Typing test online, free

Today, typing speed competitions are often seen as a game — an intellectual warm-up or a skills test. However, behind this «game» lies the history of serious inventions and social changes. The typewriter became a symbol of a new era and forever changed the history of writing and typing speed: it made it possible to create texts much faster than by hand and immediately in a neat, readable form. As early as the late 19th century, professional typists appeared in offices, whose speed and accuracy seemed astonishing.

The history of typewriters deserves special attention. This seemingly modest technical novelty transformed office work, contributed to the expansion of women’s employment in offices and institutions, and laid the foundation for touch typing, which has not lost its value even in the digital age. Modern keyboards directly inherited the layout of the first machines, and the ability to type quickly has become a universal skill. To understand how this happened, it is worth tracing the development of the technology and the emergence of the phenomenon of typing speed competitions.

History of typewriters

From ancient printing to the typewriter

The first attempts to reproduce texts and images on paper and fabric using printing began in ancient China. This is evidenced by archaeological finds from East Asia dating back to the 3rd century AD. Later artifacts with printed inscriptions and drawings were also discovered in ancient Egypt, over 1600 years old. These include preserved papyri and fabrics with imprints on them.

Speaking of full-fledged printing — not one-off but mass production using stamps and templates — it was invented in China between the 6th and 10th centuries. The earliest surviving printed work is a xylographic copy of the «Diamond Sutra» (金剛般若波羅蜜多經), issued in 868.

For many centuries, printing texts remained the domain of large state and religious organizations. For ordinary people, the process was too expensive and virtually inaccessible. Only in the 18th century were the first steps taken to create individual writing machines — it was at that time that the first patents for such devices appeared.

The first attempts to mechanize writing

The idea of creating a device for typing text arose long before the Industrial Revolution. In 1714, the Englishman Henry Mill obtained a patent for a «machine or method for printing letters one after another». However, the description was too vague, and there is no evidence that the device ever existed in reality.

It was only in the early 19th century that the first truly working models appeared. Around 1808, the Italian inventor Pellegrino Turri created a typewriter for his acquaintance, Countess Carolina Fantoni da Fivizzano, who had lost her sight. The device itself has not survived to this day, but letters written by the countess have. These messages can be considered among the first texts created by a person using a typewriter.

Turri’s example also inspired other enthusiasts. In 1829, William Austin Burt in the USA obtained a patent for a device called the Typographer. Its design resembled a primitive printing press: the operator selected symbols one by one and applied them to the paper using a lever. Although the machine turned out to be slower than handwriting and did not spread, it is considered the first patented typewriter in the USA and an important link in the evolution of technology.

In Europe in the mid-19th century, separate typewriter projects began to appear. For example, the French inventor François Prévost presented his own version of a printing device in the 1830s, while in Britain entrepreneurs experimented with machines for office needs. These models were far from perfect but clearly demonstrated that the idea of mechanizing writing found resonance in different countries.

By the mid-century, the search had truly taken on an international scale. Inventors in Europe and America actively tried to find a working solution, but real commercial success was achieved only in the 1870s. It was then that the Danish pastor Rasmus Malling-Hansen presented his invention — the «writing ball». The machine had an unusual spherical shape: the keys were located on the surface, resembling a pincushion. For its time, it stood out for its speed and the clarity of its printed symbols.

The interest in the novelty was so great that it soon reached well-known intellectuals. The philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche received the «writing ball» as a gift and tried to work on it for some time, but eventually complained about the inconvenience of typing. Despite such difficulties, Malling-Hansen’s model became an important milestone in the history of technology: it is considered the first typewriter to be mass-produced, starting in 1870.

The birth of QWERTY and Sholes’ triumph

A key stage was the invention of the American Christopher Latham Sholes from Milwaukee. Working as a typesetter and journalist, he tried from the mid-1860s to create a convenient typewriter for office use. In 1868, Sholes and his colleagues received a patent for a prototype in which the keys were arranged alphabetically. This scheme turned out to be impractical: when typing quickly, the typebars with letters often collided and jammed. Continuing his experiments, Sholes changed the key arrangement by separating the most frequently used letters to reduce the risk of jamming. This is how the QWERTY layout appeared, named after the first six symbols of the top row.

