Guides · 4 min read
What is a good typing speed?
Typing speed is measured in words per minute (WPM). Here is what the numbers mean, what is typical, and what to aim for.
How WPM is counted
A “word” in a typing test is not a real word: it is five characters, including spaces and punctuation. Typing 250 correct characters in one minute is 50 WPM, whether those characters made short words or long ones. This keeps results comparable between different texts.
Type counts net speed: only correct characters on screen count, so mistakes you leave in don’t raise your score, and the clock only runs while you are typing.
Typing speed levels
These bands are a rough guide rather than an official standard, but they match how most people experience each level:
| Speed | What it usually means |
|---|---|
| Under 25 WPM | Beginner. Usually still looking at the keys or using a few fingers. |
| 25–40 WPM | Developing. Fine for short messages; longer writing feels slow. |
| 40–60 WPM | Good. Comfortable for everyday writing, email and most office work. |
| 60–80 WPM | Fast. Typing stops being the bottleneck for most tasks. |
| Over 80 WPM | Very fast. Usually the result of years of regular practice. |
What is the average?
The largest study of typing so far analysed 136 million keystrokes from about 168,000 volunteers who took an online typing test. The average participant typed 52 WPM, and the fastest typists also made the fewest errors (Aalto University and University of Cambridge, 2018). Because the volunteers chose to take a typing test, they probably type more than the average person, so treat 52 WPM as a typical figure for people who type regularly.
Accuracy matters as much as speed
A fast but error-filled result isn’t really fast: every mistake has to be found and fixed. A good everyday goal is to stay at or above 95% accuracy, and to raise speed only while accuracy holds. Type counts every wrong keystroke, even if you fix it with Backspace, so your accuracy score reflects how cleanly you really type.
What about jobs that ask for a typing speed?
Some jobs, such as data entry or transcription, list a minimum speed. The requirement and the way it is tested vary by employer, so check the job description and practise with a similar kind of text.
Find and improve your speed
Take the 1-minute typing test to see where you are today. To get faster, the steadiest route is touch typing: every key pressed by the same finger, without looking. The finger placement guide shows where each finger goes, and how to type faster lists the habits that make the biggest difference.