How to Improve Your Typing Speed: 7 Proven Techniques
Typing feels simple — we’ve all done it for years — but typing efficiently is a different story. Whether you’re a student writing essays, a professional sending emails, or a developer writing code all day, typing faster saves time and energy. Every extra minute you don’t spend typing is time you can use to think, plan, and get real work done.
The average person types around 40 words per minute (WPM). Skilled typists often reach 60–80+ WPM without breaking a sweat. That speed difference can easily save hours each month. The good news? With consistent practice, almost anyone can improve typing speed meaningfully.
Let’s walk through seven proven techniques to help you build speed, accuracy, and confidence at the keyboard.
1. Master Touch Typing (Stop Looking at the Keyboard)
Touch typing is the foundation of fast, efficient typing. It means typing without looking at the keyboard, using muscle memory instead of visually hunting for keys. When your eyes stay on the screen, your brain stays focused on ideas — not finger placement.
Start with short practice sessions. Spend just 15 minutes a day keeping your eyes on the screen and fingers on the keys. You’ll feel slower at first, but that’s normal — slow is smooth, and smooth becomes fast. Touch typing is the long-term skill that unlocks real speed if you truly want to improve typing speed.
Before moving on, test your current WPM so you have a baseline. Try it now with our free typing test.
2. Practice Daily with Typing Tests (Consistency Beats Intensity)
Typing speed improves through frequency, not occasional marathons. Five to ten minutes a day produces better results than an hour once a week.
Use online tools to practice and measure your improvement. For example, train daily with our typing test to build rhythm and muscle memory. Repetition teaches your fingers common letter patterns and makes typing feel automatic.
Progress comes from consistency. Treat typing like learning an instrument — steady practice wins.
3. Focus on Accuracy First, Speed Second
Speed without accuracy isn’t real speed. If you’re constantly fixing mistakes, you aren’t typing efficiently. The fastest typists are precise first — speed comes after accuracy becomes automatic.
Aim for a 95%+ accuracy rate. If you find yourself using backspace constantly, slow down. Type at about 70% of your fastest pace, then gradually increase. Counterintuitive as it sounds, slowing down is one of the quickest ways to improve typing speed over time.
Clean habits beat reckless rushing.
4. Learn Proper Finger Positioning (Home Row Foundation)
Solid fundamentals matter, and proper hand placement is the core skill. Your fingers should start on the home row — ASDF for your left hand, JKL; for your right. After each key press, return your fingers to this position.
Keep your wrists relaxed and your elbows comfortable. Good posture reduces strain and keeps your speed steady during long typing sessions. Spend one minute warming up with home-row drills before each session to reinforce muscle memory.
Less motion equals more speed.
5. Set Realistic Goals and Track Milestones
Exercises and drills help you sharpen specific skills — like accuracy, rhythm, and finger dexterity. To accelerate progress, set clear speed goals and measure your results regularly.
Aim to increase your speed by about five WPM per month. For example, if you start at 35 WPM, target 40 after four weeks. Celebrate each milestone — hitting 50 WPM is a big deal for most people. The best way to improve typing speed is through consistent, measurable progress.
Track each improvement using our typing test to stay motivated.
6. Type Real-World Content (Emails, Notes, Code)
Typing tests alone won’t build real-world skill. Practice by typing everyday content — emails, notes, homework, or journal entries. Developers should practice typing code and symbols, because those require different muscle memory than plain text.
Additionally, copy-typing articles can help build rhythm and flow. Try transcribing a favorite blog post or article to practice unfamiliar words and sentence structures. This builds adaptability, not just speed on predictable text.
Rotate between tests and real writing to balance technique and practical skill. This makes you faster where it counts — in daily use.
Once a week, check your speed again to see how real practice translates into results.
7. Track Your Progress Over Time (Data = Motivation)
Make your improvement visible. Track your typing speed and accuracy once per week. Record your WPM and accuracy in a simple spreadsheet or notes app.
Progress happens in small jumps. 42 → 48 WPM may seem minor day-to-day, but it stacks. Expect plateaus — they’re normal. The simple act of tracking shows how quickly you improve typing speed when you stick to consistent practice.
Seeing progress keeps you motivated to continue.
Final Thoughts: Start Improving Today
Typing faster isn’t about talent — it’s about consistent practice and smart habits. These seven techniques — touch typing, daily drills, accuracy focus, home row, incremental goals, real-world typing, and progress tracking — will help you type faster, with less effort and more confidence.
Start small: just 5–10 minutes a day can lead to noticeable improvement within weeks. The sooner you begin, the sooner you’ll see results.
Ready to see where you stand now?
Test your current typing speed and track your progress weekly. Your journey to faster typing starts today.