In 1873, Sholes and his partners signed an agreement with the company E. Remington and Sons, known for producing weapons and sewing machines, which undertook the mass production of typewriters. In 1874, the first model was released on the market, named the Sholes & Glidden Typewriter or Remington No. 1. Its price was 125 dollars — a huge sum for that time, comparable to several thousand dollars in today’s money.

This typewriter printed only in capital letters and had an unusual case decorated with paintings and gilding. Despite its impressive appearance, sales were modest: from 1874 to 1878, about five thousand copies were sold. However, soon the company offered an improved version. In 1878, the Remington No. 2 model was released, in which the Shift key appeared for the first time, allowing users to switch between uppercase and lowercase letters. This solution significantly increased convenience: instead of previous designs with a separate key for each case, users could now use the same key for both forms of the character. As a result, the keyboard became more compact, and typing faster and more efficient.

The QWERTY layout gradually became established as a universal standard, since it was used in Remington’s typewriters and quickly spread among competitors. This simplified training and turned typing into a mass skill. By the 1890s, dozens of companies in the USA and Europe were producing typewriters, but most were forced to adhere to Sholes’ system. In 1893, the largest American manufacturers, including Remington, merged into the Union Typewriter Company and formally established QWERTY as the industry standard.

Spread and social impact

The last quarter of the 19th century became the time of the typewriter’s triumph. If in the 1870s it was used only by individual enthusiasts, by the 1880s a new profession had formed — the typist or stenographer. And soon it acquired a «female face»: thousands of young women mastered typing and found jobs in offices and clerical institutions. According to 1891 data, there were about one hundred thousand typists in the USA, of whom roughly three quarters were women. For the Victorian era, this was a significant shift: a woman engaged in intellectual work was no longer a rarity. The typewriter opened the path to economic independence for them, and for entrepreneurs it provided access to a large number of trained and relatively inexpensive employees.

By 1900, specialized typing schools were already operating in America and Europe, producing certified operators. At the same time, typing speed competitions began to be held, and the fastest typists became true celebrities of their time.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the design of typewriters had acquired its classical form: mechanical devices with typebars that struck the paper through an ink ribbon. The first models typed «blind» — letters were imprinted from below, on the back side of the sheet, and to see the result it was necessary to lift the carriage. In the 1880s–1890s, solutions for «visible writing» appeared. For example, in 1895 the company Underwood presented a model with front strike, where the text was immediately visible to the operator.

By the 1920s, almost all machines had the form familiar to us: a four-row QWERTY keyboard with one or two Shift keys, carriage return, ink ribbon, and a bell at the end of the line. In the 1890s, a standard typewriter cost about 100 dollars — a sum equivalent to several thousand in today’s money. But demand continued to grow, and some models were produced in millions of copies. One of the most successful was the Underwood No. 5, which appeared at the beginning of the 20th century and sold more than two million copies.

Electrification and the transition to computers

The next important step in development occurred in the mid-20th century with the appearance of electric typewriters. In such devices, pressing a key activated an electric motor that imprinted the symbol, reducing operator fatigue and increasing overall speed. The leader in this field was IBM, which had begun development as early as the 1930s. In 1961, it introduced the revolutionary Selectric model. Instead of the usual typebars, it used a replaceable spherical element that rotated and tilted to print the desired character. This design made it possible to quickly change fonts and provided greater smoothness and accuracy of work.

The Selectric quickly conquered the market: in the USA, it accounted for up to 75% of typewriter sales. It became a symbol of offices in the 1960s and 1970s, and over 25 years of production (1961–1986), IBM sold more than 13 million machines of various versions — an outstanding result for office technology.

By the 1980s, the era of classic typewriters was quickly fading into the past. They were replaced by word processors and personal computers, which allowed not only typing but also editing text before printing it on paper. The computer keyboard inherited the operating principle and layout of the typewriter but freed users from many of its limitations: the impossibility of correcting typos, dependence on paper as the only medium, and labor-intensive mechanical maintenance.

