What 40 WPM means in context
Forty is the most meaningful number in typing: it’s the classic general-population average from the largest all-ages study ever run, which is why “average typing speed” and “40 WPM” have been synonyms for decades. Being here means typing works for you — email, documents, chat all flow without real friction. What it doesn’t yet mean is headroom: at 40, sustained typing sessions still feel like work, and the typing-heavy job market starts its requirements about 10–15 WPM above you.
40 WPM by age
| If you are… | 40 WPM is… |
|---|---|
| A student (12–16) | Right on pace — ahead of many classmates |
| 17–24 | A bit under your cohort’s ~45–48 average |
| 25–44 | Essentially exactly average for your group |
| 45–64 | At or above your cohort — comfortably fine |
| 65+ | Well above the ~28 average for your group |
Jobs at 40 WPM
Customer-facing roles that list a typing requirement usually ask 40–50 — you’re at the door. Administrative (55–65), data entry (50–70) and transcription (70–90) sit above you for now. The encouraging arithmetic: 40 → 55 is the single most commonly crossed gap in typing, because most 40 WPM typists are part-way between hunt-and-peck and touch typing — completing that transition is worth 10–20 WPM by itself.
Getting to 50
First, accuracy to 95%+ — most 40 WPM typists bleed speed to corrections. Second, finish learning touch typing if any hunting remains: eyes off the keyboard is the whole trick. Third, 10–15 minutes daily, retesting weekly on the same test length. A month of that moves most people 5–10 WPM. Full context on where every score sits: what is a good typing speed and the percentile ladder.
Retest now
Click the words and start typing — the timer starts on your first keystroke. space next word · Esc restart