What is the average typing speed?
There is more than one answer, because it depends on who was measured and how.
| Source | Device | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Commonly quoted adult figure | Keyboard | About 40 WPM |
| 2018 Aalto University and University of Cambridge study, 168,000 volunteers | Keyboard | 52 WPM |
| 2019 Aalto University study | Smartphone | About 36 WPM |
| Same 2019 study, two-thumb typists | Smartphone | About 38 WPM |
Why the averages differ
Who takes the test. The 2018 study collected its data from volunteers. People who choose to take a typing test are probably faster than the general population, which would explain why its average sits above the familiar 40 WPM.
What is typed. Short, simple sentences are quicker to type than text with long words, numbers and symbols. Two tests with different material can give the same person two different results.
How errors are counted. Some figures are raw speed. Others, like the score on this page, are adjusted for accuracy. An adjusted number can never be higher than the raw one.
The device. A phone has no physical keys and is typed with one or two thumbs. Even so, the phone averages are close to the common keyboard figure.
Where you stand
Take the test above three times and average your scores. Then find your band.
- Under 25: beginner
- 25 to 37: below average
- 38 to 51: average, the band that contains the common 40 WPM figure
- 52 to 69: above average, level with or beyond the 2018 study average
- 70 to 89: fast
- 90 or more: exceptional
Your score is WPM multiplied by accuracy, so it is a little stricter than a raw speed. If you are comparing with a raw figure from somewhere else, use the raw WPM on your result screen.
An average is not a target
An average describes a crowd. It says nothing about what you need. Someone who writes a few messages a day loses very little by typing at 35 WPM. Someone who writes for hours gains from every extra word per minute.
The 2018 study also found that the fastest typists made fewer errors, so the route from average to above average usually runs through accuracy.
Next steps
See what counts as a good typing speed for the bands in more detail, or start the routine on the typing test practice page. The main typing test page explains how the score is calculated.