The production of traditional machines decreased year by year, and by the beginning of the 21st century it had practically ceased. In 2011, the Indian company Godrej and Boyce, the last major manufacturer of mechanical typewriters, closed its factory in Mumbai. Only a few hundred copies of the last model, Godrej Prima, remained in warehouses, which were sold for about 200 dollars each. This event became the symbolic finale of an entire era: the typewriter gave way to computers and digital text input. However, the very concept of fast and accurate typing was preserved, becoming a universal skill for working with a keyboard.

Interesting facts about typewriters

• The human — typewriter. In the first decades after the invention, the word «typewriter» in English referred not only to the device but also to the person working at it. In newspaper ads of the late 19th century, employers sought «skillful typewriters», meaning qualified typists. Only later did the term «typist» become fixed for people, and the word «typewriter» came to refer exclusively to the machine.
• The first typed books. The American writer Mark Twain was one of the first to use the typewriter in literary practice. His book Life on the Mississippi («Life on the Mississippi», 1883) went down in history as the first work completely typed on a typewriter. Curiously, Twain himself could not type and dictated the text to a secretary, but it was precisely this manuscript that first opened to publishers the world of typed text.
• A sentence with all letters. For learning typing and practicing touch typing, a famous pangram was invented: The quick brown fox jumps over the lazy dog. It is notable for containing all the letters of the English alphabet, and therefore became a classic exercise for training on the keyboard. The first mentions of it date back to the 1880s, and by the early 20th century this phrase was included in all typing textbooks.
• The absence of one and zero. On many old typewriters, there were no keys for the digits «1» and «0». Manufacturers considered them unnecessary: instead of one, the lowercase letter «l» was used, and instead of zero, the capital «O». This simplified the design and reduced production costs. Users quickly adapted, and even in instructions it was recommended to type «1» with a lowercase «l». Only in later models, including the IBM Selectric, did the digits «1» and «0» appear separately.
• Incredible typing records. As early as the 1880s, the first official typing speed competitions began. One of the most famous took place in 1888 in Cincinnati between Frank McGurrin and Louis Traub. The winner was McGurrin, who used the «ten-finger touch typing» method and achieved a speed of 98 words per minute. From that moment, fast typing was perceived not only as a professional skill but also as a form of competition, which produced numerous records in the 20th century. In 1923, Albert Tangora set a record by typing for an hour at an average speed of 147 words per minute on a mechanical machine. The absolute record of the 20th century belongs to the American Stella Pajunas: in 1946 she reached a speed of 216 words per minute on an IBM electric typewriter. By comparison, the average user today types about 40 words per minute. In the computer age, new records appeared on special keyboards and alternative layouts, but Pajunas’ achievement on the standard QWERTY has remained unsurpassed.
• The typewriter and the state. In the Soviet Union, typewriters were under strict control. Fearing samizdat, the authorities introduced mandatory registration of each typewriter with the Ministry of Internal Affairs. At factories, «fingerprints» of all symbols of each unit were taken and stored in archives: each typewriter had its own unique «handwriting», allowing experts to identify the source of a text. It was almost impossible to acquire unregistered machines, and harsh punishments threatened for underground printing. Nevertheless, samizdat existed: enthusiasts illegally brought typewriters from abroad and typed banned books, distributing them in thousands of copies. This became a remarkable page in the history of typewriting.

The typewriter went from being an exotic invention to a ubiquitous office tool, leaving a deep mark on culture and technology. It taught people that text could be created at high speed and that the writing process could be automated. Around typewriters, their own ecosystem formed: methods of learning touch typing, typing speed competitions, literary images — recall, for example, Jack Nicholson typing on a typewriter in the film «The Shining» (1980).

Today, typewriters have become history, but their spirit lives on in every computer keyboard. The skill of fast and accurate typing, which emerged more than a century ago, has not lost its relevance — on the contrary, in the information age it is valued more than ever. Studying the history of typewriters helps us better understand the value of this skill and the intellectual elegance carried by the art of typing. It is no coincidence that touch typing is often compared to playing a musical instrument — accuracy, sense of rhythm, and many hours of practice are all important here.

