I've never learned how to write fast on the keyboard, but I decided to check my word per minute (WPM) ration. I can recommend the 10fastfingers website. There is a minute test that calculates how fast are you typing.

I tried it a few times and my average result was around 60 WPM, my best result was 70 WPM.

My best time beats 92.87% of all other people, but my average time beats only 66.78% of people.

How to practice?

My recommendation about practicing, these are not hard rules but they fit best for me:

• training should be shorter than 30 minutes
• it is good to make just one times checkers
• for me is easier to start with the higher pace with more error, and later reduce the number of errors at the higher pace

I highly recommend this typing tutor https://www.keybr.com/.

Pros:

• keybr.com collects data when you typing and make some analytics to generate the next lesson for you.
• You are not typing words like ssdd rrtt ytyt which are very uncommon and tough to read, instead of that keybr.com generates readable and pronounceable words using phonetic rules of the native language.
• Keybr.com gathers statistics of typing speed for each key, and based on this data generate word putting emphasis on weakest keys. Simply speaking if more problems you have with key than this key will occur more often.
• After each lesson algorithm's results are updated.
• Keybr.com introduces more letters when the algorithm decides that you are ready for that.

Alternatives:

• typingstudy.com -> This website has one strong advantage it displays live which finger you should use to type the given letter.
• 10fastfingers.com -> There is a level mode where you write the most common words, and if you type them fast enough then you have more different words to type.

How my progress looks like?

I noticed that I'm using only six of my fingers to type, so I decided to use all of them. My first attempt was equal to 24WPM, I really struggle with using all 10 fingers.

1 hour of training

A lot of mistakes, very slow pace of typing around 30-35 WPM.

2 hours of training

Fewer mistakes, pace around 45-50 WPM. I have to keep in mind to back with my fingers to the starting position.
2 hours 59 minutes 8 seconds I was able to beat my own personal best on 6 fingers. My new record was 73.8 WPM.

4 hours of training

Pace around 60 WPM. Best score 75.4. I have problems with letters a,s. Many times I was using the wrong hand to press the y key.

5 hours of training

Pace around 65 WPM. Best score 80.4 WPM.

6 hours of training

Pace 70 WPM. Best score 84.8 WPM.

9 hours of typing

Pace 85 WPM. Best score 99 WPM.

10 hours of typing

After ten hours of typing, I was able to beat 100 WPM! It takes me:

• Total time: 9:56:31
• Total samples: 1303

Average pace around 88WPM after 30 days of training.

Do you need more than 60 WPM as a developer?

Yes, I see benefits during:

• searching pieces of information
• responding to messages/emails

Basically everywhere I used typing I'm doing it a bit faster, but summing everything I noticed a huge improvement of productivity.

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