How to Type Faster: 15 Proven Techniques to Increase Your WPM
Think about how many words you type every day. Emails, reports, messages, code, assignments. For most people, it runs into the thousands — sometimes tens of thousands — of words per day.
Now imagine doing all of that 30% faster.
That's not a fantasy. It's what happens when you go from 45 WPM to 65 WPM. At that pace, someone who spends three hours a day typing saves roughly 54 minutes every single day — that's over six hours a week, just from getting better at something you're already doing constantly.
The problem is, most people never deliberately improve their typing. They hunt-and-peck their way through years of work, staring at the keyboard, making the same errors, and plateauing at the same mediocre speed.
This guide changes that.
Whether you type 20 WPM or 65 WPM, you'll find practical, proven techniques here that will push your speed higher — without bad habits, without gimmicks, and without wasting your time.
What Is a Good Typing Speed?
Before you can improve, you need a benchmark. Typing speed is measured in words per minute (WPM), where one "word" equals five characters — including spaces and punctuation.
Here's how different speeds stack up:
| Skill Level | WPM Range | Who This Describes |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | 10–25 WPM | New typists, hunt-and-peck users |
| Below Average | 26–40 WPM | Casual typists with no formal training |
| Average | 41–60 WPM | Most adults who type regularly |
| Above Average | 61–80 WPM | Office workers, frequent computer users |
| Professional | 81–100 WPM | Secretaries, journalists, experienced writers |
| Advanced | 101–120 WPM | Competitive typists, experienced programmers |
| Expert | 120+ WPM | Top-tier typists, stenographers |
The global average typing speed is around 40–55 WPM for adults. For context, professional typists — executive assistants, court reporters, data entry specialists — typically type between 80 and 100 WPM.
If you want to work comfortably without typing being a bottleneck in your day, 60–70 WPM with high accuracy is a solid target for most people.
Not sure where you stand? Take a free typing speed test right now to get your baseline before you start practicing.
Why Most People Type Slowly
Slow typing usually comes down to a handful of fixable problems. Understanding them is the first step to fixing them.
Looking at the Keyboard
This is the single biggest speed killer. When you look down at your keys, you break your eye-hand coordination loop. Your brain has to process two visual streams — the screen and the keyboard — instead of one. This creates hesitation, and hesitation destroys speed.
Touch typists keep their eyes on the screen at all times. Their fingers know where the keys are through muscle memory, not sight.
Poor Finger Placement
If you're using two fingers instead of ten, you're working at roughly 20% capacity. Every key you type requires your two fingers to physically travel across the keyboard and find their target. That travel time adds up to thousands of wasted milliseconds per session.
Proper touch typing assigns specific fingers to specific keys. Each finger has a home and a zone. With this system, no key is ever more than one step away from a finger that's already close.
Prioritizing Speed Over Accuracy
Ironically, trying to type fast makes most beginners slow. When you race ahead of your ability, you make more mistakes. Fixing those mistakes — backspacing, retyping — takes more time than the extra speed ever saved.
Lack of Deliberate Practice
Typing the same emails and messages every day does not make you faster. That's called performance, not practice. Real improvement requires deliberate, focused effort on weak spots — just like any skill.
Bad Posture
Wrists bent upward, shoulders hunched, screen too far away — bad ergonomics cause physical tension that directly reduces typing speed and can lead to repetitive strain injuries like carpal tunnel syndrome.
15 Proven Techniques to Increase Your WPM
1. Learn Touch Typing
Why it works: Touch typing is the foundation of fast, accurate typing. It's a system where all ten fingers are used and every finger is responsible for a specific set of keys. Once your fingers know the keyboard through muscle memory, you stop thinking about where the keys are and start focusing on what you want to say.
How to do it: Start with the home row — ASDF for the left hand, JKL; for the right. Your thumbs rest on the spacebar. From this position, you can reach every key on the keyboard with minimal hand movement.
Work through a structured course that teaches you one set of keys at a time. Don't rush past any section until your hands know it instinctively.
