Typing fast is one of those skills that can skyrocket your productivity.
And no matter how long you’ve been typing or how old you are, you can always learn how to type faster.
In this article, we cover multiple tips to help you type faster.
Table of Contents
1) To more efficiently fix a mistake
If you mess up a word but have already typed a bit further, there’s a tendency to hit the backspace a bunch of times.
A more efficient way to do things is to erase whole words at once.
You can do this through the following command:
Option + backspace
If you’re on Windows, it’s:
Ctrl + backspace
On the other hand, if you want to erase a whole line of text, you can use the following on a Mac:
Command + backspace
2) 10fastfingers.com
An easy way to increase your typing speed is to use a testing site.
10fastfingers uses the most common words in the English language to test out your typing speed.
While the average typing speed is around 45 WPM, many have used 10fastfingers to increase their speed considerably.
It’s definitely possible to increase your typing speed by more than 50% with consistent practice.
Some who haven’t put much thought into their typing speed can even double it with practice.
3) Minimize use of the mouse
Using the mouse is inefficient and can take up seconds that up to minutes throughout the day.
For Mac users, an easy way to navigate to what they want is through Alfred, which can be accessed through:
Command + spacebar
This opens up the Spotlight Search:
Then you can type in practically whatever you want – apps, file names, etc. – in order to find what you’re looking for.
You can even type in individual websites, which will then come up in a new tab in your default browser.
So be a keyboard warrior, not a mouse warrior.
4) Don’t look at the keyboard
When you type, ideally you should be looking at the screen instead of at the keyboard.
For those who are more or less fluent in typing and been doing it most days their whole lives, they should already be doing this probably more than 95% of the time.
This also includes fixing errors.
For this, the option + backspace (or CTRL + backspace for Windows) or command + backspace (to delete an entire line) can come in handy, as we discussed above.
5) Always put your fingers on home row
The resting position for your fingers on the keyboard are ASDF (left hand) and JKL; (right hand).
As you may have learned in typing class, this is what’s called “home row.”
The F and J keys on the keyboard have little blips or indentations on them to teach you where to put your focus and find home row easily since you know your pointer fingers go there.
Keeping your hands in position is key in being able to type efficiently.
6) Don’t be afraid to make noise
Have you ever found that when you type more quietly (so as to not disturb or because it’s simply annoying) you type slower?
To really get your tempo up you have to not be afraid to really start cranking.
Just like if you want to swim fast you can’t be afraid to hurt the water. You don’t have to be overly gentle.
Making some clicky clacky clack sounds on the keyboard is just part of it.
7) Always be improving
Typing is something that just about everyone can improve through time.
Also think about getting back to fundamentals.
For example, many people tend to underuse their pinkies when they type.
They only use the thumb on the spacebar (or maybe they even use their pointer finger) and mostly use their second, third, and fourth fingers to type.
Our typing habits are something we rarely think about because we’ve had them for so long but it does pay to think about them and try to make them more efficient.
8) Find a great keyboard
Your keyboard may be holding you back.
Some keyboards are easier to type on than others.
Some have bigger bulkier keys that can be hard to type efficiently on.
Other keyboards are relatively flat and fairly silent, like Apple’s.
Some love the mechanical keyboards.
Whatever the case, upping your productivity through faster typing speed is something you can definitely accomplish with a more comfortable keyboard.
Best Keyboard for Mac
Apple Magic Keyboard (Wireless, Rechargable) (US English)
Best Mechanical Keyboard
SteelSeries Apex 5 Hybrid Mechanical Gaming Keyboard – Per-Key RGB Illumination – Aircraft Grade Aluminum Alloy Frame – OLED Smart Display
This brand has various types of keyboards, depending on the user’s tastes:
- Tactile and silent
- Tactile and quiet
- Tactile and clicky
- Linear and quiet
- Linear and silent
Conclusion
If you’ve ever wondered how to type faster, then this article should be able to provide you with the motivation and some effective methods.
With regular practice, it is possible for many who haven’t put much thought into their typing speed to double his/her typing speed within a few months.
