Fact · Typing and writing speed
26 and 36words per minute
The 2014 study's introduction reports that copying a sentence gives about 26 words per minute when people write neatly and 36 words per minute when they write as fast as possible.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“In a short handwriting assessment when copying a sentence, on average, the speed is 26 words per minute (wpm) when asked to write neatly and 36 wpm when asked to write as fast as possible”
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, Introduction.
Open the original- What it measures
- The authors cite an earlier assessment for these two figures and use them as a benchmark for students aged 17 to 25.
- What it does not show
- These figures come from earlier work that the authors cite; the study's own mean of 22.85 words per minute is a separate result.