Fast typing skills will take you far as a computer user. Workers in the office need to learn to type fast to meet up with the job demands and get things done more quickly. Students also need fast typing skills to meet up with deadlines and assignments.
Thankfully, typing fast and accurately is a skill that any computer user can learn. With proper guidance on the ABCs of fast typing, you can become a keyboard expert in no time. This guide that teaches you how to type faster is a good place to start.
Benefits of Being a Fast and Accurate Typist
Unlike some other skills, going faster at typing has many benefits for your productivity. If you’re a regular computer user, learning to be a fast and accurate typist has all these benefits for you:
1. Time-Saving
Workers who use computers to get most of their tasks done know the importance of doing things in record time. Students or secretaries who take notes on their computer also know how hard it is to catch up and get all the key info down if they can’t type fast.
With so many things to do, not knowing how to speed type slows you down and hampers many other activities from being completed. As a fast and accurate typist, you save time and become more productive. Sending reports, taking the minutes, sending numerous emails, etc., get done quickly.
2. Posture Improvement
Slow typers tend to maintain a poor posture when typing because they bend over to look out for keys before pressing them. Again, slow typers spend a lot of time sitting in one position trying to get through their tasks.
This poor sitting posture over a long period leads to health problems such as back pain or strain injury. By learning to touch type (type without looking at the keyboard), you can correct this bad posture and improve spinal issues too.
3. Focus Improvement
Learning to touch type also means that your focus is improved. You can type without looking at the keyboard for long periods and make little to no errors. You no longer have to interrupt your thoughts to look at the keyboard when typing. You are better focused, and your ideas flow smoother.
Tips for Improving Your Typing Speed
To improve your typing speed, you need certain practices that will guide you on how to touch type. Some of these practices are commonplace and easy to learn quickly. Some take a little more effort and time. Following these tips closely will get your typing speed up steadily and professionally.
Focus on Good Typing Habits
Yes, there are bad habits in typing and good ones. To type fast and accurately, you need to get rid of the bad habits and pick up on better ones. Most likely, you still use the same typing position you started with when you first learned to type.
Some types of games also make keyboard users stick to one particular part of the keyboard when typing because that’s how they have learned to use the keyboard over a long period. Some other typists find it more comfortable to use only two fingers to type because that’s how they have typed all of their lives.
Others follow each key they press with their eyes as they type. These are all bad typing habits. You must stop them and focus on the good practices you will learn in the following tips.
Use All of Your Fingers
Instead of pressing the keyboard with only a few select fingers (just two fingers for some people), you must learn to use all ten fingers. You start by learning the correct finger placement on the keyboard.
On your keyboard, look out for the F and J keys; you will see that they each have a bump. Those bumps tell you where to put your fingers without looking at the keyboard. Your index fingers (pointer fingers) should rest on those keys, and the rest of your fingers will align on the ASDF and JKL keys.
Learn How to Touch Type
The best place to learn touch type is to get familiar with keys without looking at the keyboard. This practice takes a lot of time, running into weeks or months.
First, ensure you get all ten fingers in the right positions. After each key press, the fingers must return to the home row position (the middle row; ASDF JKL). It gets tempting to look at the keys when typing, but this is where your mental strength comes in.
No matter how much it slows you down, try not to look at them. This will only last long enough to train your brain to know where the right keys for each finger are without looking down at the keyboard. Saying each key out as you press it helps for the first few attempts.
Watch Your Sitting Posture
It’s easy to get used to the bent-over position when learning to type. However, to be a good typist, you must learn to correct your posture. First, get a good seat and sit up straight with your feet firmly planted on the floor.
Your wrist should be situated in a way that all fingers can cover your keyboard. Your head should also be able to see your screen properly without slouching over.
Use Apps to Practice and Test Yourself
To become even better at typing, there are many apps you can use to test your improvement over time.
TypeRacer is a great game where you have to type fast and accurately to win a car race against other typing competitors. Touch Typing Study helps you get more familiar with finger placement and touch typing. Learn Typing gives you typing exercises of varying levels to help you up your game.
Take Your Time
Learning to type fast and accurately takes a lot of time, especially if you have already learned to type in one way before. Unlearning and relearning typing techniques is not a day’s job. Don’t beat yourself up about not getting it in the first few tries.
Remain consistent and take a break when you need to for the best results.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Here are a few FAQs that can help you as you learn to type fast.
Will changing your keyboard layout improve speed?
Between DVORAK keyboard layout and QWERTY, DVORAK has been proven through various tests to improve typing speed up to 60%.
What is the best way to decrease the likelihood of a strain injury?
To reduce the chances of injury from typing, you may change your work environment to a more convenient space. Get a more comfortable table and adjustable chair that you can adjust to maintain good posture.
Don’t slouch over while typing, or you put your spine at risk of being bent, causing strain on your back.
What is the average typing speed?
According to Wikipedia, the average typing speed of a professional typist is between 50 to 80 words per minute (wpm). However, advanced typists can go up to 120 wpm.
What is the average typing accuracy?
The average typing accuracy for a professional typist is around 92%. This means for every 100 words they type; they make about eight errors max. The average typist aims for 97% accuracy and above.
Final Thoughts
Typing fast and accurately offers you tremendous benefits, especially in terms of productivity. With this guide, you will learn how to become an expert fast typist to improve your effectiveness on the computer at work, business, school, or gaming for fun.
