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Fact · Typing and writing speed

19.9seconds

At 36.2 words per minute, 60 characters (12 words of five characters) take about 19.9 seconds to type on a phone.

Checked against its source on October 16, 2026

What it measures: Time to type 60 characters at the average phone transcription speed, with five characters per word.
How it is calculated: 60 characters / 5 = 12 words; 12 / 36.2 words per minute x 60 seconds = 19.89 seconds

Calculated from

In an online study of 37,370 volunteers typing on their own phones, the average speed was 36.2 words per minute, with 2.3 percent uncorrected errors.
The blind-user study defines words per minute by counting five characters as one word, which is the convention used for typing speeds in this guide.

Cited on

Text Expanders and Autocomplete: Type Less, Not FasterGuide

Typing a 60-character sign-off on a phone takes about 19.9 seconds | Yap