The next WPM jump usually comes from your keyboard, not more practice
WHAT IS A GOOD TYPING SPEED?
Is 42 WPM good? Is 120 WPM fast? The answer depends on who you are and what you need typing for. Here are the exact benchmarks for every speed from beginner to elite.
Take a free typing test on Kwerty to find out your WPM, then check the ratings below.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
TYPING SPEED RATING SCALE
Where every WPM range falls — from beginner to elite
You look at the keyboard and type with one or two fingers. This is the starting point for people new to typing. The good news: you have the most room to improve, and switching to touch typing will dramatically increase your speed.
You know where most keys are but still glance at the keyboard frequently. Functional for basic tasks but noticeably slow for extended typing. Learning proper touch typing technique will unlock significantly faster speeds.
This is where most adults land. You can handle everyday tasks — emails, messages, documents — at a comfortable pace. 42 WPM is right in the middle of this range. Good enough for general use, but faster typists will outpace you in productivity-heavy roles.
You type faster than the majority of people. This range is ideal for office work, student assignments, and most professional roles. At 60 WPM you are typing one word per second — noticeably efficient. Most employers would consider this a good typing speed.
You are in the top 15% of typists. At this speed, typing is essentially automatic — your fingers move without conscious thought. This is the range of experienced touch typists, programmers, and writers who have invested time in their craft.
Top 3-5% territory. You type faster than almost everyone you will ever meet. This speed is common among competitive typists, professional transcriptionists, and people who type for hours every day. Your typing never bottlenecks your thinking.
The top 1%. Only dedicated speed typists who have trained specifically for maximum WPM reach this level. At 120+ WPM you can transcribe live speech, and your fingers move faster than most people can read. This is genuinely rare.
IS YOUR WPM GOOD?
Quick verdicts for specific typing speeds
40 WPM is the adult average. Perfectly functional for emails, messages, and casual documents. Slow for any role where typing speed matters — easily improved to 55-60 WPM with daily practice.
42 WPM is right at the adult average. Perfectly normal and adequate for casual use. With 2-3 weeks of daily practice you can push this to 55-60 WPM.
50 WPM puts you ahead of most casual typists. The minimum recommended for office work and a solid speed for students. You are typing nearly one word per second.
53 WPM is comfortably above the adult average. Touch typing is emerging — with 3-4 weeks of focused practice you can reach 65-70 WPM.
60 WPM is genuinely good. Faster than about 70% of all typists. This speed handles any job requirement comfortably and means you likely use proper touch typing.
65 WPM is solid. You are in the top 25% of typists — comfortably above most office workers. Typing rarely bottlenecks your work at this pace.
70 WPM places you in the top 15%. At this speed, typing feels effortless. You are faster than most office workers and can comfortably keep up with spoken dictation.
72 WPM puts you in the top 13-14%. Genuinely fast — typing rarely interrupts your thinking at this pace.
73 WPM places you in the top 12-13%. Typing feels automatic at this pace and outpaces any standard office requirement.
77 WPM is in the top 10%. Approaching pro-level. Any office or coding job feels easy at this speed.
78 WPM places you in the top 9-10%. Genuinely fast — most people you meet will be slower than this.
80 WPM is fast by any standard. Top 10-15% of typists. Even professional roles rarely require this speed. Produces a 500-word document in about 6 minutes.
86 WPM is in the top 7-8%. Approaching expert territory — likely years of touch typing or natural keyboard talent.
95 WPM is in the top 4-5%. Expert-level speed reached by competitive typists and dedicated practitioners.
100 WPM puts you in the top 3-5%. Expert-level speed. You can type a 250-word email in 2.5 minutes. Most people who reach 100 WPM have been practicing touch typing for years.
120 WPM is exceptional — top 1% of all typists. Only competitive typists and dedicated professionals reach this speed. Your fingers move faster than most people can read.
134 WPM is well into the top 1%. The kind of speed only reached by competitive typing veterans with thousands of hours of practice.
150 WPM is world-class. Top 0.1% of all typists. Sustained 212 WPM is the all-time world record (Barbara Blackburn). At 150 WPM, your fingers move faster than most people can read aloud.
GOOD SPEED BY CONTEXT
What counts as "good" depends on what you're doing
| CONTEXT | GOOD | GREAT | NOTE |
|---|---|---|---|
| Elementary School Student | 15-25 WPM | 30+ WPM | Still developing motor skills; focus on accuracy over speed |
| Middle School Student | 25-40 WPM | 45+ WPM | Building proficiency through school essays and online activities |
| High School / College | 40-55 WPM | 60+ WPM | Need speed for note-taking, essays, and research papers |
| Office / Admin Work | 50-65 WPM | 70+ WPM | Emails, reports, spreadsheets — speed directly impacts productivity |
| Programming / Coding | 50-70 WPM | 80+ WPM | Special characters slow everyone down; raw text speed matters more |
| Data Entry / Transcription | 65-85 WPM | 90+ WPM | Speed is a core job requirement; accuracy is equally critical |
| Competitive Typing | 100+ WPM | 130+ WPM | Requires years of deliberate practice and optimized technique |
HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR SPEED
No matter where you are now, you can get faster
LEARN TOUCH TYPING
Use all 10 fingers with proper home row positioning (ASDF JKL;). This is the single biggest unlock. Hunt-and-peck maxes out at 30-40 WPM.
