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Easy tips to increase your keyboard typing speed
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As we move further into the digital, typing faster is a sought-after skill. If you hunt and peck for letters, your typing is probably really slow. Try switching to touch typing, or finding the letters by feel rather than sight, and you will greatly improve your technique. This wikiHow article gives you some tips for typing extremely fast on a keyboard.
Improving Your Typing Speed
- Use the correct finger position over the keyboard with your fingers curved over the keys.
- Avoid looking down at your hands as you type.
- Maintain good posture to avoid cramping or getting tired.
- Practice often and use free online resources to test yourself.
Steps
Section 1 of 3:
Learning to Touch Type
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Find the right posture. Your fingers should curve over the keys with your wrists lightly resting on the desk. In other words, don't put too much pressure on your wrists. Sit up straight with your elbows bent at your sides (not resting on the desk). Correct posture helps you to be more accurate, but it also helps lessen the strain on your arms, hands, and shoulders over time. [1] X Research source
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Learn or relearn the finger positions. When at rest, your four fingers on each hand rest on certain keys, called the home row or base position. Your left-hand fingers should rest on the keys A, S, D, and F, starting with the pinky on the A, while your right-hand fingers should rest on J, K, L, and ;, starting with your pointer finger on the J. [2] X Research source By keeping your fingers on these home keys when you are resting, you always know where all the letters are. Additionally, it is easy to reach most of the letters on the keyboard from this position.
- If you already type using all your fingers, make sure you're always landing on the right keys. If you aren't, practice returning to this position.
- Most keyboards have a little raised bump on the "F" and "J" keys to help you return your fingers to the correct position without glancing down. [3] X Research source
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Know which finger types which letter. Basically, each finger types the diagonal that slants down to the right. For instance, the pinky on the left-hand types the letters and numbers 1, Q, A, and Z, while the ring finger types 2, W, S, and X. Both pointer fingers also type the adjoining row in addition to their own row. For example, the right pointer finger types 7, U, J, and M, as well as 6, Y, H, and N. [4] X Research source
- Although this is the "proper" technique for touch-based typing, you might be more comfortable not using your pinky and instead using more of a custom positioning, which is one key to the left. [5] X Research source
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Use your pinky to hit the "Shift" key. Usually, you use the pinky on the opposite hand of the letter you are typing. You also use your pinky to hit keys like the "Tab" key, the "Caps Lock, " and the "CTRL" key on the left side, as well as most of the punctuation keys, the "Backspace" key, and the arrow keys. [6] X Research source
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Keep at least one thumb on the space bar at all times. You should never have to take both hands off of the space bar at the same time. Keeping a thumb on the space bar means you do not have to shift your hands around to create a space between words, saving you time.
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Section 2 of 3:
Practicing Skills
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Begin by practicing individual letters. Try typing the alphabet in order to get a feel for where the letters are. Once you've done it a few times while looking at the keyboard, try doing it without looking.
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Move up to words and sentences. Use a favorite poem you have memorized, or try typing the lyrics to your favorite song.
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Practice on set texts. For instance, try using pangrams such as "The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog." A pangram is a sentence or phrase that has all letters of the alphabet; therefore, it is useful for tasks like typing, since it requires you to type all the letters. [7] X Research source
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Practice with your everyday tasks. If you're typing an email, try to avoid the hunt-and-peck method. Challenge yourself to use all your fingers. Once you become more proficient, do it without looking. It may take you longer, but it will help you learn how to type better in the long run.
- Always be sure to check your email for mistakes after practicing your technique. You are going to make mistakes as you learn, but you can quickly fix them before sending it off.
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Use a type-and-learn program focused on developing techniques. These programs make learning the proper technique a game, encouraging you to keep learning. [8] X Expert Source Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist Expert Interview. 24 March 2021 -
Keep a steady pace, rather than trying fast bursts on familiar words. As you're learning, periodically slow down and spend a few minutes practicing with an even rhythm, using one beat per letter. Practicing a steady rhythm helps build the muscle memory that you will need when you type faster. [9] X Research source
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Check for technique. If you keep making the same mistake when typing certain words or letter combinations, check your hand position to see if it's correct. Also, look at the tension in your fingers. You might be accidentally bearing down on a letter or the space bar while striking another key.
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Be patient. It takes time to learn to type. It can take a while to build up your typing speed.
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Section 3 of 3:
Increasing Speed
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Warm up your fingers by making fists with both hands. Open them slowly, and bend your fingers back until they can't physically go further without external help. Repeat this five times and you'll be typing faster than you did before.
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Avoid looking at the keyboard. Looking at the keyboard slows you down, as it stops your muscle memory from taking over. If you feel the need to look down at the keyboard, try to limit it to when you are starting a sentence to check for finger position [10] X Research source
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Use typing programs that specifically target speed. For instance, Rapid Typing Tutor is a program designed with multiple levels to help increase your speed over time. [11] X Research source
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Type more often. Practice regularly to build up your muscle memory, as muscle memory is what makes you faster.
