Five Tips to Type Faster

As classes move online for many students across the United States, being able to type fast on a physical keyboard is more important than ever. From writing a short email to a long essay, all students should learn to type as quickly as they write.

Personally, I first started learning the importance of typing in 4th grade, and throughout my journey from typing at 30 words per minute to over 130, I’ve gathered quite a few tips. Here, I present to you five of them to help you type faster, no matter where you’re at.

1. Use Every Finger

For advanced typists, I find that it doesn’t matter as much if you’re using the “correct” finger for each key. If you’re comfortable typing a certain way using most of your fingers, stick to it as long as it isn’t impeding your improvement.

For beginners, though, you should first learn to type with all your fingers if you aren’t already doing so. There are various websites that guide you through learning how to type correctly with both hands, but find one you like and practice on it. I’d suggest looking at Typing Club, which has many free typing lessons for you to practice.

2. Stop Looking at the Keyboard

If you already refrain from looking at your keyboard, this tip is not for you. However, for typists who glance down at their keyboard every so often, you would be surprised at how much faster you can type if you just stopped staring at your fingers.

How do I resist the urge?

Though it’s hard to not look at the keys at first, try forcing yourself to do so, even if it means blindfolding yourself. Though there are many different ways to hide your keyboard, here’s an example: when using a keyboard separate from your laptop, you can hide your keyboard under your desk and on your lap, out of sight!

Additionally, if you’re already familiar with Tip 1 (using all your fingers), it will be much easier to stop staring at your hands. If you learned about how to properly type, try recalling what finger to move before pressing down on each key. As hard as it is to memorize the keyboard, just remember that you’ll get a lot of benefits in the long run, from looking cooler to being able to type faster.

3. Practice Regularly

Once you’re already familiar with the first two tips, you should be practicing regularly if you want to speed up. This short tip seems like common sense, but typing consistently—whether it’s 30 minutes a day or 30 minutes a week—can help you type faster or at least more accurately.

Where do I practice?

Here are some of the typing websites I use that you can take a look at:

• Key Hero: Displays your typing information clearly

• NitroType: Allows you to race with friends and strangers online

• TenFastFingers: Lets you practice typing the most common English words

4. Focus on Accuracy

While you’re practicing, typing skill is often measured by how many words per minute (abbreviated wpm) you type. However, don’t forget that accuracy is just as important as speed!

Why does accuracy matter?

Someone with an accuracy of 80% will have to type at over 80 words per minute to be as fast as someone with 100% accuracy but only 60 words per minute. For those of you who did the math, it comes out to 72 words per minute, but almost everyone stutters after typing a letter wrong, which is the main reason I suggest slowing down rather than risking being too inaccurate.

Should I work on my accuracy?

Many typing websites today allow you to track your accuracy. On my personal favorite typing website, Key Hero, there are charts of both your typing speed and accuracy, which are useful to see where you need practice. Personally, I’d suggest that if your accuracy is under 95%, you should focus on getting words correct before trying to type as fast as you can.

5. Vary Your Practicing

Lastly, instead of always practicing the same way, try mixing things up. Especially after you’ve mastered Tip 1 and 2, I'd suggest that you work on a different aspect of typing every time you practice.

If you always practice on one website, try switching to a different one. If you struggle with typing a particular letter or key, try focusing on typing that key correctly. And if you’re already at around 98% accuracy, try speeding up a bit for fun. Just remember that the ultimate goal is to improve your typing and do what works for you!