The average typing speed is about 52 words per minute, or WPM. That number comes from a 2018 study led by Aalto University, which measured more than 168,000 volunteers, most of them teenagers and young adults.
For children, we could not find a trustworthy average for each age. What exists are targets that some schools publish for each grade. For grades 3 to 6, the ones we found run from 5 to 26 WPM, and they do not agree with each other.
Children start typing at different times, so an age or a grade is only a starting point. The fair comparison is a child against their own last month. Accuracy comes before speed.
We make Bumpy Keys, a typing game for ages 4 to 9, so weigh that when we mention it. We opened every source on this page on 2 October 2026. Each number names where it came from, and the full list is at the end.
What is the average typing speed?
The largest public study we could open is "Observations on Typing from 136 Million Keystrokes" by Dhakal, Feit, Kristensson and Oulasvirta, presented at the CHI conference in 2018. Each volunteer typed 15 English sentences in an online test.
Across everyone, the average was 51.56 WPM, which the authors round to 52. The spread was wide.
| In the Aalto University study | Typing speed |
|---|---|
| Average for everyone | 52 WPM |
| One in ten typed under | About 26 WPM |
| One in ten typed over | About 78 WPM |
| Average for people who had typing training | 54 WPM |
| Average for people who had none | 49 WPM |
Source: Dhakal, Feit, Kristensson and Oulasvirta, CHI 2018, 168,960 volunteers.
Who took part matters. The volunteers came from a website that offers typing courses and typing tests. Their average age was 24.5, three out of four were between 11 and 30, and 72% had taken a typing course. So 52 WPM describes people who chose to take a typing test. It is not a figure for every adult, and it is not a figure for children.
What set the faster typists apart? They made fewer mistakes. The authors write that "reducing errors by a small margin can contribute to a large gain in speed." They also used more fingers. The fastest tenth said they used 8.4 fingers on average. The tenth with the lowest speeds said 5.3.
Average typing speed by age
We looked for a published average for each age and did not find one we could verify. The Aalto University study reports one average for all its volunteers and does not split it by age. So this page does not list an average for a 7 year old or a 10 year old. If a chart does, ask where its numbers come from.
What schools do publish is targets by grade. The table in the next section shows the usual US age beside each grade, so you can find the row closest to your child.
For kindergarten and grade 1, about ages 5 to 7, none of the sources we opened gives a WPM target. Omaha Public Schools says "Grades K and 1 do not work on touch-typing, but instead focus on developing keyboard awareness." New York's guidance says children in these grades should explore keyboards.
Typing speed by grade: targets some schools publish
Here are three published sets of targets, side by side. Each one is that source's own goal. None of them is a national rule. Children start at different times, so read the grade as a rough guide.
| Grade and usual US age | Omaha Public Schools, Nebraska (2016) | Written-Language Production Standards (2014) | Learning.com suggested goals |
|---|---|---|---|
| Kindergarten and grade 1, ages 5 to 7 | No WPM target | No typing speed until grade 3 | Not listed |
| Grade 2, ages 7 to 8 | 10 to 12 WPM at 85% accuracy | No typing speed until grade 3 | Not listed |
| Grade 3, ages 8 to 9 | 10 to 12 WPM at 85% accuracy | 5 to 10 WPM | 12 WPM at 90% accuracy |
| Grade 4, ages 9 to 10 | 12 to 15 WPM at 88% accuracy | 10 to 15 WPM | 16 WPM at 90% accuracy |
| Grade 5, ages 10 to 11 | 15 to 18 WPM at 88 to 90% accuracy | 15 to 20 WPM | 21 WPM at 90% accuracy |
| Grade 6, ages 11 to 12 | 15 to 18 WPM at 88 to 90% accuracy | 20 to 25 WPM | 26 WPM at 90% accuracy |
| Grade 7, ages 12 to 13 | Not covered | At least 25 WPM | 30 WPM at 90% accuracy |
| Grade 8, ages 13 to 14 | Not covered | At least 30 WPM | 33 WPM at 90% accuracy |
| Grades 9 to 12, ages 14 to 18 | Not covered | Not covered | 35 to 40 WPM at 90% accuracy |
Omaha Public Schools: the "minimum competency" rows in its K to 6 keyboarding plan, from a pacing guide revised in September 2016. We read a copy hosted by EduTyping, so ask the district for its current targets. Written-Language Production Standards: written after a 2012 handwriting summit and hosted by the publisher Zaner-Bloser. Its speeds are for typing from copy. Learning.com: a suggested guide for its EasyTech Adaptive Keyboarding product, which says the goals "can be adjusted."
