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.
By Abhishek, Founder & Maintainer · Reviewed by The Ai-TypingTest Editorial Team
Published
“Good” depends on what you use typing for, but there are clear reference points. The average adult types about 40 words per minute. Reaching 60–70 WPM puts you well above most people and fast enough that typing rarely slows down your thinking.
Benchmarks by use case
| Speed | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 25 WPM | Hunt-and-peck. Worth learning touch typing. |
| 25–40 WPM | Functional for everyday use; below average. |
| 40–55 WPM | Average for a regular computer user. |
| 55–70 WPM | Good. Comfortably faster than most people. |
| 70–90 WPM | Fast. Typical of writers, developers and admin staff. |
| 90–120 WPM | Professional typist / transcriptionist territory. |
| 120+ WPM | Exceptional. The top few percent of typists. |
Speed only counts with accuracy
A “good” result holds accuracy at 95% or higher. Below that, errors eat into your effective speed because every correction costs time. If you have to choose, a clean 55 WPM beats a messy 75 WPM.
Job requirements
- General office work: 40–50 WPM is usually enough.
- Data entry: 50–70 WPM, often measured as keystrokes per hour.
- Government typing exams (SSC, RRB, LDC): around 30–35 WPM in English or 25–30 WPM in Hindi, at strict accuracy.
- Transcription / captioning: 80+ WPM with very high accuracy.
How to know where you stand
Take a 1-minute test three times and use the middle score. Retest every week or two. Improvement of 5–10 WPM per month is realistic with short daily practice.
Frequently Asked Questions
Yes — very. 100 WPM is roughly double the average adult speed and is typical of professional typists. Sustaining it with 97%+ accuracy is the real achievement.
Around 25–35 WPM is solid for that age. Many school programmes target 5 WPM per grade level as a rough guide.
For many general roles, yes. Dedicated data-entry and typist positions usually want more, and often test you in person.
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