Fact · Accessibility and health
1.87words per minute
In the 2024 blind-user study, average typing speed on the default smartphone keyboard without word prediction was 1.87 words per minute.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“The average typing speed was higher when using the keyboard without word prediction (average = 1.87 words per minute, WPM)”
Exploring the Impact of Word Prediction Assistive Features on Smartphone Keyboards for Blind Users, Mrim M. Alnfiai and Muhammad Ashad Kabir, arXiv preprint (later journal article), 2024, Section 4.1, Typing Speed.
Open the original- What it measures
- Blind participants typed on a smartphone with a screen reader. The study counts five characters as one word, so its figure is not the same as a count of real words.
- What it does not show
- A small blind-user study that found no significant difference between the two keyboards, so 1.87 is a benchmark for this group rather than a proven gap. It is not a general typing speed.