The sources disagree. For grade 5 the three targets are 15 to 18, 15 to 20 and 21 WPM. For grade 6 they run from 15 to 26 WPM. Each school or publisher picked its own goal, which tells you there is no single correct speed for a grade.
Omaha's guide also adds a caution about the early rows. It says "In grades 2 and 3, the focus should be on technique and accuracy," and that speed "may be discussed and measured" in grades 4 through 6.
Some states set no speed at all
Utah's State Board of Education publishes elementary keyboarding standards, revised in September 2024, with no WPM number in them. Children are asked to "improve accuracy" and to "improve speed" on short timed writings. The level called Meets Expectations reads "The student knows the keys and keys by touch." Utah's own summary says "Keyboarding by touch, rather than speed, is introduced in the Elementary Keyboarding Standards."
The New York State Education Department takes a similar line in its 2017 keyboarding guidance. For grades 3 and 4 it asks for keyboarding instruction "with a focus on technique over speed." Speed joins accuracy as a focus in grades 5 and 6, and each district sets its own goal.
What the Common Core says about typing
The Common Core writing standards do not use WPM. They count pages typed in a single sitting.
| Standard | Grade | What it asks |
|---|---|---|
| W.3.6 | 3 | Produce and publish writing "using keyboarding skills," with guidance and support from adults. No amount is given. |
| W.4.6 | 4 | Show enough keyboarding skill "to type a minimum of one page in a single sitting." |
| W.5.6 | 5 | The same, for "a minimum of two pages in a single sitting." |
| W.6.6 | 6 | The same, for "a minimum of three pages in a single sitting." |
Source: Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, writing standard 6, read in the copy published by the Council of Chief State School Officers.
These standards give no WPM figure, so we have not turned pages into a speed. Not every state uses the Common Core, so check your own state's standards too.
What is a good typing speed?
For an adult, the Aalto University numbers give a sense of scale. The average was 52 WPM, and eight in ten volunteers typed between about 26 and 78 WPM. To place a speed against those numbers, try is my WPM good?
For a child, "good" is a different question. Three things matter more than the number.
- Accuracy first. Omaha Public Schools and Learning.com pair every speed target with 85 to 90% accuracy. In the Aalto University study, the faster typists were the ones who made fewer mistakes.
- The right fingers. Utah's standards look at whether a child types by touch. They do not set a speed.
- Their own progress. A child who began last month and a child who began last year should not be held to the same number. Compare a child with their own last month.
A child under a grade target has not done anything wrong. They may have started later or practiced less. They may be learning which finger goes where, which can feel slower at first.
How to measure typing speed
WPM counts every five characters as one word. The Aalto University researchers use the same rule: "one word consists of any five characters." So 20 WPM is 100 characters in a minute.
Our free typing test for kids shows words a minute and the percent of keys typed right. For older children and adults, our free typing speed test runs for 1, 3 or 5 minutes.
- Use the same keyboard each time. A laptop, a tablet keyboard and on-screen keys all feel different.
- Use the same length of test. A one minute score and a five minute score are not the same thing.
- Write down two numbers. Note the WPM and the accuracy together.
- Check about once a month. Then compare with last month, not with another child.
How to improve typing speed
- Start with the home row. Fingers rest on A, S, D, F and J, K, L and the semicolon key. Our home row keys page shows where each finger goes.
