Fact · Typing and writing speed
22.85words per minute
In a 2014 study of 300 university students in South Africa, the mean handwriting speed in a short copying task was 22.85 words per minute.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“The results for the mean score of 22.85 wpm found in this study”
Identifying the factors that contribute to handwriting problems experienced by students at a higher education institution in South Africa, Denise Franzsen and Aimee Stewart, South African Journal of Occupational Therapy, 2014, Discussion.
Open the original- What it measures
- Students copied a passage in a short screening task, and speed was counted as words written per minute. Some students in the sample had handwriting problems.
- What it does not show
- A copying task at one South African university, not free composition. Students with known physical disabilities were excluded, and the sample was not randomly chosen from all adults.