Improve Your Average Typing Speed With These Simple Tips

Why Do People Type Slower Than Average?

Many people type slower than average due to common habits and barriers. Understanding these reasons can help you fix them and type faster.

Poor Typing Habits

• Typing with only a few fingers instead of all ten slows you down.
• Looking at the keyboard instead of the screen makes you lose focus.
• These habits often develop early and are hard to break without practice.

Unfamiliar Keyboard Layout

• Using a new or different keyboard can lower your speed temporarily.
• Learning standard layouts like QWERTY helps boost confidence and speed.

Slow Reaction Time

• Typing involves both mental processing and finger movement.
• Reaction times vary, but anyone can improve with training (Yin et al., 2022).

Proven Ways to Improve Your Typing Speed

Anyone can become a faster and more accurate typist by following these simple strategies.

1. Use All Ten Fingers (Touch Typing)

• Touch typing means assigning each finger specific keys.
• It may feel awkward at first, but it makes you much faster over time.
• Studies show touch typists can type 50–80 words per minute, while two-finger typists average only 27 wpm (Ratatype, 2021).

2. Keep Hands and Wrists in a Neutral Position

• Keep hands at or below the level of your keyboard.
• Do not rest your wrists on the desk’s edge.
• Elbows should be at about a 90-degree angle, and shoulders relaxed.
• Typing ergonomics prevent pain and improve speed (NIOSH, 2019).

3. Sit Comfortably and Use Good Posture

• Adjust your chair so your feet are flat on the floor.
• Your wrists should be straight and not bend up or down.
• Avoid hunching over; keep your back straight and your arms at your sides.

4. Position Your Monitor for Easy Viewing

• Place your monitor at eye level and about 20–30 inches from your face.
• The screen should be bright and easy to read, which reduces eye strain.
• A well-placed monitor helps you keep your eyes on your work and spot mistakes faster.

5. Take Frequent Breaks to Prevent Fatigue

• Standing up or stretching every 20 minutes can boost productivity (Cornell, 2018).
• Tired muscles make more errors and slow you down.
• Breaks prevent injuries such as carpal tunnel syndrome.

6. Practice Regularly

• Practice builds muscle memory so your fingers know where to go without looking.
• Set small goals and gradually try to type faster and more accurately.
• Typing accuracy should come first; speed will follow.

Benefits of Faster Typing Speed

Improving your typing speed helps in many areas of life and work.

• Finish school assignments and work projects more quickly.
• Type emails, reports, and chat messages with less effort.
• Work as a transcriptionist, which often requires typing 60+ words per minute with high accuracy.

Fast typing is a valuable skill for transcription jobs. Transcriptionists listen to audio and type what they hear. Faster and more accurate typing means finishing jobs quickly and taking on more work. If you’re interested in transcription as a job, consider using professional transcription services or automated transcription solutions to help you get started.

Typing Speed Affects Productivity

• Being able to type faster saves time on every document.
• In careers like transcription, writing, and customer support, these savings add up quickly.
• Even casual computer users benefit from less frustration and fewer typos.

Better Communication

• Fast typists can chat, email, and give feedback in real time.
• This skill is valuable in remote work, online gaming, and collaboration platforms.

Extra Tips to Keep Improving Your Typing

• Use online typing tests and games to measure your progress.
• Record your typing speed every week to stay motivated.
• Correct your mistakes as you notice them to build accuracy.
• Consider speech-to-text solutions to save time for some tasks.

How GoTranscript Can Help

If you want to take your typing skills to the next level or work with text-based services, GoTranscript has solutions for you. Choose from trusted transcription services, cost-effective automated transcription tools, and flexible AI transcription subscriptions for your projects.

• Get accurate transcripts delivered fast by professional transcribers.
• Order transcription or captions online in minutes.
• Enhance your content with closed caption services and subtitling solutions.
• Take advantage of low transcription pricing and affordable captioning services.
• Use transcription proofreading and high-quality translation options for accurate global communication.
• Break language barriers with audio translation services.

With GoTranscript, it's easy to become faster and more efficient at handling text, audio, and video—no matter your experience level.