Typing Speed Guides
Straight answers to the questions people ask before and after a typing test: what's average, what's good, how the score is worked out, and how to raise it.
All typing speed guides
- Average Typing Speed
The average typing speed is about 40 WPM by the classic figure and 52 WPM in a 168,960-person study. Benchmarks by age, job and device. - Typing Speed by Age
What WPM is normal at 8, 10, 12, 14 or 16? Realistic typing speed ranges by age, from first graders to adults, and how to tell if your child is on track. - What Is a Good Typing Speed?
Is 42 WPM good? Is 52 WPM fast? A WPM-by-WPM chart from 20 to 120 showing what each speed means and roughly what share of typists you're ahead of. - How to Type Faster
How to type faster without drills you'll quit: fix accuracy, stop looking at the keys, then build rhythm and endurance. A 4-week plan of 10-minute sessions. - What Is WPM?
WPM means words per minute, with one word counted as five keystrokes. How tests calculate gross WPM, net WPM and accuracy, and why test length changes scores.
The study figures in these guides come from two published Aalto University studies, linked where they are quoted, and the speed bands match the scoring our own typing speed test uses. Job requirements and age ranges are typical figures, and the guides say so. When you're done reading, the fastest way to use any of it is to play: all 16 of our typing games track WPM and accuracy while you go.