# How fast can you type? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [May 22, 2001, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163 "2001-05-22T04:18:23Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2001, 10:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/21 "2001-05-22T22:15:08Z")
In high school (when the typewriter had just been invented), I hit 90 and was the fastest in my class. I just took joyfulgirl’s test and got a net 110, which got a dry “you type fairly well”. I guess I can’t expect to get my gratification from java applets. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![bibliophage](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bibliophage/32/7615_2.png) [@bibliophage](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bibliophage)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2001, 10:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/22 "2001-05-22T22:23:44Z")
72 wpm with 90% accuracy with no music 78 wpm with 96% accuracy with the Beatles 78 wpm with 98% accuracy with Mozart ---
**Author:** ![system](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/original/2X/e/e489c3b7d8fce19c4b355dd4fc3f88cc39c34b87.png) [@system](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/system)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2001, 11:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/23 "2001-05-22T23:16:52Z")
Fastest I’ve personally seen: 120wpm on a manual by a fellow (femlow) high school student. Slowest I’ve ever seen: Driver’s license examiner using two fingers on a maual. He was a study in slow motion. I figured he must of been queer 'cause he was a hunt ‘n’ pecker. Now my speed with the obligatory personal account. I typed 40wpm coming out of the high school class. Sometime later when the skill actually came in handy using teletype machines my speed was 20wpm. Decided to buy a new fangled 386 computer, get books on WordPerfect, Lotus 1-2-3, and dBase III, some typing software, and study for a career in data entry. Studied a chapter in each book every night. Had my typing speed up to 50wpm. Now the kicker, after interviewing for a job where I had to show the tester how to access the computer testing program, and passing with flying colors, I was told, “We don’t hire men for secretary jobs.” [Hi, Jack!] I hate mouses and Windows© keyboards. Anything that takes your hands away from the keyboard just slows you down and those extra keys I have not gotten used to when I need \\ or \\ (so I get my keyboards from thrift shops.)[/HI, Jack!] ---
**Author:** ![Esprix](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/esprix/32/7899_2.png) [@Esprix](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Esprix)\ **Post date:** [May 22, 2001, 11:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/24 "2001-05-22T23:58:21Z")
> [@](#): > > _Originally posted by **AcidKid** _ > > I figured he must of been queer 'cause he was a hunt ‘n’ pecker. OK, now that’s funny. 😃 Esprix ---
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2001, 3:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/25 "2001-05-23T03:22:32Z")
47 wpm with 90% acuracy. I never took a typing class so I guess that’s about as good as I can expect. \ At least I rarely have to look at the keyboard! ---
**Author:** ![Creaky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/e68b1a/32.png) [@Creaky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Creaky)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2001, 3:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/26 "2001-05-23T03:39:15Z")
I can type 28 words per minute. But I try not to think faster than I typo. Heh. ---
**Author:** ![Dragwyr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dragwyr/32/2855_2.png) [@Dragwyr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dragwyr)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2001, 12:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/27 "2001-05-23T12:47:09Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by AcidKid \* > \*\*[Hi, Jack!] I hate mouses and Windows© keyboards. Anything that takes your hands away from the keyboard just slows you down and those extra keys I have not gotten used to when I need \\ or \\ (so I get my keyboards from thrift shops.)[/HI, Jack!] > \*\* That’s why I have 2 original IBM PS/2 keyboards. These are the large ones that have 102 keys with keycovers that come off so you can clean them, or rearrange them into other keyboard configurations. Plus these keyboards are practicallly indestructible. Me, I used to type upwards of 80-90 WPM when I was working at the call center, but it has probably come down to about 65 WPM now. Still pretty good for somone who got a C- in typing class in High School. (25 WPM back then… Hey, I was a slow learner!) ---
**Author:** ![Living\_Dead\_Girl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ecb155/32.png) [@Living\_Dead\_Girl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Living_Dead_Girl)\ **Post date:** [May 23, 2001, 1:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/28 "2001-05-23T13:52:14Z")
At last check, around 60wpm - even after typing classes. But at least it’s touch typing! ---
**Author:** ![donkeyoatey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e47c2d/32.png) [@donkeyoatey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/donkeyoatey)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2001, 5:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/29 "2001-05-24T05:26:19Z")
Typing teacher: Donkeyoatey! Your work has certainly improved. There are only ten mistakes here. Donkeyoatey: Oh good! Teacher: Now let’s look at the second line, shall we? I just keep my left elbow on the space bar and use my right one to type. I get 800 wpm, and take the next 29 minutes to clean it up a little. ---
**Author:** ![ticker](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/d07c76/32.png) [@ticker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ticker)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2001, 12:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/30 "2001-05-24T12:38:25Z")
ican ytpe raelly fagst if irttry hard ---
**Author:** ![Pucette](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/278dde/32.png) [@Pucette](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pucette)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2001, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/31 "2001-05-24T14:30:13Z")
I can type 102 wpm according to JoyfulGirl’s test, with 95% accuracy. And here I thought I could only type 80 wpm! And I do play piano. That’s been my ticket. Now I understand why LNO can fire off emails so quickly 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Skywatcher](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/skywatcher/32/254_2.png) [@Skywatcher](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skywatcher)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2001, 9:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/32 "2001-05-24T21:07:05Z")
55WPM, officially; I needed to be certified for at least 40 for my previous position. My certification was on an actual electric typewriter at a DC government office, I imagine on a keyboard I’m closer to 80. I tried Joyfulgirl’s link but it doen’t want to work for me. ---
**Author:** ![ruadh](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/d2c977/32.png) [@ruadh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ruadh)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2001, 9:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/33 "2001-05-24T21:32:14Z")
92 wpm, 100% accuracy. As of last month. ---
**Author:** ![handy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/b5a626/32.png) [@handy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/handy)\ **Post date:** [May 24, 2001, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/34 "2001-05-24T23:32:09Z")
I don’t know what mine is but I notice those with high WPM rates above have high post counts 🙂 Are you guys using regular keyboards or the Dwovak? ---
**Author:** ![Cyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/a88e4f/32.png) [@Cyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cyn)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2001, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/35 "2001-05-25T00:03:48Z")
I type slow, but I make a lot of mistakes. ---
**Author:** ![xekul](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/x/838e76/32.png) [@xekul](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xekul)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2001, 4:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/36 "2001-05-25T04:39:40Z")
Using the test Joyfulgirl posted, 126 WPM with 98% accuracy. It seems that the rate measured by different programs/applets vary widely; I got around 90 WPM on Brainbench and 100 with gtypist the last time I used them. Cyn, I’m using a QWERTY keyboard; I tried the Dvorak mapping once, and I got up to about 30 WPM, but my QWERTY performance dropped to something like 20 WPM when I had to use the keyboards at work or school. ---
**Author:** ![orr](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/e47c2d/32.png) [@orr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orr)\ **Post date:** [May 25, 2001, 11:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163/37 "2001-05-25T23:45:31Z")
I probably type over 100wpm if I’m just chatting or sending a quick e-mail. That falls to about 75-80wpm if I’m copying from text using only words and standard punctuation. Using the top-row numbers slows me down to… I’d guess about 40-50wpm (depending on how many 4,5,6, and 7s there are;)). As for using the top-row punctuation, forget about it. I can’t even touch-type those. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/how-fast-can-you-type/66163.md?page=1)