How to Type Faster for Beginners - From 20 WPM to 60 WPM

How to Type Faster for Beginners

If you are starting from scratch or stuck below 40 WPM, this guide is for you. Whether you are preparing for your first job typing test, trying to keep up at work, or just tired of being slow at the keyboard — the techniques here will get you moving faster without picking up bad habits that limit you later.

Key points:

• Touch typing — using all ten fingers without looking — is the single most important skill to build
• Accuracy first, speed second — typing fast but wrong trains the wrong muscle memory
• Most beginners gain 10 to 15 WPM within two to three weeks of consistent daily practice
• You do not need to type 80 WPM to pass most entry-level job tests — 40 to 55 WPM with 95% accuracy is the target for most office and government roles

Why You Type Slowly — And What Actually Fixes It

Most slow typists have one or more of these habits:

• Looking at the keyboard while typing — your eyes should always be on the screen
• Using only 2 to 4 fingers — limits reach and forces constant hand repositioning
• No consistent home row position — hands wander, slowing every keystroke
• Prioritizing speed over accuracy — errors slow you down more than typing carefully

The good news: all of these are fixable. None require special tools or paid software. They require deliberate practice with the right technique from day one.

Step 1 — Learn the Home Row

The home row is the foundation of fast typing. It is the middle row of your keyboard:

Left hand: A — S — D — F Right hand: J — K — L — ;

Your index fingers rest on F and J — the keys with the small raised bumps you can feel without looking. Every other key on the keyboard is reached by moving a finger away from the home row and returning to it.

Why this matters: When your fingers always return to the same position, your brain builds a map of where every key is. Over time, you stop thinking about individual keys and just type words — the same way you walk without thinking about each foot.

Practice drill: Without looking at your keyboard, type the home row keys across and back 20 times: asdfjkl; asdfjkl; — slowly and accurately. This is your starting point before anything else.

Step 2 — Use All Ten Fingers

Each finger is responsible for specific keys. Following this layout consistently is what builds the muscle memory that makes fast typists fast.

You do not need to memorize this table — you need to practice it until your fingers find the right keys automatically. Use the finger map as a reference when you make errors, not as something to consciously think about while typing.

Step 3 — Stop Looking at the Keyboard

This is the hardest habit to break and the most important one to fix.

Looking at the keyboard forces a slow cycle: eyes move down, read the key, eyes move back up, type, repeat. At 40 WPM, this cycle takes about 1.5 seconds per word. At 60 WPM with eyes on the screen, it takes under a second.

How to stop:

Cover your hands with a piece of paper or a small cloth while you practice. When you cannot see your fingers, your brain is forced to build the spatial memory it needs. This is uncomfortable at first, and your speed will drop temporarily. That drop is normal and temporary — push through it.

Most people who commit to eyes-on-screen practice for two weeks break the habit permanently.

Step 4 — Fix Your Posture and Setup

Physical setup affects typing speed more than most people realize.

Chair height: Your forearms should be roughly parallel to the floor. If your wrists angle upward or downward to reach the keyboard, you will fatigue faster and make more errors.

Wrist position: Keep your wrists elevated slightly — not resting flat on the desk. Resting wrists create tension that limits finger movement and reduces your speed ceiling.

Screen height: The top of your screen should be at or slightly below eye level. Looking down or up at your screen pulls your posture out of alignment.

Keyboard distance: Position the keyboard so your elbows are close to your body at roughly 90 degrees. Reaching too far forward creates shoulder tension that transfers to your hands.

Lighting: Type in adequate light. Dimly lit rooms cause eye strain that slows your reading speed, which directly limits your typing speed.

How to Type Faster in 5 Minutes

You cannot permanently increase your WPM in 5 minutes — but you can immediately type faster right now by doing one thing: slow down deliberately.

This sounds backwards. Here is why it works:

When you type at the edge of your speed, your error rate climbs. Each error costs you time — you pause, backspace, retype. At 90% accuracy, you are spending roughly 10% of your typing time fixing mistakes. At 97% accuracy, that drops to 3%.

A typist at 45 WPM with 97% accuracy finishes more work per minute than a typist at 55 WPM with 88% accuracy — and scores higher on an employer typing test.

The 5-minute technique: Before your next typing session, set your mental speed 20% slower than feels natural. Focus entirely on hitting every key correctly. Within 5 minutes your accuracy will improve noticeably. Over days, your speed will climb naturally to match this higher-accuracy baseline.

How to Type Faster on a Laptop

Laptop keyboards have shorter key travel, keys closer together, and no numeric keypad. This creates specific challenges for job applicants who will take their test on a desktop keyboard.

