
Ask HN: How do I break through the plateau in touch typing speed? - amjith
I can touch type without looking at the keyboard. But my typing speed hovers around 55 wpm. I&#x27;ve tried various programs and practiced every night for a month without any progress.<p>How do I break through the plateau? Are there techniques or applications designed for this specific task?
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StClaire
I pushed from ≈55wpm to ≈75wpm. You just have to consistently type slightly
faster than you're comfortable with. You'll make more mistakes but gradually
less and less. Good luck

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jsz0
I wouldn't worry much about it. Typing fast isn't as productive as it looks.
When I'm motivated I can easily exceed 100wpm but the quality of my
code/writing suffers as my speed increases. Not the accuracy (although some)
but the actual quality of the content gets very noticably worse. I often have
to throw away the first draft because it's too poorly structured and/or
meandering to save with editing. Typing fast is good for things like note
taking or dictation but for everything else you're better off typing at a more
deliberate pace.

If you do want to increase your raw speed though try joining some fast paced
IRC or Slack chats. Back in the old days we used to joke that IRC was the best
version of Mavis Beacon Teaches Typing. If nothing else helps you may need to
try a different keyboard or improve your ergonomics. The leap from 50-60wpm to
80-100wpm is a difference of split seconds per key press so things like key
travel and comfort are important.

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tabeth
I used to be about 40wpm. I started playing Typing of the Dead[1], and now I'm
at about 125wpm. I won't say that the game made me a faster typist, but I will
say that practice makes perfect and playing the game is a very enjoyable way
to practice.

[1]
[http://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/246580/](http://store.steampowered.com/agecheck/app/246580/)

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Ritjert
My typing speed is about the same as yours. But since I started learning how
to code I figured it would be useful if I could type faster.

I started using ratatype.com daily. If you're self taught you may not be
typing optimally (used MSN messenger to learn how to type).

At first you'll obviously be a lot slower but eventually learning how to type
correctly helped me get past that local maximum.

(This is all assuming you aren't typing the correct way RN)

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dozzie
What's wrong with your current typing speed? It's more than people usually
have. Do you feel it drags you down for some reason?

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amjith
I've been living with the current speed for 10 years now. I do feel like it is
dragging me down a bit. Especially when I pair program with coworkers and I
see how fast they can type, I feel like I could be doing better.

~~~
dozzie
I type at 65+ WPM, so a little faster than you. And I'll tell you what, it's
not the typing speed that irritates me whenever I and one of my colleagues
work with the same screen (me looking at somebody's hands). It's not even how
effectively they use their code editor (although it used to). It's how fast
they can follow my reasoning, my instructions, and how effectively they solve
my steering questions (I have this (bad?) habit of making my colleague to come
to a conclusion on his own) [&].

I don't think any of your colleagues considers it a problem that you type
slower than them, and to me, faster typing is more of a party trick than a
necessary skill.

Of course I understand that my comment here may not ease your mind in the
matter if you happen to want to actually type faster (as opposed to wanting
not to be burden for colleagues). Unfortunately, I can't offer you much of an
advice, barring maybe seconding the howlett's comment about looking a word
ahead of your current position.

[&] Now that I think of it, the speed of following is probably much more on
the side of me not knowing how to pack more precise information and my thought
process into sentences than anything else.

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howlett
I never took lessons in touch typing and I learned to do it by simply spending
too much time on the computer. I think the keyboard plays a big role as well,
on a laptop I'm usually around 55-60wpm and on my desktop around 75-80wpm.

Also, when you type try to look/think at the _next_ word from the one you're
currently typing, I've found that works for me.

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JoshCole
Have you tried [http://play.typeracer.com/](http://play.typeracer.com/)? It is
a lot of fun compared to some typing practice, since its competitive. My
typing speed is about 100 WPM for what its worth. I don't think I owe my
typing speed to the site. I just like it.

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whichdan
Have you tried using a completely different keyboard layout like Dvorak? The
change might force your muscle memory to reset.

That, and like jsz0 recommended, a different keyboard might help.

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kahrkunne
Typing much faster than that is more of a gimmick you can brag about than a
useful skill. I say that as someone who can type at 135 WPM.

As for actual advice, I couldn't help you - I learned typing fast by playing
runescape.

