Guide
How to type faster
Typing faster isn't about moving your fingers harder. It comes from removing wasted motion, making fewer mistakes, and practising briefly every day. Start by measuring where you are with the free typing test, then work through the steps below.
1. Set up before you speed up
- Sit so your forearms are roughly level with the keyboard and your wrists float rather than rest on the desk edge.
- Keep the keyboard straight in front of you, close enough that your elbows stay near your sides.
- Relax your shoulders and hands. Tension slows you down and tires you out.
2. Learn the home row
Rest your left fingers on A S D F and your right on J K L ;. The small bumps on F and J let you find them without looking. Each finger is responsible for the keys directly above and below its home key, and your thumbs handle the space bar. Returning to the home row after every reach is what lets you type without looking.
3. Stop looking at the keys
This is the single biggest jump most people can make. Your speed will dip for a few days while your fingers learn the positions, then climb past where you started. If you must, cover your hands with a cloth for practice sessions.
4. Put accuracy first
Every mistake costs a backspace, a retype and a break in rhythm. Type at a pace where you are at least 95% accurate. When your accuracy holds steady for several sessions, push the pace a little.
5. Type in rhythm
Aim for an even beat between keystrokes rather than fast bursts and pauses. Smooth typing is faster over a whole minute than jerky typing, and it reveals which letter combinations are slowing you down.
6. Practise little and often
Fifteen focused minutes a day beats an hour once a week. Your hands learn through repetition spread over time, so consistency matters more than session length.
A two-week plan
| Days | Daily practice (about 15 min) |
|---|---|
| 1–3 | Home row and reaches only. Go slowly, never look down. One 30-second test at the end. |
| 4–7 | Common words at a steady rhythm. Keep accuracy above 95%. Two typing tests. |
| 8–11 | Mix in longer words and short sentences. Note which letters you miss and drill them. |
| 12–14 | Push the pace in short bursts, then return to steady typing. Finish with a 60-second test and compare. |
Make practice stick
The hard part is showing up every day. Clackshot is a free typing game built for exactly this: words fly at you on enemy ships, every correct letter fires, and a mistake breaks your combo, which rewards accuracy the same way real typing does. The daily challenge gives everyone the same run each day, so you can see your progress against your past self and your friends.
Curious how your speed compares? See the average typing speed guide.
Common questions
How long does it take to type faster?
With 15 to 20 minutes of focused practice a day, most people notice a real improvement within two to three weeks. Switching from hunt-and-peck to touch typing usually makes you slower for the first week before you overtake your old speed.
Should I focus on speed or accuracy?
Accuracy. Every mistake has to be noticed and fixed, which costs far more time than typing slightly slower. Aim for at least 95% accuracy and let speed build on top of it.
Do typing games actually help?
Yes, as long as they make you type real words accurately under a little time pressure. Games make it easier to practise every day, and daily practice is what drives improvement.