Fact · Typing and writing speed
0.9seconds
A four-character abbreviation such as sig and a space takes about 0.9 seconds at 51.56 words per minute.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
- What it measures
- Time to type a four-character abbreviation, including its trailing space, at the average online typing speed.
- How it is calculated
- 4 characters / 5 = 0.8 words; 0.8 / 51.56 words per minute x 60 seconds = 0.93 seconds
- What it does not show
- Counts only the keystrokes of the abbreviation, not the time to set it up or to recall it.
Calculated from
- In a study of 136 million keystrokes from an online typing test, the average participant typed 51.56 words per minute, with a standard deviation of 20.2.
- 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.