HOW TO TYPE FASTER
Whether you're at 30 WPM or 80 WPM, there are concrete steps you can take right now to type faster. These 10 tips are backed by how motor learning actually works — not vague advice.
Read the tips. Then practice them on Kwerty for free. Your fingers will thank you.
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10 PROVEN TIPS TO TYPE FASTER
Follow these in order for maximum impact
LEARN TOUCH TYPING
This is the single biggest change you can make. Touch typing means using all 10 fingers with each finger assigned to specific keys, and never looking at the keyboard. Hunt-and-peck maxes out around 30-40 WPM no matter how hard you try. Touch typing unlocks 60, 80, 100+ WPM because the technique is fundamentally more efficient. If you only follow one tip, make it this one.
MASTER THE HOME ROW
Your fingers should always return to the home row position: ASDF for the left hand, JKL; for the right hand. The F and J keys have raised bumps so you can find them by touch. Every keystroke starts and ends at the home row. This is the anchor point of touch typing — without it, your fingers wander and waste time repositioning.
FOCUS ON ACCURACY FIRST
Typing 80 WPM with 85% accuracy is actually slower than typing 60 WPM with 98% accuracy, because correcting mistakes takes time. Train yourself to hit the right keys consistently before worrying about speed. Set a target of 95%+ accuracy in every practice session. Speed will follow naturally once your fingers know where to go.
USE ALL 10 FINGERS
Many people type fast-ish with 4-6 fingers, but they hit a ceiling. Using all 10 fingers distributes the workload, reduces the distance each finger travels, and allows you to type without awkward hand movements. It feels unnatural at first, but the long-term speed gains are enormous. Your pinkies are weaker, but they learn.
PRACTICE EVERY DAY
Typing is a motor skill, and motor skills develop through consistent repetition. Fifteen minutes of daily practice beats two hours once a week. Your muscle memory builds overnight — literally. Each day you practice, the neural pathways get stronger. Skip days and they weaken. Make typing practice a daily habit, not an occasional event.
TRY DIFFERENT WORD PACKS
If you only practice with common words, you'll get fast at common words but stumble on everything else. Kwerty offers multiple word packs including longer words, programming terms, and mixed vocabularies. Varying your practice material ensures your fingers can handle any combination of keys, not just familiar patterns.
FIX BAD HABITS EARLY
If you use the wrong finger for a key, correct it immediately — even if the wrong finger feels faster right now. Bad habits compound over time and create a hard ceiling on your speed. Common bad habits include using your index finger for keys assigned to other fingers, looking at the keyboard, and bottoming out keys too hard.
USE PROPER POSTURE
Sit with your feet flat, back straight, elbows at 90 degrees, and wrists floating above the keyboard (not resting on the desk). Poor posture causes fatigue, slows you down, and can lead to repetitive strain injuries. Your hands should hover over the keys, not press down into the keyboard surface. Ergonomics aren't optional.
TAKE REGULAR BREAKS
Typing fatigue is real. After 20-30 minutes of intense practice, your speed drops and errors increase. Take a 5-minute break to shake out your hands and rest your eyes. You'll come back sharper. Long sessions without breaks don't build skill faster — they build frustration and bad habits born from tired fingers.
TRACK YOUR PROGRESS
Measure your WPM and accuracy regularly. Kwerty gives you detailed stats after every session — use them. Tracking progress keeps you motivated when improvement feels slow (it's always happening, even when you can't feel it). Set specific goals: 'I want to hit 60 WPM with 95% accuracy by next month.' Then work toward it.
SPEED MILESTONES
Realistic timelines for improvement with daily practice
Initial muscle memory formation; proper technique starts to click
Fingers find keys without thinking; accuracy stabilizes above 90%
Touch typing feels natural; speed plateaus then breaks through
Consistent high-speed typing; bad habits are fully replaced
Fine-tuning speed and accuracy; approaching your natural ceiling
NOW TEST YOURSELF
You just learned the tips. Type the phrase below and see if they work.
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SPEED TIPS FAQ
Common questions about typing faster
How fast can I realistically improve my typing speed?
With daily practice of 15-30 minutes, most people can improve by 10-15 WPM within the first 2-3 weeks. Going from 40 WPM to 60 WPM typically takes 4-6 weeks of consistent practice. Reaching 80+ WPM from average speed usually takes 2-4 months. The rate of improvement slows as you get faster, but dedicated practice always produces results.
Is it too late to learn to type faster as an adult?
Not at all. Adults can learn to type faster at any age. While children may pick up new motor skills slightly faster, adults have the advantage of discipline and motivation. Many adults who switch from hunt-and-peck to touch typing see dramatic improvements. The key is consistent daily practice — even 10 minutes a day will produce results within weeks.
Should I focus on speed or accuracy when learning to type faster?
Always focus on accuracy first. Typing fast with many errors is actually slower than typing steadily with high accuracy, because corrections take time. Aim for 95%+ accuracy, then gradually push your speed. Your WPM will naturally increase as your fingers develop muscle memory for accurate key placement. Speed without accuracy is just fast mistakes.
Do mechanical keyboards help you type faster?
Mechanical keyboards can help by providing consistent tactile feedback, which helps your fingers know exactly when a key has been pressed. However, the keyboard matters far less than technique and practice. A skilled touch typist on a cheap membrane keyboard will outtype a hunt-and-peck typist on the best mechanical board. Focus on technique first, then optimize hardware.
What is the most important tip for typing faster?
Learn proper touch typing. This single change — using all 10 fingers with proper home row positioning — is the biggest unlock for typing speed. Hunt-and-peck typists plateau around 30-40 WPM regardless of how much they practice. Touch typists regularly reach 60-100+ WPM because the technique is fundamentally more efficient. Everything else builds on this foundation.
PUT THESE TIPS INTO ACTION
Reading about typing faster won't make you faster. Practice will. Open Kwerty and start applying these tips right now.
TIME TO PRACTICE — IT'S FREE