TypeWars / Typing speed
Is 40 WPM good?
40 WPM is slightly below average.
Close to typical. Many general office job listings ask for around 40 WPM, so this usually meets the bar.
*Estimate from the Aalto University study of 168,000 typists (Dhakal et al., CHI 2018; mean 51.6 WPM), using a normal approximation.
What 40 WPM means in practice
| Task | Time at 40 WPM |
|---|---|
| 150-word email | 3.8 minutes |
| 500-word page | 13 minutes |
| 1,500-word essay | 38 minutes |
| 80,000-word novel | 33.3 hours |
Times are pure typing at a steady pace. Real writing adds thinking and editing, so speed matters most for transcription, chat and data entry.
Next goal: 60 WPM
Keep accuracy above 95%, read one word ahead and drill the keys you miss most. Ten minutes a day of Word Blitz and a few races at the Gold tier will pull you up.
Check your real speed
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Is 40 WPM good?
Slightly below average. Close to typical. Many general office job listings ask for around 40 WPM, so this usually meets the bar. The adult average on a physical keyboard is about 52 WPM (Dhakal et al., CHI 2018).
What percentage of people type faster than 40 WPM?
Roughly 72% of the 168,000 people in the Aalto study, by our estimate. 40 WPM is faster than about 28% of them. This assumes a normal distribution (mean 52, SD about 20), so treat it as an approximation.
How many characters per minute is 40 WPM?
200 characters per minute, or 3.3 keystrokes per second, using the standard 5-characters-per-word rule.
How long does it take to type 1,000 words at 40 WPM?
About 25 minutes of pure typing, not counting thinking or editing time.
How do I get from 40 to 60 WPM?
Protect accuracy above 95%, read one word ahead, and drill your most-missed keys in short daily sessions.