Fact · Typing and writing speed
212words per minute
Barbara Blackburn's peak speed of 212 words per minute, from 1986, was self-claimed and was held for a brief time.
Checked against its source on October 16, 2026
In the source's own words
“Blackburn's self-claimed peak speed, in 1986, was 212 words per minute for "a brief time."”
Barbara Blackburn (typist), Wikipedia, n.d., Typing section.
Open the original- What it measures
- Blackburn was listed by Guinness for typing speed in the 1970s and 1980s. She typed on the Dvorak layout rather than QWERTY.
- What it does not show
- A self-reported figure from a secondary source. Dvorak and QWERTY speeds are not directly comparable, and no independent measurement is cited.