Learn to Type Faster: Typing Guides and Tips

Technique · 9 min How to type faster Speed comes from accuracy, good finger habits and a little focused practice every day. Here is what works, in the order we would do it. Benchmarks · 9 min What is a good typing speed? Around 40 WPM is the figure most often quoted as average, and 60 to 70 WPM with high accuracy is fast enough for almost any job. Here is how to read your own number. Basics · 10 min How to learn touch typing Touch typing means typing without looking, with every key assigned to one finger. This guide covers the home row, a full finger map and a four-week plan. Basics · 9 min How WPM is calculated A word in typing tests is five characters, and net WPM only counts what you typed correctly. Here are the formulas, with worked examples you can check yourself. Practice · 10 min A daily typing practice routine (and how to break a plateau) A 15-minute daily routine and a 30-day plan that turn random typing tests into real progress. Plus what to do when your speed stalls and every test lands on the same number. Hardware · 10 min QWERTY vs Dvorak vs Colemak: choosing a keyboard layout Seven keyboard layouts compared side by side, from the QWERTY on your desk to Colemak-DH and Workman. We cover where each came from, what it changes, and the real cost of switching. Health · 9 min Typing posture and ergonomics: set up your desk, save your wrists How to set up your chair, desk, screen and keyboard so typing stays comfortable for hours. Includes wrist position, break habits, gentle stretches and the warning signs that need a professional. Careers · 10 min Typing tests for jobs: what to expect and how to pass Employer typing tests come in a few standard formats, from timed copy tests to 10-key data entry. Here is what each one measures, the speeds job ads commonly ask for, and how to prepare. Productivity · 10 min The keyboard shortcuts worth learning, for Windows and Mac The system, browser and text-editing shortcuts that save real time every day, with Windows and Mac versions side by side. Plus a practical way to learn them so they become automatic. Coding · 10 min Typing for programmers: how to type code faster Code is full of brackets, symbols and odd capitalisation that normal typing practice never touches. Here is how to train the parts of the keyboard programmers actually use, and how to let your editor do the rest. Hardware · 10 min Mechanical keyboard switches explained: linear vs tactile vs clicky What actually happens inside a key switch, and how linear, tactile and clicky switches feel and sound. A tour of the popular switches by family, plus what keycap plastic does to the sound. Learning · 9 min Typing games for learning: what they train, and what they don't Typing games can build real skills, but each one trains something specific and some train nothing at all. Here is how to pick games on purpose and fit them around deliberate practice, at home or in a classroom.

Where to start

Pick the route that matches where you are now:

You still look at the keys. Read the touch typing guide, then work through the typing lessons. Everything else gets easier once your eyes stay on the screen.
You touch type and want more speed. Start with how to type faster, then set up a practice routine you can keep.
You want to know if your number is any good. Read what counts as a good typing speed, and the guide to how WPM is calculated if your score differs between sites.
You have a job test coming up. The guide to typing tests for jobs covers formats, common speed requirements and how to prepare.

What the guides cover

The guides fall into a few groups. Technique covers touch typing, habits that raise your speed and a practice routine built around short daily sessions. Benchmarks explains how WPM, accuracy and consistency are worked out and what different speeds mean. Health and hardware covers desk setup and posture, keyboard layouts such as Dvorak and Colemak, and how mechanical switches differ. Careers and coding covers employer typing tests, typing for programmers, keyboard shortcuts and how typing games fit into learning.

How to get the most from them

Reading about typing only helps if you then go and type. Each guide ends with something to try, and the best way to use them is to read one, do that thing the same day, and test again a week later. Most guides link to the part of Presspace that fits, whether that is a test length, a game or a drill.

Keep a note of your one-minute median and accuracy before you start a new habit. A week of practice is a short time, and small gains are easy to miss without a number to compare against.

How we write them

The guides are written by the small team behind Presspace. We stick to widely accepted advice and say so when a figure is only commonly cited rather than measured. The scoring described in the guides is the scoring the tests use, so what you read here matches what you see on your results screen. For pain or discomfort while typing, the ergonomics guide covers standard setup advice, but a professional should look at anything that persists.

Questions people ask

Where should I start if I want to type faster?

Start with the touch typing guide if you still look at the keyboard, or with how to type faster if you already touch type. Then take a one-minute test so you have a baseline to measure against.

How long does it take to learn touch typing?

It varies a lot between people. Many learners find that a few weeks of short daily practice gets the letter keys under their fingers, and that getting back to their old speed takes a while longer. The touch typing guide lays out a realistic plan.

Are the guides free?

Yes. Every guide is free to read, and so is everything else on Presspace: the tests, games, lessons and drills. You never need an account, and there is no paid tier.