Fact · Typing and writing speed
68letters per minute
Wikipedia's words-per-minute article gives the average copying speed for adults aged 18 to 64 as 68 letters per minute, about 13 words per minute.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“For an adult population (age range 18–64) the average speed of copying is 68 letters per minute”
Words per minute, Wikipedia, n.d., Handwriting section.
Open the original- What it measures
- The figure is for copying a given text, not for writing your own words. The article gives a range of 26 to 113 letters per minute for the same group.
- What it does not show
- It is a secondary summary of an older study, and the article converts letters to words roughly (about five letters per word). Independent adult samples can differ; see the 2014 student study.