How typing speed is measured
Typing speed is measured in words per minute (wpm). A word counts as five characters, spaces included, so results can be compared whatever the text.
Speeds by level
| Level | Speed |
|---|---|
| Beginner, looking at the keys | under 30 wpm |
| Average | 30 to 50 wpm (about 40 for most people) |
| Good touch typist | 50 to 70 wpm |
| Fast | 70 to 90 wpm |
| Very fast | 90 wpm and more |
These are typical figures for everyday text, not hard limits. Numbers, code and accented words are slower for everyone.
What large studies found
In 2018, researchers from Aalto University and the University of Cambridge published a large study of typing (Dhakal et al., CHI 2018, “Observations on typing from 136 million keystrokes”). They analysed 168,000 volunteers who took an online typing test: on a computer, these volunteers typed about 52 wpm on average, and the fastest reached about 120 wpm. A follow-up study on phones (Palin et al., MobileHCI 2019), with 37,370 volunteers, measured 36.2 wpm on average.
Why 52 and not 40? These volunteers chose to take a test on a typing website, and people who do that probably type more than most. That is why they were faster than the 40 wpm in the table, which describes people in general.
To convert your speed into characters or keystrokes, or compare it with these averages, use the speed calculator.
Accuracy matters as much
A fast result full of mistakes is not a good result: every error costs a correction. Aim for 95% accuracy or more before trying to go faster. On Typocto, your speed counts only the words you typed correctly, so mistakes already lower your score.
How fast do you need to be?
For school and most office work, 40 to 50 wpm is comfortable. Jobs built around typing, such as transcription or data entry, often ask for 60 wpm or more.
To measure yours, take a one-minute test, then a five-minute one: the longer test shows the speed you can keep up. Repeat it once a day and follow your curve on the progress page.