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How to type faster

Speed isn’t about magic finger genes — it’s a handful of fundamentals plus a little daily practice. Here are the ones that actually move your WPM, in the order that matters.

The 7 steps, in priority order

• Stop looking at the keyboard. This is the single biggest jump, and the hardest to commit to. For about a week it feels slower — then your fingers learn the map and you never look down again. Cover your hands if you have to.
• Start from the home row. Rest your left fingers on A S D F and right on J K L ;. The little bumps on F and J let you find home without looking. Every key belongs to a specific finger — let each one own its zone and return home after every reach.
• Accuracy before speed. Slow down until you stop making mistakes, then let speed build on its own. Chasing raw speed just burns bad habits into muscle memory that you’ll fight later.
• Practise in short daily bursts. Ten focused minutes a day beats a two-hour cram once a week. Speed is muscle memory, and muscle memory is built by frequency, not marathons.
• Drill your slow keys. Numbers, symbols, and awkward reaches (P, -, capital letters) are where most people lose seconds. Notice which keys trip you up and practise those specifically.
• Fix your posture. Wrists floating (not resting), elbows near 90°, screen at eye level, feet flat. Good posture keeps your fingers over the keys and prevents the fatigue that quietly slows you down.
• Learn the rhythm, not the rush. Fast typists aren’t frantic — they’re smooth. Aim for an even, unbroken flow; the speed is a by-product of not stopping.

A simple 2-week plan

Nothing fancy — consistency is the whole trick:

1. Days 1–3: home-row only, eyes on screen, accuracy first. Ignore speed completely.
2. Days 4–7: add the top and bottom rows. Still no looking down.
3. Week 2: take a 1-minute test every day, keep the median, and drill your two worst keys after each run.

Most people see a real, measurable lift within two to three weeks of ten-minute sessions — and it keeps climbing for months after.

Common mistakes that keep you slow

Looking at the keyboard, using two or four fingers instead of all ten, sprinting past your accuracy, and practising only when you remember to. Fix those four and the number takes care of itself.