Fact · Typing and writing speed
54.7words per minute
In Typing.com's survey of full-time workers, those who typed with five to nine fingers averaged 54.7 words per minute on a one-minute typing test, just faster than those who used all 10 fingers.
Quote found word for word on the live source, last checked October 19, 2026
In the source's own words
“Workers who used five to nine fingers comprised just over a quarter of those surveyed but averaged 54.7 wpm”
The Time Savings of Fast Typists, Typing.com, Typing.com, n.d., Findings on typing method.
Open the original- What it measures
- 980 full-time employees who typed on computers at work took a one-minute typing speed and accuracy test on Typing.com. The finger-count question was asked of a subset of respondents, and the page does not state how many.
- What it does not show
- Computer-literate full-time employees only, recruited online. The test is a one-minute test, not work typing. The difference from the 10-finger group (54.6 wpm) is 0.1 wpm, which is too small to read as a real gap.
In the data
A row of Typing Speed Statistics: Average WPM by Group, as Typing.com workers, 5 to 9 fingers: 54.7 words per minute.
- Who
- Office and professional workers
- Task
- Online typing test
- Figure
- Mean
A row of Speech vs Typing Speed: Text Entry Rates Compared, as Typing.com, 5 to 9 fingers: 54.7 words per minute.
- Method
- Computer keyboard
- Who
- Full-time workers who type on computers at work, 5 to 9 fingers
- Includes fixing errors
- Not stated
Source
Used to calculate
- In the text entry speed by input method dataset, the 19 published figures for “Computer keyboard” have a median of 51.6 words per minute, ranging from 15 to 163.
- The text entry speed by input method dataset holds 57 data points, each a published figure traced to its source.
- The text entry speed by input method dataset draws on 25 distinct sources.
- In the typing speed on computer keyboards dataset, the 5 published figures for “Office and professional workers” have a median of 54.6 words per minute, ranging from 38 to 61.
- The typing speed on computer keyboards dataset holds 14 data points, each a published figure traced to its source.
- The typing speed on computer keyboards dataset draws on 6 distinct sources.