What is the average typing speed?

On a full keyboard the average adult types around 40 words per minute, with most people falling between 40 and 50 WPM. It is net, accuracy-weighted WPM — only correctly typed characters count.

Does age affect typing speed?

It tracks practice more than age. Children still learning sit around 15 to 30 WPM, students and young adults often reach 40 to 55, and working adults who type daily settle around the 40 to 60 average. Hours at the keyboard matter more than birthdays.

Is typing slower on a phone than a keyboard?

Yes for most people — thumb-typing is naturally slower, though heavy mobile users with swipe and autocorrect can close the gap. The ~40 WPM average refers to a full physical keyboard, which is what typing tests measure.

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Average typing speed

On a full keyboard, the average adult types around 40 words per minute — with most people falling between 40 and 50. But the “average” shifts a lot depending on who’s typing, and on what.

Take the 1-minute test → and see exactly where you land against these numbers.

The overall picture

Think of typing speed as a curve, not a single number. A large share of people cluster around the 40 WPM mark; a smaller group sits below 30 (usually still hunting-and-pecking), and a long tail runs up through 60, 80 and beyond among people who type all day. Two things move you along that curve more than anything else: whether you touch-type, and how many hours you’ve logged.

By experience level

Group	Typical range
New to the keyboard	15–30 WPM
Casual daily user	35–45 WPM
Confident touch typist	50–65 WPM
Types for a living	65–90 WPM

Does age matter?

Less than you’d think — it tracks practice, not birthdays. Children and early teens still learning tend to sit lower (roughly 15–30 WPM); students and young adults who grew up typing often reach 40–55; working adults who type daily settle around the 40–60 average. Someone in their 50s who types for work will comfortably out-type a teenager who doesn’t. Hours at the keyboard win.

Desktop vs phone

These are two different skills. Full-keyboard averages (the ~40 WPM figure) come from physical keyboards. On a phone, thumb-typing is naturally slower for most people, though heavy mobile users with autocorrect and swipe can close the gap surprisingly well. When a test or job quotes a WPM target, assume it means a full keyboard unless it says otherwise — and that’s what this site measures.

How the average is measured

“Words” aren’t counted literally: every 5 characters (including spaces) equals one word, and only correctly typed characters count. So the average is always accuracy-weighted — it reflects clean typing, not frantic key-mashing. That’s why a fair comparison always comes from a real test, not a guess.