Common mistake: Jumping straight to full-keyboard practice before the home row is solid. Nail the foundation first.
Expected improvement: Most people see their WPM double within 30–60 days of switching to proper touch typing, even accounting for the initial slowdown while learning.
Start building your foundation now with structured typing lessons designed for beginners.
2. Focus on Accuracy Before Speed
Why it works: Accuracy and speed are not opposites — accuracy produces speed. When you type at 95% accuracy, you spend almost no time correcting errors. When you type at 85% accuracy, you spend a huge portion of your time backspacing, finding your place, and retyping.
How to do it: Slow down until you can type a passage with fewer than 2 errors per 100 words. Only when that feels comfortable should you push for more speed. Think of it as building a clean foundation before adding floors.
Common mistake: Watching your WPM counter instead of your error rate. Your accuracy number matters more, especially in the early stages.
Expected improvement: Typists who prioritize accuracy first typically reach their target WPM 40–50% faster than those who rush.
3. Use Proper Finger Placement
Why it works: Finger placement determines how far each finger has to travel to reach a key. Proper placement minimizes that travel, reducing both effort and errors.
How to do it: Memorize the finger-to-key assignments:
- Left pinky:
Q,A,Zand the left side keys (Tab,Caps Lock,Shift) - Left ring finger:
W,S,X - Left middle finger:
E,D,C - Left index finger:
R,F,V,T,G,B - Right index finger:
Y,H,N,U,J,M - Right middle finger:
I,K,, - Right ring finger:
O,L,. - Right pinky:
P,;,/, and the right side keys
Always return your fingers to the home row (ASDF JKL;) between keystrokes.
Common mistake: Using the wrong finger for a key because it feels easier in the moment. This creates gaps in muscle memory and causes inconsistencies.
Expected improvement: Correct placement alone can add 10–20 WPM within a few weeks.
4. Stop Looking at the Keyboard
Why it works: Looking down at the keyboard breaks your workflow, disrupts your rhythm, and confirms to your brain that it doesn't know where the keys are — which prevents muscle memory from forming.
How to do it: Cover your keyboard with a cloth, use a blank keyboard overlay, or simply discipline yourself to keep your eyes on the screen. If you make errors, stop, find the correct key by feel, and continue.
Common mistake: Allowing yourself "just one look" when you're stuck. Every look resets the habit-building process for that key.
Expected improvement: Eliminating keyboard glancing typically adds 5–15 WPM once the habit breaks.
5. Practice Daily
Why it works: Typing speed is a physical skill governed by motor memory. Like playing an instrument or learning to drive, it requires consistent repetition over time. A 15-minute daily session beats a 2-hour weekly session almost every time.
How to do it: Commit to a fixed daily practice window. Even 10–15 minutes is enough if you're focused. Use that time specifically for targeted typing practice — not regular work emails or documents, but drills designed to build speed.
Common mistake: Skipping days and then doing marathon sessions to compensate. Consistency beats intensity for motor skill development.
Expected improvement: Daily practitioners improve 2–3 times faster than irregular practitioners at the same total practice time.
6. Use Typing Lessons
Why it works: Structured typing lessons are built with a specific learning progression in mind. They introduce keys in an order that maximizes learning efficiency, and they give you feedback you can't get from typing random text.
How to do it: Follow a lesson plan from beginning to end. Don't skip ahead. Each lesson should feel slightly uncomfortable — that's how you know you're learning.
Common mistake: Repeating lessons you've already mastered because it feels good. Focus on the lessons that challenge you.
Expected improvement: Students who follow structured lessons reach proficiency 2× faster than self-taught typists on average.
7. Take Regular Typing Tests
Why it works: You can't improve what you don't measure. Regular typing tests give you objective data about your speed, accuracy, and progress over time.
How to do it: Take a standardized typing speed test once or twice a week under the same conditions (same time of day, same duration). Log your results. Look for trends.
Common mistake: Testing under inconsistent conditions — sometimes tired, sometimes fresh — and drawing conclusions from the noise.
Expected improvement: Measurement alone drives improvement. People who track their typing speed consistently improve 15–20% faster than those who don't.
