Typing tips, how to make type faster and master the keyboard

1) Accuracy

I had been trying to improve my speed for months and I was not seeing much improvement. Once I slowed down and started being more accurate instead of trying to type faster I started seeing an increase in my typing speed. I feel more in control as well. I still have a way to go for my personal goal but am pleased to see that I am now improving and relaxing more.
Learn to be accurate first then improve speed. Because if you make mistakes all the time the longer it will take you to type. Every time you backspace takes longer than if you slow down just a tad so you can type accurately. I still makes a lot of mistakes but I realize when I slow down to be accurate I actually tend to type slightly faster.

2) Practice

For new typists: Practice. Get used to the home keys work to the point where you do not need to look at both what you are typing, or your fingers on the keyboard.

For advanced typists: Practice. Develop muscle memory for typing certain types of commonly used letter parings. Identify the combinations of letters for certain words that give you trouble and practice typing them in particular to the point where you no longer need to think when doing so.
My tip to improve your typing speed is to not only practice often, but practice correctly. Try to get rid of bad typing habits and replace them with good ones. For example, you should use every single finger when typing instead of relying on the use of fingers with which you're most comfortable. Full utilization of both hands is necessary to achieve your highest typing potential.

3) Stretching

When my wrists get stiff from typing, I grab my fingers with one hand and stretch out my arm to full length and pull on my fingers back slowly. I then, stretch my fingers by opening and closing them, bend my hands back and forth, and rotate my wrists.
if you feel a little sore on the fingers or knuckles, just put your arms up high, and wriggle your fingers (only do this if your fingers feel sore. ) and if your knuckles hurt just put your left hand into a fist and do the same with the right. With the bottom of your left fist, tap the knuckles on your right hand and vice versa.

4) Know your keyboard

My tip to improve your typing speed is to feel for the "F" and the "J". As most know, those are the letters you feel for first on the keyboard. As time goes by, and you learn how to type without looking, you will not even really have to "feel" for the "F" and the "J" you will just learn the keyboard.
It is also important to familiarize yourself with the keyboard you are using. - This is essential as, if you can map the keyboard out in your mind, you wont need to look away from the screen to locate the key you need. This would also minimize time spent between getting your many thoughts onto the screen before loosing them (again).
If you are typing 60 wpm or higher, and want to get better, and not get carpal tunnel: buy a mechanical keyboard. I use red switch that I bought for both gaming/typing, and after an hour of typing, my fingers still feel fine. I wouldn't recommend red for most typists--It doesn't have the feedback that other switch types have, and takes a while to get used to not bottoming out the keys all the time.

5) Rhythm

What is important is developing a rhythm, not to hurry, but to be accurate, first-priority. Speed comes naturally with practice and time. Further, one must push one's self to perform better, but acknowledging that efficiency only is established, along with effectiveness. In closing, one must learn to type only what one sees/reads; never change the words, unless, of course, it is an editing ... exercise/test. One only types what one sees or reads!

Start training

Touch typing

Touch typing is typing without looking at the keyboard. The idea is to teach your fingers the location of each keys. The F and J keys have a raised bar or a dot allowing your finger to identify them. Once you have placed your two indexes on those keys, the other fingers are placed on the keys next to them.

In order to type fast you have to be careful about which finger to use to press a key. Take a look at the drawing below. Each color match a finger. For example the left index is light green and has to type only the light green keys.

typing test tips

Certain keys are special. ASDF and JKL; are the base positions for your fingers.Your fingers go from the base position to the key that you want to press.

A good first thing to do when your learn touch typing is to memorize the keyboard and create a mental map of the associated fingers. You have to be able to press any key without even thinking. For example if I say C you have to think move the middle finger down and press C instantly. You can only achieve this through practice. You have to build up the muscle memory of each fingers.

Key ideas

* Place your indexes on F and J
* A key has to pressed by the same finger all the time
* Don't look at the keyboard, your eyes should always look at the screen
* Go practice!

Take a typing test

User tips



typing_squid 12 years, 6 months ago
My tip to improve your typing speed is to... listen to fast paced music... I makes your blood beat a little faster and if you are sitting, your energy needs to escape somewhere... therefore, you will have a faster typing speed... :)

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naairah 12 years, 6 months ago
My tip to improve your typing speed is to...Give handjobs for 5$ , if you get alot of customers, Your improving your sped ! Rember, U <3 SEMEN !

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lilyflower90000 12 years, 6 months ago
What really helped me improve my typing speed is have a fun time at the mall. Then you have a milkshake. Through it all up, and then you can type really fast

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mandaglpanda 12 years, 6 months ago
I love my laptop!!!! It is so awesome! I am a kinda fast typer, and I have kinda good accuracy, but I do need to improve on some things.

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wajeeh 12 years, 6 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I take a five minute break.Then when I start again I become pretty good at it again.

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fuzz 12 years, 6 months ago
I've been using a keyboard daily since 4th grade... I mainly type with my two index fingers and actually am a terrible example of the "normal" F and J style approach of typing. The best advice I can give to you Bne071690 is to develop your own style of typing, you don't have to follow a "prime" example if you don't want to. Do whatever makes you feel more comfortable while typing. FInally, if you want to increase your WMP take A LOT of typing tests such as the ones presented here at Keyhero. The more you type, the better you will be. Practice, Practice, Practice as Allen Iverson would say.

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anne3yp 12 years, 6 months ago
My tip to improve your typing speed is to...

...keep typing! And I'd also say get accuracy down first before speed even if it means going a little bit slower at first because it'll improve your typing speed overall.

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anne3yp 12 years, 6 months ago
What really helped me improve my typing speed is...

...constantly playing typing games such as this one. Also, a key tip is to ENJOY it-- that's what really helped.

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anne3yp 12 years, 6 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I...

...don't stop-- because my fingers never hurt when I type. I love typing pretty much. Yes, I guess I'm a computer typing nerd.

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jjgabby 12 years, 6 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I...crack my knuckles and fan the air with them, tug on them from the fingertip or take a nap.

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1_version_of_yu_tsun 12 years, 6 months ago
What really helped me improve my typing speed is...dreaming of other versions of me who type quicker and more efficiently. One in particular, seemed interested in aiding me. He answered my questions, gave pointers. When I woke I found I was much improved--if indeed it was I that awoke...

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DreymimadR 12 years, 6 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I must have a thorn in my finger or something. I use Colemak - no hurt! ;)

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1_version_of_yu_tsun 12 years, 6 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I... keep typing the vertiginous manuscript of my ancestor and pray that I can find my way out of the labyrinth one day.

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balletfanatic 12 years, 6 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I waste time on facebook for ten minutes, stretch out my wrists and begin again!

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balletfanatic 12 years, 6 months ago
My tip to improve your typing speed is to...RELAX...feel the rhythm as your fingers dance across the keys. As crazy as this sounds, I express myself through typing even when I'm typing gibberish. Just the way you move your fingers...you can FEEL the life in your fingers just waiting to put wonderful things on the screen.

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user16578 12 years, 6 months ago
When we consider the ultimate goal of learning to type in the 21st century, you realize technology in and of itself has not "really" improved. Why do I say that, you may ask? Because we are still working on our typing skills! Should we not be able to talk and have the computers do the work, our phones do it, (provided you have a smart phone.) Ho hum! typing, typing, typing!

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