[random] Typing speed

[wispfox]

Because I was randomly curious...

I took one of the many online typing speed tests (which test how quickly and accurately you type what they have you reading from, and therefore doesn't show how fast you type things from the inside of your head), and was informed that my speed is 88 WPM with 1 mistake (adjusted speed 87 WPM). The mistake, I am amused to note, is that I replaced 'through' with 'throughout'. Oops. :) Oddly, I think it feels less wrong to use the word I used, which might be why I did it without noticing.

(Interstingly, doing it a second time with a different paragraph - thinking that I was doing worse - I did 70 WPM, with no mistakes)

I have, I note, no idea what 'normal' typing speed is. And I bet the speed at which I read modifies things, somewhat.

La!

Comments

[dancingwolfgrrl.livejournal.com]

I typed 82 words per minute (corrected) on the typing test I took at one of the placement agencies I interviewed at last spring, but people often tell me I type fast? *shrug*

Another data point, anyway :)

[wcg.livejournal.com]

I'm not going to attempt it today, since I'm adjusting to medications and my fingertips are a bit numb. I know that in the past I've consistently hit 80+ WPM fairly routinely, though I think computer keyboards have contributed to that. When I was in high school using an old Remington manual typewriter I made 38 WPM for my business typing final.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

When I was in high school using an old Remington manual typewriter I made 38 WPM for my business typing final.

Damn! Why did a typewriter make your typing faster?

[wcg.livejournal.com]

The manual typewriter required a lot of finger strength to operate, thus it made me slower. With modern computer keyboards I'm usually faster than 80 wpm.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Oh, wait, yes. My brain is apparently backward, today.

That makes much more sense, now. :)

[drwex]

Average typing is 30-40 wpm. Secretarial or highly proficient speeds are 70+. Mine is probably in the 55-60 range, as I make a lot of typos.

[bernmarx.livejournal.com]

Those numbers match what I've been told. Back when I was temping, if I hit over 65, I was told I'd be qualified for any general typing jobs.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

Average typing is 30-40 wpm. Secretarial or highly proficient speeds are 70+

Huh. Interesting.

If I type this fast without being a touch typist, I'm vaguely terrified of how fast I'd type if I were!

[bernmarx.livejournal.com]

First test: 68 WPM, no errors
Second test: 70 WPM, 2 errors, adjusted to 68.

At least I'm consistent. :D

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

At least I'm consistent. :D

Heh! Indeed.

[baratron.livejournal.com]

67 WPM, on a shitty keyboard and struggling with American spelling and incorrect punctuation in the piece. I usually come out at 75-85 WPM, on a decent keyboard with British spelling.

Typing from the inside of my head I'm sure is faster - people tell me I type "scarily" fast, although that's probably not true amongst geek circles :)

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

67 WPM, on a shitty keyboard and struggling with American spelling and incorrect punctuation in the piece. I usually come out at 75-85 WPM, on a decent keyboard with British spelling.

*nod* I can see how American vs British would confuse things, yes. Especially considering that I tried to 'correct' a word without noticing. :)

Typing from the inside of my head I'm sure is faster - people tell me I type "scarily" fast, although that's probably not true amongst geek circles :)

People who have heard me typing have said the same. It's somewhat amusing. And these are geeks who've said it. So you might also get that reaction.

Now I wonder if I can test how fast I _read_...

[metahacker.livejournal.com]

Hunh. They're only docking 1 WPM per error? Back in the day, the tradeoff was 4 -- but then, errors probably meant you had to rewind the paper, get your little plastic sheet of "eraser" compound, type over the error...

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Huh -- 112 wpm, with one mistake. I wrote "orjust" rather than "or just". I, uh, didn't realize I was that fast.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

That?

That is terrifying. :)

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

The thing that creeps people out is the buffer I keep in my head. I think so much faster than that that my brain will be a sentence or two ahead of my fingers, at least - so if someone comes up behind me and asks me a question while I'm typing, then my instinct is to turn my head and enter a conversation with them while my fingers type out the rest of the buffer so that my hands can finish the thought that my brain's already moved away from. :)

I've had to train myself out of doing this with people who don't know me well.

[wispfox.livejournal.com]

I can sometimes do this, depending on how clearly I knew what I was about to type, but usually I have enough trouble with typing and talking at the same time that I have to ask them to wait. I don't, however, necessarily need to be looking at the keyboard while I finish my sentence.

[underwatercolor.livejournal.com]

That's very cool. :)

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Hee hee, thanks! If I think about it directly, I can't do it anymore. It's like running off a cliff in a cartoon.

[jasra]

I do that as well.

[szasz.livejournal.com]

I got 96 wpm, with what it called two mistakes, but it was really one. I turned "cried" into "c ried" and it called that one mistake plus one extra word. I used to be up over a hundred, back when I was doing a lot more writing than I do now. Also, this is on a laptop keyboard.

One semester of "personal typing" was one of the most useful classes I took in high school. Such fond memories of IBM Selectrics!

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

It's actually worth noting that I did this on the Thinkpad that I use more often than any other computer. Whichever keyboard I'm using the most is the easiest one to use, whether it's huge or tiny; switching keyboards will inevitably slow me down. I'd guess that if you put me on an unfamiliar keyboard, it would be 90 - 100.

I had a summer job taking medical dictation on an IBM Selectric. Foot pedal controls on a dictaphone! It was such wonderful and mindless work, and I kept getting to write down fun long medical words. Best summer job ever. Well, best menial summer job ever.

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

Oh, man, and on split keyboards I go waaaay down. Bleah. I wonder how far?

[szasz.livejournal.com]

Ugh, I HATE split keyboards. Especicially the @#%@#%! Microsoft one that puts the '6' on the WRONG SIDE. How could they make a mistake like that??!

[moominmolly.livejournal.com]

NnnnNNNAAGH! I HATE that.

I took a couple of weeks of typing when I was in 8th grade, so I'm not sure I split it up "properly", but there's at least one key (maybe 2, including the 6) on those Microsoft keyboards that is on the wrong side for me and it FREAKS ME OUT.

I'm curious about how much I use tactile feedback, now. I'm pretty sure it's very important to me, but I can't actually feel myself doing it while I type.

[szasz.livejournal.com]

I should try it on my Touchstream. As a touch typist, it's frustrating that I never, ever, got all my typing speed back on it, no matter how much experience I have on it. I wonder if there's something about tactile feedback that's essential to touch typing. But I'd like to know just how much the degradation is. It's especially bad typing things like IP addresses, since the Touchstream's built-in heuristics of "what key did he ACTUALLY mean" don't work.

[szasz.livejournal.com]

Wow. 91 wpm on my Touchstream again with one mistake. The difference in speed isn't as bad as I thought. Although the mistake was in punctuation, which underscores how hard it is to type on this thing on long reaches. Especially up to the digits or over to the right for the punctuation. The whole thing is designed to minimize that, but you can't get around it completely. Digits especially.

But still, I'm encouraged.

[keyne.livejournal.com]

I'm consistently 80-85 wpm.