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
42 WPM is right at the adult average. It is 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. It is the minimum recommended for office work and a solid speed for students. You are typing nearly one word per second.
60 WPM is genuinely good. You are faster than about 70% of all typists. This speed handles any job requirement comfortably and means you likely use proper touch typing.
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.
80 WPM is fast by any standard. You are in the top 10-15% of typists. Even professional roles rarely require this speed. Typing at 80 WPM means you can produce a 500-word document in about 6 minutes.
100 WPM puts you in the top 3-5%. This is 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. It far exceeds any job requirement. At this level, your fingers move faster than most people can read.
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?
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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.
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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