Regardless of what career you choose, you’ll likely need to know how to type. According to Herzing University, the average individual types about 40 words per minute.
However, this is significantly less than individuals trained to use the touch-type method who can typically expect to type 75 words per minute(wpm) or more.
It’s easy to imagine all the benefits of faster typing, such as writing up memos and documents quicker, saving time in your work and personal life, making it easier to take notes during a meeting, and even having a marketable skill.
Specific jobs, such as transcription and office work, may have, or expect, a certain typing speed from their employees, so increasing your typing speed can be a marketable skill set to help you get ahead in many ways.
Today, we’re discussing the top 10 tips for how to get better at typing on a keyboard.
If you don’t know your current typing speed, take a few minutes to take one of the many free typing tests online to learn about your wpm. We recommend Typing.com for free typing tests.
Jot this number down and see how it compares to the average typing speed of 40 wpm. From here, you can make a goal for your typing speed.
After you’ve learned your typing speed, set a goal to help you get better at typing.
It’s tempting to want to double or triple your typing speed quickly. However, it’s essential to focus on accuracy above all else before you work on improving your typing speed.
Typing speed will come with practice, but learning to type quickly will not save you time in the long run if your work is error-filled.
If your accuracy is low, you’ll need to edit your work extensively, which ultimately won’t save you time or frustration.
Type slowly to avoid making mistakes. Most people don’t need to learn how to type over 100 wpm. For most, 60 to 80 wpm is an excellent typing goal that will help you finish your work faster.
Set your mindset first that accuracy is more important than typing speed and work to improve your typing speed and accuracy simultaneously so that your results are accurate, with fast typing skills.
Learning to touch type is the only way to improve your typing speed significantly.
Touch typing is a typing technique that involves not looking at your keyboard and limiting your overall finger motion by using all ten fingers to type.
Instead of typing with only your index fingers, you should be using every finger and keeping your fingers close to the home row of your keyboard when you are touch typing.
Limiting your hand and finger movements will increase your wpm and reduce stress on your hands while you type.
We recommend paying special attention to your little fingers and ring fingers as these fingers are frequently underused when typing, which can lead to unnecessary stress on your thumbs and index fingers and limited reach while you’re typing.
The middle of your keyboard is called the “home row” for touch typing because you should always start typing from these keys and continue to return to them as you type.
Start by learning the proper finger placement for touch typing by learning the home row of your keyboard. Rest your fingers in a curved position and place them on the ASDF and JKL keys in the middle row of your keyboard.
Most keyboards will also have a raised bump or line on the “F” and “J” keys, where your index fingers should rest, to help your fingers find your way back to these keys through touch, without looking.
If your keyboard doesn’t have this feature, consider purchasing a keyboard or installing a keyboard bump on these keys to help you learn proper and quick typing.
Having proper sitting posture while typing is not only better for your wrists and body, but you’ll be able to reach faster typing speeds too.
Here are the most recommended tips for proper typing posture:
One of the keys to learning quick touch typing is not looking at your keyboard and keeping your eyes on the computer screen.
We know it’s tempting to look at your fingers while you type, especially if you are just starting to learn touch typing, but this will significantly slow your typing down.
If you are trying to learn to type faster so that you can write based on notes or an email you have pulled up, you’ll also have to pause your typing to read your notes before going back to typing.
This will significantly hinder your typing speed. If you find yourself looking at your keyboard while typing, tape a piece of paper over your hands so you can’t look at the keyboard while you practice typing.
You can also purchase blank keys or a keyboard cover so you can’t see the letters and numbers on your keyboard while practicing.
Remind yourself that you need to rely on your touch typing skills and abilities rather than looking at the keyboard. While it may be difficult to avoid looking at first, it will benefit your typing speed greatly in the long run.
If you’re new to typing or slow at it, it may feel uncomfortable at first. However, you must put in regular time to practice typing to improve your typing speed and accuracy.
Your fingers may feel stiff and awkward when typing at first, but before you know it, you’ll be typing away with ease without a second thought.