Read more →PRACTICE DAILY
15-20 minutes per day on Kwerty. Consistency beats marathon sessions. Your muscle memory builds overnight between practice sessions.
Read more →ACCURACY FIRST
Target 95%+ accuracy before pushing for speed. Fast typing with errors is slower than steady accurate typing, because corrections take time.
Read more →RELATED GUIDES
IS YOUR SPEED GOOD?
Type the phrase below and find out where you stand
Click here and type the words to check your speed
TYPING SPEED FAQ
Common questions about what counts as a good typing speed
What is a good typing speed?
A good typing speed depends on context. For general everyday use, anything above 40 WPM (the adult average) is functional. For office work, 50-65 WPM is considered good. For specialized roles like data entry, 70-90 WPM is the standard. Above 100 WPM is excellent by any measure. The key is that a "good" speed is one that doesn't bottleneck what you're trying to do.
Is 42 words per minute good?
42 WPM is right at the average for adults. It is perfectly normal and suitable for everyday tasks like emails and messaging. While not fast, it is a solid foundation — with consistent daily practice of 15-20 minutes, you can typically reach 55-60 WPM within 3-4 weeks.
Is 120 WPM good?
120 WPM is not just good — it is exceptional. It places you in the top 1% of all typists worldwide. Only dedicated competitive typists and professionals who have trained for years reach this speed. At 120 WPM, you can keep pace with live speech and your typing will never be a bottleneck for any task.
What typing speed is considered fast?
Typing at 70+ WPM is generally considered fast. At 70 WPM you are in the top 15% of typists. At 80 WPM you are faster than about 85-90% of people. Above 100 WPM is very fast and places you in the top 3-5%. Any speed above 70 WPM can be described as fast without exaggeration.
How can I improve my typing speed?
The fastest way to improve is to learn proper touch typing — using all 10 fingers with correct home row positioning. Then practice daily for 15-20 minutes on a tool like Kwerty. Focus on accuracy first (aim for 95%+), and speed will follow. Most people can improve by 15-25 WPM within a month of consistent daily practice.
Is 60 WPM fast?
60 WPM is above average and considered a good typing speed. It places you around the 70th-75th percentile, meaning you type faster than roughly 70% of people. While not "fast" in competitive terms, it exceeds the requirements for virtually all office jobs and school assignments.
What is a good typing speed for a student?
It depends on age. Elementary students (ages 8-11) should aim for 15-25 WPM. Middle school students (11-14) should target 25-40 WPM. High school students should reach 35-50 WPM, and college students benefit from 45-60 WPM for note-taking and essay writing. Any student above these ranges is doing well.
Does typing speed actually matter?
Yes, for anyone who uses a computer regularly. Faster typing directly translates to higher productivity. A person typing 60 WPM produces twice as much text per hour as someone at 30 WPM. For students, faster typing means more content in timed exams. For professionals, it means shorter time on emails, reports, and documentation.
Is 40 WPM good?
40 WPM is the adult average. It is perfectly functional for everyday typing but slow for any role where typing speed matters. With consistent daily practice and proper touch typing, you can reach 55-60 WPM within 4 weeks.
Is 50 WPM good?
50 WPM is above average — better than most casual typists. It is a solid speed for office work and student assignments. You are typing nearly one word per second, comfortably ahead of the adult average of 40 WPM.
Is 53 WPM good?
53 WPM is comfortably above the adult average of 40 WPM. It is a solid starting point if you have recently started touch typing — with 3-4 weeks of focused practice you can reach 65-70 WPM.
Is 65 WPM good?
65 WPM is solid — you are in the top 25% of typists, comfortably above most office workers. At this speed typing rarely bottlenecks your work, and you are approaching the 'fast' tier above 70 WPM.
Is 70 WPM good or fast?
70 WPM is very good — top 15% of all typists. At this speed typing feels effortless and you can comfortably outpace spoken dictation. Most office, coding, or writing roles feel easy at 70 WPM.
Is 77 WPM good?
77 WPM is fast — top 10% of all typists. You are approaching pro territory. Office and coding work feels effortless. Continue practicing to reach 90+ WPM and join the top 5%.
Is 78 WPM good?
78 WPM is fast — top 9-10% of all typists. Most people you encounter will type slower than this. Typing is fully automatic at this speed and rarely a bottleneck for any task.
Is 86 WPM good?
86 WPM is very fast — top 7-8% of all typists. You are approaching expert territory. This level usually represents years of touch typing or natural keyboard talent.
Is 95 WPM good?
95 WPM is excellent — top 4-5% of all typists. Expert-level speed reached by competitive typists, professional transcribers, and dedicated touch typists who have practiced for years.
Is 134 WPM good?
134 WPM is exceptional — well into the top 1% of all typists. This speed is reached only by competitive typing veterans with thousands of hours of deliberate practice.
Is 150 WPM good?
150 WPM is world-class — top 0.1% of all typists. You are approaching world-record territory. The all-time sustained record is 212 WPM by Barbara Blackburn on a Dvorak keyboard.
FIND OUT YOUR WPM
Now that you know the benchmarks, test yourself. Take a free typing test on Kwerty and see exactly where your speed ranks.
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