The average person types at a speed of 40 words per minute. Professional typists average around 75 words per minute, and extremely skilled typists can reach up to 120.
Typing tests judge speed by characters successfully typed divided by the elapsed time. The words per minute standard defines a word as five characters long to account for differing word lengths. Tests judge users on both speed and accuracy. Errors deduct from the final WPM score, and an accuracy percentage displays along with the speed.
Tips to improve typing speed include maintaining good posture, adhering to proper form and pressing keys down lightly. Using a mechanical keyboard also improves speed, as the keys require less force to press down.
