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



taylor16798 12 years, 10 months ago
i was already an OK speed for typing. this has helped me improve my accuracy and with taking more tests it will help me improve my speed.

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digitallucifer 12 years, 10 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I typically take a breather for a bit of 42o, and maybe a marlboro to follow it....... then it's back to the grind.

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rawrxdinos 12 years, 10 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I take a rest, by napping, or have a snack break. I also like to watch tv, as my hands can revive itself.

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gleegirl101 12 years, 10 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I go to the bathroom sink and put the hot water on and let my fingers get soaked in it, other wise I crack my knuckles.

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mark_uk 12 years, 10 months ago
Hi all. The fasted speed i've done on a typing test on a normal keyboard is about 108 wpm (having practiced typing the same text a lot of times), but on a laptop the highest was 128wpm (both was 100% accuracy as those were my top speeds). That is 20wpm difference on the keyboard. This particular keyboard is not great, cost me £3 and plastic legs are broken, have only managed to max just over 90wpm so far, so my tip would be to use a good keyboard, preferably a laptop for faster typing. Also, if you can't type and want to learn, practice DVORAK instead as you type even faster using that layout, I just can't face having to relearn to type and get confused so I'm sticking with qwerty. Mark

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bori2000 12 years, 10 months ago
My tip to improve your typing speed is to play a couple of games and practice ALOT! the games that i would chose are the one were you need to type to chat

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tasha4him 12 years, 10 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I... do a roll of my fingers and rub my hands together and continue back typing...but my fingers don't really hurt much...my hand kind of cramps at times

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happymoocow 12 years, 10 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I shake them out. If I'm not required to type at the moment, I just take a break.

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user8961 12 years, 10 months ago
When my fingers hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I stop for a while, by shaking it and by putting a little pressure onto my wrist...

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roley_poley 12 years, 10 months ago
When my fingers used to first hurt after too much time on the keyboard, I decided to switch to the DVORAK layout and now my fingers never hurt!

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jpraveensn 12 years, 10 months ago
A good typing technique is to 'try and not be with flying fingers'. Stick to the convention. With practice, they start flying even if you don't want to :)

Also, you should know the mistakes you commit while typing. You shouldn't be waiting for the red color in the text tell you that you made a mistake.

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thestarmeat 12 years, 10 months ago
To flow with the words you type feels sensational. To achieve that is by looking at the letters of each words and imagining them on the keyboard, without directly looking at the keyboard.

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georgebridge 12 years, 10 months ago
In order to be a fast typer you need a good typping technique, I mean, which finger goes to which letter key, how to move them, etc. This page lacks in teaching typing techniques.

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user5366 12 years, 10 months ago
When you type , Forget that you are typing in keyhero program and imagine that you are typing your homework . So focus on typing and don't look at the keyboard and be aware of what letters you've typed

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user5366 12 years, 10 months ago
When you type you should concentrate and know what you are typing and don't wait to see the red letters to know that you had made a mistake , You Should know what letters you are typing.

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thomas 12 years, 10 months ago
I think i need to trim my fingernails.. they make the keyboard 'slippery'.
And another thing is that: sometimes i think i type slowly, but resulting in high WPM.
and I'm wondering how the 'Practice Mode' work.

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