40 words per minute is below the study's average of 52, and faster than the slowest tenth of its volunteers.
What this compares you with
The numbers come from "Observations on Typing from 136 Million Keystrokes" by Dhakal, Feit, Kristensson and Oulasvirta, a 2018 study led by Aalto University. 168,960 volunteers took an online typing test.
| In that study | Typing speed |
|---|---|
| The slowest tenth typed under | About 26 WPM |
| Average for everyone | 52 WPM |
| The fastest tenth typed over | About 78 WPM |
Who took part matters. The volunteers came from a website for typing courses and tests. Their average age was 24.5, and three out of four were between 11 and 30. So these numbers describe people who chose to take a typing test. They are not a figure for every adult, and they are not a figure for children.
Is 40, 50, 60, 70 or 100 WPM good?
| Speed | Against the study's volunteers |
|---|---|
| 40 WPM | Below the average of 52, faster than the slowest tenth |
| 50 WPM | Just under the average of 52 |
| 60 WPM | Above the average |
| 70 WPM | Above the average, a little under the fastest tenth |
| 80 WPM | In the fastest tenth |
| 100 WPM | Well inside the fastest tenth |
For most everyday typing, any of them is plenty.
What about a child?
The study gives no average by age, and we have not found one we can verify. What some schools publish is a target for each grade, and the targets differ. Our guide to average typing speed by age and grade shows them side by side.
For a child, accuracy and the right fingers matter more than the number. The fair comparison is a child against their own last month.
Find your speed, then raise it
Do not know your speed? The typing speed test takes one minute, and children can use the typing test for kids. To work it out from keys and time, use the WPM calculator. When you want a higher number, how to type faster starts with accuracy.
Questions
Is 40 WPM good?
It is a little under the average of 52 words per minute in the largest public typing study we could open, and faster than the slowest tenth of its volunteers. For most everyday typing it is plenty.
Is 100 WPM good?
Yes. In the 2018 Aalto University study of 168,960 volunteers, the fastest tenth typed about 78 words per minute or more, so 100 is well inside it.
What WPM is considered fast?
In that study, the fastest tenth of volunteers typed about 78 words per minute or more.
Do these numbers apply to children?
No. The study does not report speeds by age. Some schools publish targets by grade, and they differ from school to school.