8. Improve Weak Keys
Why it works: Every typist has weak spots — keys or key combinations that consistently cause hesitation or errors. Identifying and drilling those specific spots is far more efficient than general practice.
How to do it: After a typing test or session, notice which keys you hesitated on, which ones you mistyped most often, and which finger transitions felt awkward. Then create or find exercises that target exactly those combinations.
Common weak spots include:
- Keys typed by the pinky fingers (
Q,P,A,;) - The number row
- Uppercase letters (Shift key coordination)
- Symbols and punctuation
Common mistake: Avoiding weak keys because they're frustrating. That's exactly backwards — weak keys are where your biggest gains are hiding.
Expected improvement: Targeting specific weaknesses can add 5–10 WPM in less time than any other technique.
9. Use Keyboard Shortcuts
Why it works: Keyboard shortcuts reduce the number of physical actions required to complete a task. Every time you reach for the mouse to cut, copy, paste, undo, or save, you lose 2–5 seconds. Those seconds add up to minutes per hour of work.
How to do it: Start with the most common shortcuts and build from there:
| Action | Windows/Linux | Mac |
|---|---|---|
| Cut | Ctrl + X | Cmd + X |
| Copy | Ctrl + C | Cmd + C |
| Paste | Ctrl + V | Cmd + V |
| Undo | Ctrl + Z | Cmd + Z |
| Select All | Ctrl + A | Cmd + A |
| Save | Ctrl + S | Cmd + S |
| Find | Ctrl + F | Cmd + F |
| New Tab | Ctrl + T | Cmd + T |
| Switch Apps | Alt + Tab | Cmd + Tab |
Common mistake: Continuing to use the mouse out of habit even after learning shortcuts. Force yourself to use the shortcut every time.
Expected improvement: Power users who master shortcuts report saving 30–60 minutes per day in productivity.
10. Maintain Good Posture
Why it works: Poor posture creates physical tension in your wrists, forearms, shoulders, and neck. That tension reduces the fluidity and speed of your keystrokes and, over time, leads to pain and injury.
How to do it: Set up your workspace correctly:
- Screen height: Top of the monitor at or slightly below eye level
- Chair height: Thighs parallel to the floor, feet flat on the ground
- Keyboard position: Wrists neutral (not bent up or down), elbows at roughly 90 degrees
- Distance: Sit close enough that your arms form a relaxed, open angle when typing
- Back: Supported, slight natural curve in the lumbar region
Common mistake: Ignoring posture until pain forces you to address it. Prevention is much easier than recovery.
Expected improvement: Correcting posture removes physical bottlenecks to speed and can immediately add fluidity to your typing.
11. Relax Your Hands
Why it works: Tension in your hands and fingers makes your keystrokes heavy, slow, and imprecise. Relaxed hands move more quickly and accurately, and they tire far less quickly during long sessions.
How to do it: Before each practice session, shake your hands loosely for 10–15 seconds. During typing, use only enough force to register each keystroke. If you notice your hands clenching or your shoulders rising, stop, shake out your hands, and reset.
Common mistake: Thinking that typing harder leads to fewer errors. It doesn't — it leads to fatigue and slower movement.
Expected improvement: Relaxing tension during practice immediately smooths out rhythm and reduces error rates.
12. Practice Common Word Patterns
Why it works: English is highly repetitive at the word and phrase level. The 200 most common English words account for roughly 65% of all written text. If you can type those words reflexively, your speed jumps dramatically.
How to do it: Practice high-frequency words as complete units, not letter by letter. Common words to master include: the, and, that, have, for, not, with, you, this, but, from, they, say, she, will, one, all, would, there, their.
Also practice common bigrams and trigrams: th, he, in, er, an, re, on, en, at, es, ing, ion, tio, ent, and, the.
Common mistake: Only practicing full sentences and never isolating specific patterns for repetition.
Expected improvement: Word-pattern drilling can add 8–12 WPM by eliminating micro-hesitations on common words.
