Typing speed is measured in words per minute (WPM). For most people, anything from about 40 WPM is comfortable for everyday writing, 60 WPM is quick, and 80 WPM or more is fast. But a speed only means something next to its accuracy, and the number you get depends on how you test. This guide explains what the numbers mean and how to move yours up.
How typing speed is measured
Words differ in length, so typing tests don’t count real words. They count characters and divide by five: every five characters, spaces included, make one "word". Typing 250 characters in a minute is 50 WPM, whether you typed short words or long ones.
Most tests, TypeCart included, count only the words you typed correctly toward your WPM. Your raw speed counts every key you pressed, mistakes too. A big gap between the two means mistakes are costing you time.
Accuracy is the share of keys you got right. 95 % sounds high, but it still means one wrong key in every twenty, which is about one mistake in every four words.
What is an average typing speed?
Figures of around 40 WPM are often quoted for adults in general. A large study published in 2018, of about 168,000 people who took an online typing test, found an average of a little over 50 WPM. Those were people who chose to take a typing test, so they likely type more than most.
So if you type around 40 to 50 WPM, you are about average. Speeds below 30 WPM usually mean looking at the keys or typing with a few fingers.
A rough scale
These are guides, not grades. They assume an accuracy of about 95 % or better.
- Under 30 WPM: often looking at the keyboard, typing with two to four fingers.
- 30 to 50 WPM: around average; fine for messages and everyday work.
- 50 to 70 WPM: above average and typical of people who touch type.
- 70 to 90 WPM: fast; typing rarely holds back your thinking.
- Over 90 WPM: very fast, usually after years of typing or deliberate training.
Jobs that test typing, such as data entry or transcription, ask for a set speed with high accuracy; check the exact number in the listing.
Why accuracy matters as much as speed
Every mistake costs you twice: the wrong key, then going back to fix it. Pushing for speed while making many mistakes trains your fingers to make them, and your real speed stays where it was.
If your accuracy is under 95 %, slow down a little until it climbs. Speed comes back on its own once your fingers stop hesitating.
How to get a fair number
- Test for a minute or more. A 15-second test rewards one good burst; a 1-minute test shows your real pace.
- Take a few tests and average them. Your first test of the day is often slower.
- Compare like with like. Common words are faster than quotes with punctuation and capitals.
- Watch the trend. One score matters less than how your average moves over weeks.
TypeCart’s speed test offers 15 to 120 seconds, a number of words, quotes and Wikipedia passages, and keeps your results so Stats can show how your speed changes.
How to type faster
- Stop looking at the keyboard. If you do, learning to touch type is the biggest single step; see how to learn touch typing.
- Practise your slowest keys. Most people are held back by a handful of keys, not all of them. Adaptive practice finds yours and gives you more of them.
- Practise a little every day. Fifteen minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
- Keep accuracy high. Slow down when mistakes pile up.