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Use online chatting or messaging services. By trying to keep up with a typed conversation, you will increase your speed over time. [12] X Research source
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Type lightly. That is, the harder you press on the keys, the more time it takes for you to type each letter. Most keyboards are fairly sensitive, so you only need to press the keys lightly. As an added bonus, typing lighter will help save your hands from getting so tired.
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Remember to keep up proper posture. The proper posture will continue to increase your speed, especially wrist angle and rest.
- Use an ergonomic keyboard so it feels more comfortable typing. [13]
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Expert Source
Luigi Oppido
Computer & Tech Specialist Expert Interview. 24 March 2021
- Use an ergonomic keyboard so it feels more comfortable typing. [13]
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Expert Source
Luigi Oppido
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Practice your technique. Even if you feel like you have it down, it never hurts to revisit the technique to ensure you are doing everything properly.
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Use keyboard shortcuts. There are plenty of keyboard shortcuts for Mac and Windows , so using them will help you type faster by using your mouse less.
- For example, use Ctrl/Cmd + Right Arrow to skip to the beginning of the next word or Ctrl/Cmd + Shift + Right Arrow to select the next word. [14] X Research source
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10When you are ready to take a shot at beating the world record, go to [1] and choose a test, preferably with a three-minute duration to get a more accurate result. To motivate yourself, make notes of your results before, during, and after your training to see the increase in speed. Choose different tests, so that you don't end up memorizing a text (which gives inaccurate results).
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Expert Q&A
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QuestionWhat is the best keyboard and mouse combination?Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.Invest in a good, ergonomic keyboard along with a rollerbar mouse. When it comes to typing, ergonomics are very important.
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QuestionHow can I learn typing on a keyboard?Luigi Oppido is the Owner and Operator of Pleasure Point Computers in Santa Cruz, California. Luigi has over 25 years of experience in general computer repair, data recovery, virus removal, and upgrades. He is also the host of the Computer Man Show! broadcasted on KSQD covering central California for over two years.There are many free programs you can use online to help you learn where keys are and boost your speed. Check out typing.com, Keyword Curriculum, Coding Fundamentals, and Computer Basics.
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QuestionShould I practice every day?Community AnswerYes, I would recommend that you practice every day. That will help you speed up your typing in no time!
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Tips
- Use all your fingers, not just one or two.Thanks
- Check out cool websites that provide typing contests and games. Search for such terms as "Type fast games" and "Test your typing speed ".Thanks
- Play online games that let you have fun while typing. Avoid games like "type the alphabet", because these only teach you one phrase that sinks into your brain and has no real effect on your typing speed.Thanks
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Warnings
- If your hands begin to hurt, take a break. Rest helps with hand strain.Thanks
- Take it slowly. If you haven't used a computer much, only practice for a limited amount of time each day.Thanks
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References
- ↑ http://www.ratatype.com/learn/
- ↑ http://www.rapidtyping.com/typing-instructions.html
- ↑ http://www.rapidtyping.com/typing-instructions.html
- ↑ http://www.rapidtyping.com/typing-instructions.html
- ↑ https://youtu.be/r1I-u5JDfpk?t=46
- ↑ http://www.ratatype.com/learn/
- ↑ http://listverse.com/2012/05/16/10-notable-pangrams/
- ↑ Luigi Oppido. Computer & Tech Specialist. Expert Interview. 24 March 2021
- ↑ http://www.rapidtyping.com/typing-instructions.html
- ↑ http://www.rapidtyping.com/typing-instructions.html
- ↑ https://download.cnet.com/rapidtyping/3000-2051_4-10666000.html
- ↑ http://www.computerhope.com/issues/ch000752.htm
- ↑ Luigi Oppido. Computer & Tech Specialist. Expert Interview. 24 March 2021
- ↑ https://edu.gcfglobal.org/en/techsavvy/keyboard-shortcuts/1/
About This Article
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Reader Success Stories
- "Wow, this really helps. Thank you. I know using this method I can type really fast and help my friends and myself doing computer projects, and working really fast on Microsoft Word as I have to write longer stuff and then format it, so it takes at least an hour to do. Thank you." ..." more
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"Wow, this really helps. Thank you. I know using this method I can type really fast and help my friends and myself doing computer projects, and working really fast on Microsoft Word as I have to write longer stuff and then format it, so it takes at least an hour to do. Thank you."
..."
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"Made me figure out that I have to deal with one character at a time, not a word or phrase that I will mess up and make lots of mistakes."
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"This helped me by introducing me to the typing program that will continue to help me build speed to pass tests."
"I am a computer student and I was really in need of this. Now, I got this so I am thankful to wikiHow."
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