13. Increase Test Duration Gradually
Why it works: Typing speed drops as fatigue sets in. Most people test on 1-minute tests and train for 1-minute bursts. But real-world typing sessions last 10, 20, or 60 minutes. Building endurance means you sustain your peak speed for longer.
How to do it: Progressively lengthen your practice sessions and tests:
- Week 1–2: 1-minute tests
- Week 3–4: 2-minute tests
- Week 5–6: 5-minute tests
- Month 2+: 10-minute sessions
Common mistake: Always testing at 1 minute and reporting that as your "speed." That's your sprint time, not your marathon time.
Expected improvement: Regular endurance training can maintain speed 10–15 WPM higher than untrained typists in long sessions.
14. Use Typing Games
Why it works: Repetitive drills are effective but boring. Boredom leads to disengagement, which leads to skipped practice. Typing games maintain motivation by creating stakes, rewards, and variety — while still providing genuine practice.
How to do it: Incorporate typing games into your practice routine, particularly on days when you don't feel like drilling. Look for games that require accurate typing to progress, increase in difficulty as you improve, and track your WPM and accuracy.
Common mistake: Treating all typing games equally. Some games reward speed at the expense of accuracy, which reinforces bad habits.
Expected improvement: Consistent use of games extends practice sessions by keeping motivation high, which compounds over time.
15. Track Your Progress
Why it works: Progress tracking creates accountability, reveals what's working, and sustains motivation through plateaus. Without data, it's easy to feel like you're not improving — even when you are.
How to do it: Keep a simple log. After each practice session, record: date, WPM, accuracy %, what you worked on, and any observations. Review your log weekly.
Common mistake: Giving up during a plateau. Every typist hits plateaus — periods where speed doesn't improve. This is normal. Push through.
Expected improvement: Tracked typists are significantly more likely to reach their goals and less likely to quit during plateaus.
Daily Typing Practice Plan
Consistency matters more than session length. Here are three practice plans based on how much time you can commit each day.
10-Minute Plan (Minimum Effective Dose)
| Time | Activity | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–2:00 | Warm-up drill | Home row keys only |
| 2:00–5:00 | Lesson or exercise | Current weak keys or new lesson |
| 5:00–8:00 | Full-text practice | Accuracy-first typing |
| 8:00–10:00 | Typing speed test | Benchmark and track |
20-Minute Plan (Steady Progress)
| Time | Activity | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–3:00 | Warm-up drill | Home row + top row |
| 3:00–8:00 | Structured lesson | Follow lesson curriculum |
| 8:00–14:00 | Targeted practice | Weak keys, common words |
| 14:00–18:00 | Full-text typing | Accuracy and rhythm |
| 18:00–20:00 | Typing speed test | Benchmark and track |
30-Minute Plan (Accelerated Improvement)
| Time | Activity | Focus |
|---|---|---|
| 0:00–3:00 | Warm-up drill | All home row keys |
| 3:00–10:00 | Structured lesson | Full lesson with repetition |
| 10:00–16:00 | Weak key drilling | Targeted key pairs and patterns |
| 16:00–22:00 | Common word practice | Top 200 words, word patterns |
| 22:00–28:00 | Endurance typing | Sustained full-text session |
| 28:00–30:00 | Typing speed test | Benchmark and track |
Tip: Run your daily typing practice sessions at the same time each day. Pairing them with an existing habit — morning coffee, lunch break — makes them stick.
Common Mistakes That Slow You Down
Even motivated typists make the same avoidable errors:
- Looking at the keyboard. Every glance down resets muscle memory formation and breaks your flow.
- Using two or three fingers. Hunt-and-peck creates a ceiling of around 30–40 WPM.
- Tensing your hands and wrists. Tension slows movement and causes fatigue.
- Ignoring accuracy. Racing through text with 80% accuracy is slower than typing carefully at 95% accuracy.
- Only practicing comfortable text. Push into uncomfortable territory to improve.
- Never drilling specific weaknesses. General practice doesn't fix specific bottlenecks.
- Skipping rest breaks during long sessions. A 5-minute break every 45–60 minutes maintains performance.
