What Is a Good Typing Speed? Average WPM and How to Type Faster
Is your typing speed fast or slow? What a study of 168,000 typists found about average WPM, what separates fast typists, and practical ways to type faster.
November 9, 2026 · 2 min read
Whether you are writing reports or chatting with friends, you have probably wondered: “Is my typing speed actually good?” Here is how typing speed is measured, what the average looks like, and how to get faster.
How WPM works
Typing speed is usually measured in WPM (words per minute). Because words vary in length, a “word” is standardized as five characters, including spaces. So typing 250 correct characters in one minute counts as 50 WPM.
Good tests count only correct characters, because speed with lots of typos is not very useful.
What is the average?
In 2018, researchers at Aalto University in Finland analyzed the typing of about 168,000 volunteers who took an online typing test. The average was about 52 WPM, and the fastest typists reached around 120 WPM. Since these were people who chose to take a typing test, the group may lean a little toward keen typists.
A common rule of thumb looks like this:
- Around 40 WPM: a typical everyday speed
- 50–70 WPM: above average, comfortable for most office work
- 70–90 WPM: fast
- 90+ WPM: very fast
What fast typists have in common
The same study found something surprising: many fast typists did not use the textbook ten-finger method. What they shared instead was:
- Not looking at the keyboard
- Making fewer mistakes, so less time is spent fixing them
- Preparing the next key in advance, with one hand moving into place while the other types
How to type faster
- Stop looking down. You will slow down at first, but once your fingers learn the layout your speed jumps. Rest your index fingers on the bumps on F and J.
- Accuracy first. Deleting and retyping costs more time than you think. Get accurate, and speed follows.
- Practice little and often. Ten minutes a day beats one long session a week.
- Drill your trouble keys. Collect the letters and words that trip you up and practice those on their own.
In one line
Around 40 to 50 WPM is a typical typing speed. If you want to get faster, typing accurately without looking at the keyboard matters more than how many fingers you use.
Curious about your own speed? 👉 1-Minute Typing Speed Test
