Improve Your Typing Speed and Accuracy with These Easy Steps

With the widespread use of computers in nearly every aspect of the modern world, typing has become a useful skill in many career paths – and it’s also a crucial skill to have, given the amount of information that needs to be processed in every industry all the time.

If you don’t think you can type fast enough, you can always improve your typing speed with regular practice and a few helpful tips, such as the following:

1. Familiarize yourself with the keyboard
If you can choose or buy your own keyboard, do consider the size of the keys – larger keys will make it easier for you to find and press them, which will make typing easier.

But keep in mind that there are times that this isn’t always possible. While you can’t always choose the keyboard you get, however, you can familiarize yourself with its layout. Do this by visualizing the keys in your head, so you know where they are even without directly looking at them.

2. Arrange your fingers properly
Perhaps the most important step to typing faster is making sure your fingers are arranged properly on the keyboard. Your left and right index fingers should be resting on the “F” and “J” keys, respectively, while your other fingers should be resting on the following keys:

• Left pinky finger – A
• Left ring finger – S
• Left middle finger – D
• Right pinky finger – ;
• Right ring finger – L
• Right middle finger – K

Both your thumbs should be resting on the space bar. When you type, make sure your fingers are curved slightly and that your keyboard is resting directly in front of you – this will minimize any strain on your part and make your typing experience as smooth as possible.

3. Practice “touch-typing”
Touch-typing is a type of typing method where you’re using muscle memory to know which keys to press instead of consciously looking at the keyboard every time you do.

By doing this, you not only increase your typing speed a lot, but you also focus more on what’s in your head and put it on the blank page, rather than taking more time in finding the right keys to press.

This all starts with knowing which fingers should press which keys, starting with:

• Left pinky finger – 1, Q, A, Z
• Left ring finger – 2, W, S, X
• Left middle finger – 3, E, D, C
• Left index finger – 4, R, F, V, 5, T, G, B
• Right pinky finger – 0, P, ;, /
• Right ring finger – 9, O, L, >
• Right middle finger – 8, I, K, ,
• Right index finger – 7, U, J, M, 6, Y, H, N

Keep in mind that both thumbs press only the space bar, and that to be able to touch-type, you need to practice regularly. Aside from online tests, you can write emails and post on forums to improve your speed.

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