Typing speed is not only part of history but also a useful skill of the present. By mastering simple typing techniques, one can significantly increase work efficiency. Next, we will examine the basic rules of typing and give advice both for beginners and for those who are already confident in their fast typing skills. Ready to move from theory to practice? Then — to the keyboard!

Typing speed in the modern sense — is a kind of online game or test, the goal of which is to determine how many characters or words per minute a keyboard user can type. Unlike board or computer games, there are no opponents or complicated plots here: the main rival is time and one’s own records. All that is needed to participate — is an input device (a regular computer keyboard or even a smartphone screen) and the text to be typed.

Usually, a typing speed test is taken solo, although there are also online races where several participants compete simultaneously on the same text. The standard test duration — is 1 minute, during which you need to type as many words as possible (on average, one word is considered equal to 5 characters). However, in some versions the time may be longer (for example, 2, 5, or 10 minutes) or may be determined entirely by the length of the text that must be typed from beginning to end. The main thing remains unchanged: maximum accuracy and typing speed.

The essence of a typing speed test lies in developing the skill of fast and accurate text entry. At the same time, the process is interesting from the perspective of psychomotor skills and logic. First, muscle memory is engaged: the brain learns to associate each letter with the movement of a specific finger, which mechanically is similar to playing the piano.

Second, peripheral vision and attention are developed: an experienced typist can read a few words ahead while typing the current ones and notice errors almost out of the corner of the eye. Third, the process combines elements of competition (when results are compared with other people or with one’s own records) and training, since improving performance requires a well-thought-out strategy.

Therefore, typing speed tests are interesting because they provide an opportunity to challenge yourself, strengthen concentration, and improve overall computer literacy. It is no coincidence that many perceive online tests not as a routine but as an engaging challenge: the excitement of striving for a better result is captivating, and in the end you are not only training but also gaining a practical skill useful in everyday life.

Typing speed: how it works

To start a typing speed test, it is enough to follow a few simple steps:

• Preparing the workspace. Sit at the computer (or take a device with a keyboard) in a comfortable posture. Feet should be flat on the floor, back straight, arms bent at the elbows at a right angle. Place the keyboard so that the wrists rest freely without tension. Make sure nothing distracts you — during the test it is better to put aside other tasks and concentrate.
• Correct hand position on the keyboard. Assume the basic touch-typing position: the fingers of both hands rest on the main (home) row of the keyboard. For the QWERTY layout these are the letters A-S-D-F and J-K-L-;. The index fingers should be on the keys with small bumps (usually F and J) — they help return the fingers to the starting position without looking. The thumbs rest on the spacebar. This position ensures convenient access to all other keys and promotes higher typing speed.
• Starting the test. Launch a program or website for checking typing speed (there are many free online services). A text usually appears on the screen — a set of words, sentences, or random characters — that must be typed. The countdown usually begins from the moment the first key is pressed. Your task — is to type the text as accurately and quickly as possible, entering all letters, numbers, and punctuation marks in the order given.
• Typing rules and errors. While typing, try not to look at the keyboard — your gaze should be focused on the task text (usually located above the input field). Do not skip words or swap letters. If you make a mistake (press the wrong key), most systems will immediately highlight the incorrect character. The standard rule — before continuing, you must correct the error, otherwise it will count. To fix it, use the Backspace key (←) and enter the correct character. Keep in mind that time continues to run while you are correcting, so it is better to try to hit the right keys immediately. Some tests allow you not to correct mistakes, but each missed or wrong character penalizes your result (for example, subtracting a certain number of words per minute).
• Completion and results. The test usually ends automatically when the set time expires or after you have typed the entire given text. Then the program shows the main indicators. The key parameter — is typing speed, most often expressed in words per minute (WPM) or characters per minute (CPM). It is generally considered that one word equals five characters; for example, 200 characters per minute correspond to about 40 words per minute. In addition, accuracy is evaluated, that is, the percentage of correctly entered characters. The ideal result — is 100%, but even experienced typists usually achieve 97–99%, since small errors are inevitable. Many services additionally provide extended statistics: number of typos, places where speed decreased, and characters that were typed more slowly than others. Such analytics help identify weaknesses and track progress.
• Variations and modes. The rules may differ slightly depending on the platform. Some services offer thematic texts — for example, quotes, programming code, or article fragments — which make the process more interesting compared to typing random words. Race modes are popular, where the progress of opponents is shown on the screen, and the task is to complete the text faster than everyone else. Training versions feature difficulty levels: from short exercises for beginners to large and complex texts for advanced users. The main goal remains the same — to type the given text and evaluate speed with accuracy.

