What counts as a good typing speed
Good is relative, so start with the average. About 40 WPM is the figure most often quoted for adults. A speed clearly above that is good.
These are the bands this site uses. The score is WPM multiplied by accuracy.
| Score | Rating | In plain terms |
|---|---|---|
| 90 or more | Exceptional | Among very quick typists |
| 70 to 89 | Fast | Typing rarely holds your work up |
| 52 to 69 | Above average | Good for everyday work |
| 38 to 51 | Average | Typical for adults |
| 25 to 37 | Below average | Usable, with room to improve |
| Under 25 | Beginner | Still finding the keys |
Good and fast are different lines
Good starts at 52, the bottom of the above average band. That number is also the average found in a 2018 Aalto University and University of Cambridge study of 168,000 volunteers. People who volunteer for a typing study are probably quicker than the general population, so matching them means you keep up with people who type a lot.
Fast starts at 70. At that level your fingers are rarely the bottleneck, and deciding what to say takes longer than typing it.
What different kinds of work need
Employer requirements vary, so always check the listing. In general terms:
- Occasional typing. Messages, forms and searches. An average speed is plenty.
- Office and study work. Emails, reports and notes through the day. An above average speed saves time, and accuracy saves more.
- Writing and programming. Thinking takes longer than typing. Comfort and accuracy matter more than a high WPM.
- Work that follows speech. Taking notes live or transcribing a recording. Here speed counts most, and a fast rating or better helps.
- Data entry. Often measured on the number pad in keystrokes per hour instead of WPM. See the 10 key typing test.
Accuracy is part of good
A typist at 75 raw WPM with 88 percent accuracy scores 66. A typist at 68 raw WPM with 98 percent accuracy scores about 67 and produces cleaner text. The 2018 study found that the fastest typists made fewer errors, so the two qualities tend to arrive together.
Check your own speed
Take the test above three times and average the scores. For the numbers behind the averages, see average typing speed. To move up a band, follow the routine on the typing test practice page.