- Put accuracy before speed. Slow down until nearly every key is right. Omaha's guide says "Speed will develop over time as students practice with the proper techniques."
- Practice a little and often. A few minutes on most days is easier to keep up than one long session. Our free typing practice page lets a child work on one key at a time.
- Look up a little more. Try glancing at the screen more and at the keys less, a bit at a time. Looking at the keys is fine while a child is still learning where they are.
- Celebrate small gains. Two more words a minute, or a few more keys right, is real progress.
For a first week plan, see how to teach a child to type. Older children and grown-ups can go further with how to type faster.
We make Bumpy Keys, a typing game for ages 4 to 9. It starts with the home row and puts accuracy before speed. Stars are earned for careful typing, never speed. It plays in any browser at play.bumpykeys.com and as an app on iPad and Mac. All 100 lessons are free in two worlds, Puppy Park and Dino Dash.
Questions parents and teachers ask
What is the average typing speed?
About 52 words per minute. That is the average from a 2018 study led by Aalto University, which measured more than 168,000 volunteers. Most were teenagers and young adults who came from a typing test website. One in ten typed under about 26 WPM, and one in ten typed over about 78 WPM.
What is the average WPM for a child?
No source we could verify gives an average for each age. Schools publish targets by grade instead. For grades 3 to 6, the targets we found run from 5 to 26 WPM, and they differ from one source to the next. Children start at different times, so compare a child with their own last month.
Is 40 WPM good?
Yes, for most everyday typing. In the Aalto University study the average was 52 WPM, and eight in ten volunteers typed between about 26 and 78 WPM, so 40 WPM sits inside the usual spread. For a child in elementary school, 40 WPM is above every grade target on this page.
How fast should a third grader type?
It depends on whose target you read. For grade 3, Omaha Public Schools lists 10 to 12 WPM, the Written-Language Production Standards list 5 to 10 WPM, and Learning.com suggests 12 WPM. New York's guidance for grade 3 puts technique over speed, and Utah's standards set no WPM number at all.
How fast should a fifth grader type?
For grade 5, Omaha Public Schools lists 15 to 18 WPM, the Written-Language Production Standards list 15 to 20 WPM, and Learning.com suggests 21 WPM. The Common Core asks fifth graders to type two pages in a single sitting and gives no WPM.
What is the average typing speed for a 10 year old?
We found no verified average for 10 year olds. Most 10 year olds in the US are in grade 4 or grade 5, where the school targets we found run from 10 to 21 WPM. A 10 year old who has just started may type well under that, and that is fine.
Is accuracy or speed more important?
Accuracy comes first. Omaha Public Schools and Learning.com pair every speed target with 85 to 90% accuracy, and in the Aalto University study the faster typists made fewer mistakes. Omaha's guide says that speed will develop over time as students practice with the proper techniques.
Sources
We opened each of these on 2 October 2026. Every typing speed on this page comes from one of them.
- Dhakal, Feit, Kristensson and Oulasvirta, "Observations on Typing from 136 Million Keystrokes," CHI 2018, on Aalto University's project page. The average speed, the spread, who took part, training, errors and fingers.
- Common Core State Standards for English Language Arts, published by the Council of Chief State School Officers. Writing standard 6 for grades 3 to 6.
- Utah State Board of Education, Elementary Keyboarding Strands and Standards, revised September 2024, and the board's keyboarding page.
- New York State Education Department, Guidance: Keyboarding Instruction, 2017.
- Omaha Public Schools, Elementary Handwriting and Keyboarding pacing guide for grades 5 and 6, revised September 2016, in a copy hosted by EduTyping.
- Written-Language Production Standards for Handwriting & Keyboarding (Grades PreK-8) © 2014, used with permission. For more information on the Standards, please see www.hw21summit.com.
- Learning.com, EasyTech Adaptive Keyboarding: Keyboarding Goals by Grade.
Schools update their targets. If a row here is out of date, tell us and we will fix it.
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