- Poor ergonomics. A badly set-up desk physically limits your speed.
- Giving up during plateaus. Plateaus are normal and temporary.
- Inconsistent practice schedules. Three 10-minute sessions per week beat one 30-minute session.
- Using the wrong fingers for shortcuts. Use the correct pinky fingers consistently for Shift, Backspace, and Enter.
- Not using the spacebar correctly. The right thumb should hit the spacebar consistently.
How Long Does It Take to Improve Typing Speed?
Realistic timelines for different goals:
30 WPM → 50 WPM
Timeline: 3–6 weeks with daily practice
The gains come from switching to proper touch typing and eliminating keyboard-glancing. The initial week may feel slower as you retrain your fingers. By week 3–4, speed starts climbing sharply.
50 WPM → 70 WPM
Timeline: 6–12 weeks with daily practice
This is the most common plateau zone. You'll need deliberate practice on weak keys, common word patterns, and endurance. Progress is slower but consistent.
70 WPM → 100 WPM
Timeline: 3–6 months with daily practice
Reaching 100 WPM requires that your touch typing is fully automated — no thinking about finger placement, no hesitation on any standard key.
Important caveat: These timelines assume daily practice of at least 10–15 minutes. Irregular practice extends timelines significantly.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good typing speed for everyday use?
For most people, 60–70 WPM with 95%+ accuracy is the sweet spot. Professionals who type extensively — journalists, writers, developers — typically aim for 80–100 WPM.
How can I type faster without making more mistakes?
Slow down first. Practice at a speed where you make fewer than 2 errors per 100 words, then gradually increase your pace. Speed built on accuracy is sustainable.
How long does it take to learn touch typing from scratch?
Most people can learn the fundamentals in 2–4 weeks with daily practice. Getting to average speed (50–60 WPM) takes another 4–8 weeks. Full proficiency — 70+ WPM — typically takes 3–6 months.
Is 40 WPM a good typing speed?
40 WPM is around average for untrained adult typists. It's functional but not efficient. With a few weeks of focused practice, 40 WPM can become 60 WPM.
Is 60 WPM fast?
60 WPM is above the global average and perfectly respectable. Many office jobs expect 65–80 WPM, and roles like data entry require 80–100 WPM.
Does the type of keyboard affect my typing speed?
Yes, to some extent. Mechanical keyboards with tactile feedback help many typists. But the biggest speed gains always come from technique, not hardware.
Should I practice on a phone keyboard to get faster?
No. Phone typing is a completely different skill and doesn't transfer to desktop typing.
What's the fastest typing speed ever recorded?
Barbara Blackburn sustained 150 WPM for 50 minutes and reached a peak of 212 WPM in shorter bursts. Stenographers using specialized keyboards can exceed 300 WPM.
Can older adults learn to type faster?
Absolutely. The same principles apply: consistent daily practice, proper technique, and accuracy before speed. Many adults in their 40s, 50s, and 60s have significantly improved their typing speed.
How often should I take a typing speed test?
Once or twice per week is ideal. A weekly typing speed test gives you reliable trend data without interfering with your practice mindset.
Conclusion
Typing faster isn't about talent. It's about technique, consistency, and deliberate practice applied over time.
The 15 techniques in this guide cover every lever you can pull: your finger placement, your habits, your practice structure, your posture, your mindset, and your measurement approach.
Here's the short version:
- Learn proper touch typing and never look at the keyboard again
- Prioritize accuracy — it produces speed faster than chasing speed does
- Practice every single day, even if only for 10 minutes
- Drill your weak spots specifically, not just general text
- Track your progress so you can see what's working and stay motivated
The difference between 45 WPM and 75 WPM is not raw talent — it's about 60 days of consistent, deliberate practice.
Start today. Take a typing speed test to get your baseline. Then jump into structured typing lessons and commit to your daily typing practice sessions. In two months, you'll type faster than you ever thought you could.
Ready to put this into practice? Start with a free typing test to find your current WPM, then follow along with our step-by-step typing lessons built for every skill level.