Tips specific to laptop typing:

Apply lighter pressure. Laptop keys register with much less force than desktop keys. Heavy typists who use laptop keyboards often find their speed drops on desktop keyboards because they are not pressing firmly enough.

Practice on a full-size keyboard when possible. If your job test will be taken on a desktop computer at a testing center, spend time practicing on a full-size keyboard before test day. Even borrowed access to a desktop keyboard for your final week of practice makes a measurable difference.

Use the number row, not a numpad. Laptops have no numpad. If your job test involves numbers, practice typing them on the number row above the letters — this is what you will use on test day regardless of what keyboard you own.

Watch your wrist angle. Laptop keyboards are typically flatter than desktop keyboards. This can cause wrists to bend downward more than is comfortable. Use a laptop stand to raise the screen and pair it with an external keyboard if you are doing significant typing practice.

How to Type Fast in 1 Day

You cannot become a fast typist in one day — but you can make meaningful progress in a single focused session. Here is what will actually work in 24 hours:

Hour 1 — Establish your baseline. Take a 5-minute typing test and record your net WPM and accuracy. Do not try to perform — just type naturally. This is your starting point.

Hours 2 to 3 — Home row drills. Practice only the home row keys. Type asdfjkl; patterns, simple words using only those letters (as, all, fall, lass, flask, salsa), and short sentences using common letters. Slow and accurate.

Hour 4 — Full keyboard at reduced speed. Type simple sentences at 80% of your normal pace, focusing on correct finger usage and zero errors. If you make an error, stop, breathe, and continue at a slower pace.

Hour 5 — Take another test. Measure your score again. Most people see a 2 to 5 WPM improvement after a single focused session. More importantly, your accuracy should be noticeably higher.

Repeat this approach daily for two to three weeks, and you will see consistent weekly gains of 3 to 5 WPM.

A 4-Week Beginner Practice Plan

Week 1 — Foundation

Focus: Home row, correct finger usage, eyes off keyboard. Daily practice: 15 minutes of home row drills and simple words. No speed pressure. End of week target: Type simple sentences using correct fingers without looking, even if slowly.

Week 2 — Full Keyboard

Focus: All keys with correct fingers. Accuracy above everything. Daily practice: 15 minutes of full sentences at a deliberately slow, accurate pace. End of week target: 30 WPM with 95% accuracy on a 1-minute test.

Week 3 — Build Speed

Focus: Gradually increase speed while maintaining 95% accuracy. Daily practice: Two 1-minute tests per day. Between them, identify your slowest words and practice those specifically. End of week target: 40 WPM with 95% accuracy.

Week 4 — Test Format Practice

Focus: Build endurance at your test length. Daily practice: One 3-minute or 5-minute test per day at test conditions. End of week target: 45 to 50 WPM with 95% accuracy on a 3-minute test.

What Typing Speed Do You Need for Entry-Level Jobs?

If you are practicing to pass a job typing test, here are the targets for common entry-level roles:

Most entry-level roles require 40 to 55 WPM. This is achievable in four to six weeks of consistent daily practice starting from a baseline of 20 to 25 WPM.

Practice with tests that match your target role:

Common Beginner Mistakes

Practicing too fast too soon. Typing at the edge of your speed before muscle memory is established reinforces bad habits. The errors you make at high speed become part of your pattern. Start slow, build accuracy, then let speed follow.

Skipping the home row. Many beginners want to jump straight to typing full sentences. Spending just three to five days on home-row drills pays off for months afterward. Do not skip this step.

Short inconsistent sessions. One 2-hour session per week does not produce the same results as 15 minutes daily. Muscle memory is built through repetition over time, not through volume in a single sitting.

Not measuring your progress. Take a baseline test on day 1 and record your score. Test again at the end of each week. Seeing your numbers improve is the most powerful motivator to keep practicing — and it shows you which weeks your technique is working.

Giving up during the awkward phase. When you first switch to correct finger usage and stop looking at the keyboard, your speed will drop temporarily. This is normal. Most people see their speed return to baseline within one to two weeks and then surpass it. The awkward phase is proof that new muscle memory is forming.

Start Practicing Now

The fastest way to improve is to take real timed tests under realistic conditions. Use the free tests below to measure your current speed and track your progress week by week.

Practice by duration — start at your comfort level:

Calculate your score:

• Net WPM Calculator — see your actual employer score after error deductions
• WPM to KPH Calculator — convert for data entry roles that measure keystrokes per hour

Frequently Asked Questions