move up a level. Real writing needs capitals, commas and numbers. When Basic feels easy, switch to Pro, then Advanced, so punctuation and numbers do not slow you down at work.
- Sit well. Relax your shoulders, keep your wrists straight and your screen at eye level. Tension is the biggest hidden speed limiter and a cause of sore hands.
- Measure weekly. Take the same test once a week and watch your graph on the Progress tab. Seeing progress keeps you practicing.
What is a good typing speed?
About 40 WPM is average. 60 WPM is comfortable for office work, and 80 WPM or more is fast. WPM counts five characters as one word and only counts correct characters, so mistakes lower your score twice: once for the wrong key and once for the time you spend fixing it.
| Level | WPM | What it means |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Under 20 | Still learning where the keys are |
| Getting there | 20–39 | Improving fast with daily practice |
| Good | 40–59 | Average to comfortable for most jobs |
| Fast | 60–79 | Above average, great for office work |
| Pro | 80+ | Professional typist level |
A simple 4 week plan
- Week 1. Do the first four touch typing lessons. Go slowly and do not look at the keys.
- Week 2. Finish the remaining lessons and start typing practice with words.
- Week 3. Practice sentences and your weak keys. Take a 1 minute test to set your baseline.
- Week 4. Move up to the Pro and Advanced levels, and try the 3 minute test for endurance.
Common mistakes that slow you down
- Looking at the keyboard, even only for hard keys.
- Typing too fast at the start and making many mistakes.
- Using only a few fingers.
- Practicing for a long time in one session instead of a little every day.
- Tense shoulders and wrists.
Frequently asked questions
How can I type faster?
Focus on accuracy, use all ten fingers, keep a steady rhythm and practice 10 to 15 minutes a day. Most people gain 10 to 20 WPM in a few weeks of regular practice.
What is a good typing speed?
About 40 WPM is average, 60 WPM is good for office work and 80 WPM or more is fast.
Does a better keyboard help?
A comfortable keyboard helps, but technique matters far more. Learn touch typing first.
How often should I practice?
A little every day. Ten to fifteen focused minutes is enough to see steady progress.