By following these rules, you can easily master typing speed tests. It is important to remember: the main thing is not records on the first attempt, but gradual skill development. Below are tips that will help you type faster and more confidently.

How to learn to type faster: tips for beginners

For beginners in fast typing, it is important to develop the right habits from the very start. Here are some recommendations that will help increase speed and avoid common mistakes.

Tactical approaches

• Accuracy first — then speed. It may sound paradoxical, but to learn to type faster, you first need to type more slowly. In training, consciously reduce the pace to a comfortable level where you make no mistakes at all. Practice accuracy: correct hand placement and confident pressing of the right keys without rushing. When muscle memory strengthens and keystrokes become automatic, speed will begin to increase naturally. Typing instructors emphasize that at the initial stage, 100% accuracy is crucial, and only then — an increase in pace. Remember: one major mistake can negate the advantage of even ten fast keystrokes if you then have to spend time correcting.
• Break the text into segments. Do not perceive the text as a continuous stream of characters — learn to see familiar fragments in it. The eyes and brain find it easier to process information in chunks: whole words, syllables, or letter combinations. For example, the word «computerization» is faster to type when mentally split into «com-pu-ter-iza-tion» rather than pressing each letter separately. In practice, experienced typists do not look at single letters but at 2–3 words ahead. Try to train such anticipatory reading: let your gaze slide to the next word while typing the current one. Gradually, you will find the rhythm and begin to type text more smoothly and confidently, as if writing thoughts rather than just characters.
• Maintain an even pace. The secret to high speed is not chaotic key pressing but a steady rhythm. Try to type evenly, as if to a metronome. If you feel that you are starting to stumble or rush, it is better to slow down a little, restore the rhythm, and then gradually speed up again. Think of it as a marathon, not a sprint: what matters is not the maximum burst, but the absence of stops. This approach reduces the number of errors, since typos usually occur when a finger presses a key too early. Find your optimal pace, at which you can think and type at the same time — that will become the foundation of further progress.

Common beginner mistakes

• Looking at the keyboard. The main enemy of touch typing — is the temptation to lower your eyes to the keys. Beginners often give in to this, especially at moments of uncertainty. But each glance disrupts your «navigation settings» and wastes time. Train yourself not to look down at all. If you forget where a character is — pause for a moment and imagine the keyboard mentally. Over time, the key positions will be stored in memory. You can even cover your hands with a cloth or turn off the keyboard backlight to unlearn visual reliance. Believe me, speed will increase once you completely get rid of the habit of looking at the keys.
• Incorrect finger placement. Another common mistake — continuing to type with two (or three) fingers even after learning the layout. Many self-taught typists, having memorized the letter positions, do not use all ten fingers, preferring the old «hunt-and-peck» method, where searching and typing is done mainly with the index fingers. This approach has a ceiling: you cannot physically exceed a certain speed until you distribute the work among all fingers. Therefore, from the very beginning, try to follow the classical scheme: each finger is responsible for its own column of keys. Ring and little fingers may seem clumsy at first, but their involvement is extremely important. Regularly check your position: after finishing a word, all fingers should return to the home row as a base. If this is not done, the hands can «slide» across the keyboard, and you will start missing keys. Proper technique — is your foundation, and it is better to spend time mastering it than later breaking bad habits.
• Excessive tension. Sometimes a beginner concentrates so much on speed that they press the keys with full force and strain the whole hand. This is a mistake: stiffness of movement slows typing and leads to fatigue. Type in a relaxed manner, with a light touch. Modern keyboards are sensitive enough; you do not need to hit them like a mechanical typewriter from the 1930s. Watch your hands and shoulders: if you feel that you have raised your shoulders or tucked in your head — take a break, shake your wrists, relax. The freer and softer the finger movements, the higher the speed will be. Experienced typists work almost silently because their fingers glide over the keys rather than striking them.

