Typing Guides
Plain-English explanations of typing speed, scoring, and how to improve.
What Is WPM?
Words per minute is the standard unit of typing speed. Here is exactly what it measures and how it is worked out.
What Is a Good Typing Speed?
Short answer: 40 WPM is functional, 60–70 WPM is genuinely good, and 80+ WPM is professional. Here is the context behind those numbers.
Average Typing Speed
The commonly cited average is around 40 words per minute. Here is what sits behind that figure and how it varies.
How to Type Faster
Speed is a by-product of good technique and consistent accuracy. Work on these nine things and WPM takes care of itself.
Understanding Your Typing Test Score
Your results screen shows more than one number. Here is what each part means, how it is calculated, and what to do about it.
WPM vs KPH
Two ways of measuring the same thing. WPM is standard for typing tests; KPH shows up in data-entry job listings.
Gross WPM vs Net WPM
Gross WPM counts everything typed; net WPM subtracts your mistakes. Worked examples showing exactly how they differ.
Typing Speed Requirements by Job & Country
The WPM employers ask for — admin, data entry, support, transcription — and how it varies across the US, UK, Canada, Australia, Ireland and New Zealand.
Touch Typing Finger Chart
Which finger hits which key on QWERTY — the colour-coded chart, the home row, and the order to learn the keys in.
How Long Does It Take to Learn Touch Typing?
Two weeks to learn the keys, 3–6 weeks to match your old speed, 2–3 months to 50–60 WPM. The stage-by-stage timeline and a four-week plan.
UK vs US Keyboard Layout
Why @ and " swap places, where the £ key went, and which countries use which layout.
30-Day Typing Improvement Plan
Twenty minutes a day for four weeks: accuracy, weak keys, speed, then endurance — with a checkpoint every week.
QWERTY vs Dvorak vs Colemak
What alternative layouts change, what the evidence says about speed, and who should actually switch.
Mechanical vs Membrane Keyboards
Switch types, key rollover and whether a new keyboard will really raise your WPM.
Typing Posture & Avoiding Wrist Pain
A desk, chair and keyboard setup checklist, plus the habits that prevent wrist and shoulder strain.
Who Is the Fastest Typist in the World?
Barbara Blackburn's 212 WPM, Sean Wrona's championship run and the fastest phone typists — and why typing records are so hard to compare.