To practice typing regularly, we recommend the following practices:
If you are struggling to keep your back supported or feel uncomfortable while typing, this may be due to your current desk setup. Consider the following guidelines when choosing or adjusting your setup for optimal typing.
Start by making sure that your back is comfortably supported. Pick a chair that supports your back comfortably, preferably one with a curved backrest that will support your spine’s natural curve.
If your lower back is hurting, consider adding a small cushion at the bottom of the chair’s backrest or choosing a chair with a cushion built in that area.
Avoid reclining back in your chair to take pressure off your back. While this may feel nice initially, it can strain your neck and shoulders.
Try moving your chair closer to your desk to avoid this strain and reduce the temptation to lean back in your chair.
Consider a chair with adjustable armrests if you struggle to keep your elbows comfortably close to your sides while typing. Adjust the armrests so that you can rest your elbows and arms on the chair arms while you are typing for the best setup.
If you struggle with keeping your feet flat on the ground while typing, consider purchasing an ergonomic footrest to help you keep your feet in place for improved posture.
Alternatively, you can adjust your chair’s seat so that your feet can comfortably reach the floor.
Avoid keyboards and keyboard trays with wrist trays. While it’s okay to lightly rest your wrists on the table or keyboard while typing, you should never rest your body’s weight on your wrists and lay them heavily on the keyboard wrist tray.
Wrist trays are only made for temporary breaks between typing and should be avoided while you’re typing as they can lead to additional strain and discomfort.
Lastly, make sure that your keyboard is at the right level. Most people have their keyboards higher than they need to have them.
Ideally, your keyboard should be just above lap level. This position allows you to keep your arms and elbows at a 90-degree angle, which is ideal for faster typing and reducing strain on your wrists and arms.
If this isn’t possible with your current set-up, consider purchasing an adjustable keyboard and mouse tray that can be attached to your table or desk to adjust the keyboard to an optimal height.
Otherwise, see if you can adjust the height of your chair so that your keyboard is above your lap.
If your shoulder, back, wrist, neck, or fingers are stiff, this will slow down your typing speed.
You won’t be able to hit over 50 wpm if your fingers, wrist, or body are stiff when you’re sitting at your desk. Incorporate regular stretching exercises into your day-to-day routine to improve your flexibility and reduce stiffness.
Wrist rotations, “claw” hands, finger stretches, and raised fist stretches are great exercises to incorporate into your routine to maximize your hand’s flexibility and reduce discomfort.
Always consult with your doctor before incorporating new exercises or stretches into your routine.
If you are new to typing or using all your fingers while typing, you may experience some discomfort at first. Be gentle with yourself and take frequent breaks to avoid straining your hands. Over time, you’ll develop stronger and more flexible muscles, and you won’t need to take as many breaks.
If you feel that you are getting frustrated or distracted during your practice session, stop and take a five-minute break. Slow but accurate progress toward your typing goal is much better than sloppy, frustrating progress.
It’s much more effective to return to your typing practice when you feel well-rested and clear-headed.
Use finger exercises after long typing sessions to continue strengthening your fingers and avoid achiness.
Improving your typing skills can benefit you in many ways, from giving you an advantage over other job applicants, saving you time writing memos or emails, and providing you with a wider job scope like transcriptionist, closed captioning, and taking notes during a meeting.
While you practice typing, don’t forget that you can use other time-saving tools to help with some of these situations.
Transcription tools, like Notta, can save you time by transcribing audio recordings or transcribing video calls live, which saves you from needing to type notes during the meeting.
You can also use Notta Voice Input to transcribe your voice as you speak so that you don’t have to type your thoughts for that email or memo.
Even if you are a speedy typist, transcription and voice tools can be a great way to save yourself time and energy throughout your busy workday.
Edit your content page from the Pages tab by clicking the edit button.
You can edit all of this text and replace it with what you want to write. Use the advanced editor to design this content page. Edit your content page from the Pages tab by clicking the edit button.
This is a content page where you can freely add any content such as text, images, links, etc.