Strategies for improving skill

• Practice regularly. For developing typing speed, the decisive factor is consistent practice. It is better to dedicate 15–20 minutes every day than to try to compensate with rare and long sessions once a week. Short daily sessions help the brain and muscles gradually consolidate the skill. Use online trainers, game services, song lyrics, or any other material — the main thing is that you type. Even if repetitions seem monotonous, they are what bring results: after just a few weeks, you will notice that typing has become faster and more automatic.
• Use different layouts and languages. If you already type confidently in one language, try practicing another for variety, for example, switch from English to Spanish or vice versa. This develops flexibility of the skill and makes the brain work more actively. In addition, different keyboard layouts (QWERTY, DVORAK, and others) engage the fingers differently. Learning an alternative layout can also have a positive effect on the main one: you begin to better understand the principles of finger movement and form more precise habits. Beginners should not spread themselves too thin, but for advanced users, experiments are useful. Some achieve impressive speeds precisely on non-standard layouts. For example, the Dvorak layout, created in the 1930s to reduce unnecessary finger movements, enabled record typing speeds, although it never became widespread.
• Track progress and compete. An excellent way to maintain motivation — is to measure results regularly and add an element of competition. Record your speed and accuracy at least once a week. Even if the improvement is slow, after a few months the numbers will clearly show progress and inspire you to continue training. Try participating in online leaderboards or challenges: many sites hold tournaments and publish rankings. Getting into the top ten or simply beating a friend — is exciting and motivates you not to stop. In the past, there were real typing competitions that gathered audiences in halls — today their equivalent can easily be arranged virtually with colleagues or like-minded people. The element of competition helps unlock potential and develop skills faster.
• Learn hotkeys and editing techniques. Although this is not directly related to pure typing speed, mastering keyboard shortcuts (for example, Ctrl + C, Ctrl + V, navigating text without a mouse) significantly increases overall agility. The more actions you perform with the keyboard, the more natural and confident you feel at it. This indirectly speeds up text work as well. Try to do without the mouse for a while: use Tab, arrow keys, Ctrl + arrow to move between words, Ctrl + Backspace to delete whole words, and other shortcuts. This way of working with the keyboard may feel unusual at first, but soon you will notice that your fingers move across the keys faster and more confidently.

To understand whether your result is good, it is convenient to use average indicators as a reference. Here are the main levels of typing speed.

Normal typing speed

• Beginner: up to 30 WPM (up to 150 characters per minute). Suitable for leisurely typing of simple texts.
• Basic level: 40 WPM (200 characters per minute). Sufficient for working with documents and everyday tasks.
• Confident user: 60 WPM (300 characters per minute). A stable pace, comfortable for studying and office work.
• Advanced level: 80–95 WPM (400–475 characters per minute). High speed, achievable with regular practice and intensive work.
• Professional: 100+ WPM (500+ characters per minute). Very high speed, typical of experienced typists and competition participants.

In addition to speed, accuracy is also evaluated, since fast typing is ineffective with many mistakes. A good result is considered to be 97–99% correctly entered characters.

Mastering fast typing — is a process that combines practical benefits and an element of play. Starting with slow attempts, step by step you become a confident keyboard user, capable of typing almost at the speed of thought. We have traced the path from the first typewriters and the emergence of typing to modern online tests that clearly show how far this skill has developed. The rules for checking speed are simple, and tips for beginners help avoid mistakes and accelerate progress. The main competition here — is with yourself: every improvement in results, every additional word per minute becomes a small personal victory.

Fast typing saves time in study and work while also training attention and concentration. Over time, typing becomes a natural process, when the hands act almost automatically, following thought. For many, this rhythm of keys becomes not only a work tool but also a source of pleasure, reminiscent of meditation.

Perceive typing speed training as an investment in yourself. Consistency and perseverance will lead to impressive results, and one day you will be able to share your experience with beginners.