What is a good typing speed?
Typing speed is relative—what's "good" depends on your goals and the type of work you do. Below are practical benchmarks and guidance for setting targets.
Benchmarks
- Beginner: 20–40 WPM — learning touch-typing or casual users.
- Average: 40–60 WPM — comfortable daily computer use.
- Advanced: 60–80 WPM — frequent typists, many programmers and writers land here.
- Expert: 80+ WPM — competitive typists and heavy professional typists.
Context matters
Different tasks produce different speeds. For example:
- Prose writing usually yields higher WPM because words are common and predictable.
- Programming often yields lower WPM due to symbols, camelCase, and mental overhead.
- Data entry can be very fast when the format is repetitive, but accuracy is crucial.
Accuracy and sustainable speed
A higher WPM with poor accuracy is rarely productive. Aim for a balance where accuracy is stable (95%+ for most tasks) and then nudge speed upward. Track both metrics when measuring progress.
Setting goals
Choose short-term targets (e.g., +5 WPM in two weeks) and long-term targets (e.g., reach 70 WPM). Use consistent tests and similar text types to measure progress.
Next steps
If you'd like a training plan, see How to improve your typing speed.