How to Improve Typing Speed

Here is a picture of hands correctly placed on the "home keys."

Now that many jobs require some time spent on a computer or word processor, it's important to keep you typing speed as fast as it can be. Although you may not be judged on your speed, you will be judged on your accuracy, which is an important aspect of typing. These tips can help you improve your typing speed without sacrificing the accuracy.

Difficulty:

Moderate

Instructions

1. Take a class. If it wasn't mandatory in high school or college, you should take a typing class. Even if it was mandatory, a refresher class can only help your skills. There are online and at-home classes and tools you can take as well (see Resources below).

2. When you are retyping something, don't attempt to type the whole word. Read each letter in the word and focus on finding that specific letter on the keyboard. After practicing this for a while, it will become second nature for you to spell out the word in your mind.

3. Learn the proper two-handed typing method. Although two-finger typing is fairly common, it will never be as quick or as accurate as learning the home keys (A,S,D and F for the left hand and J, K, L and ; for the right hand) on a keyboard with both hands.

4. Regularly practice using typing-speed tests. There are several free tests that you can take online (see Resources below).

Resources

• Learn2Type free speed-typing tests