You probably associate faster typing as a determining skill for transcriptionists and productive writers, and that's true.
But not only for them, how much time do you spend a day recording or searching for information on the keyboard?
We all do, so typing faster has become an almost universal skill. Keep reading this post and discover the steps that will lead you to achieve it.
How to type faster on a keyboard: 8 steps
Technically, typing on a keyboard is called typing and consists of writing with all ten fingers without looking at the keyboard; it may seem complicated, but it is achieved with practice.
By developing this skill, you will get more out of the time you spend at the computer or cell phone; you will be able to look at other people while typing; you will have more fine motor skills and reading ability.
Taking into account these advantages, surely you already want to know how to write faster and more accurately; in the following section, we present and detail each of the steps that lead you to achieve it.
1. Know very well your keyboard type
This is essential and, therefore, the first step; most keyboards have a QWERTY layout, but there are also AZERTY and QWERTZ. Look at your keyboard so you know what it is and where the "Enter" and "Shift" buttons are located.
Start by memorizing the location of the letter keys and the most commonly used punctuation marks. You need to know where they are without looking at the keyboard; only then will you be able to type faster.
Now, practice typing continuously without looking at the keyboard; gradually, you will learn more keys until you internalize them all. At first, you will make mistakes, correct and continue; only by mastering the keyboard will you be able to type faster and without errors.
Learn here the best keyboards to transcribe audio to text.
2. Sit correctly in the chair
Sitting well is fundamental; it consists of assuming an upright position, with your back straight, feet flat on the floor and the monitor at eye level.
If you are in the habit of slouching or working in any way sitting on the couch, this does not work.
Ideally, you should have an ergonomic chair; if this is not possible, select the most suitable one with a straight back. Keep in mind that a clear desk or table is also essential, as well as a tidy, clean and ventilated space.
If you are interested, here you can learn about the best laptops for transcribing and buying guides for 2023.
3. Learn to place your hands correctly
When practising to type faster, it is necessary to place your hands technically correctly; it consists of placing your fingers on the home row, the one containing the "Shift" key.
Small protrusions on the "F" and "J" keys are where your index fingers go. In this way, the fingers of the left hand will be on the keys A, S, D, and F and those of the right hand on the keys J, K, and L Ñ; the thumbs should be placed on the space bar.
You can move your fingers slightly from these positions, reach the neighbouring keys, and return to the starting position.
In this way, you can familiarize yourself with the keyboard. When you gain experience, you can try variations of the initial position and find the one that is most comfortable and practical for you.
4. Maintain posture and move away from the keyboard
While typing, remember to maintain the correct posture for your body and hands, lean your elbows on the table or desk and keep your wrists slightly elevated.
Do your best not to bend or tilt your wrists too much and keep your distance from the keyboard. All this will help you type faster and avoid muscle discomfort caused by poor posture.
5. Measure how many words you can type in one minute
This will allow you to have a baseline measurement and a benchmark of how much you are improving until you reach the fast typing goal you have set for yourself.
The goal should be challenging but achievable; above 45 words per minute (WPM) could be fine (depending on your starting words). Consider that the most productive typists type more than 70 WPM, and the top ones more than 150 WPM.
To measure how many words you type per minute, type in the search engine what is my WPM? And click on one of the first links.
When you find it convenient after you have learned the keyboard and have had hours of practice, do the same test again so you will have an accurate measure of how much progress you have made.
You may be slower than at the beginning because it takes time to adapt to the new technique; don't worry, typing faster on the computer takes a lot of practice.
6. Use a metronome to keep the cadence
The metronome is a device used by musicians to mark the "tempo", the cadence or rhythm of musical compositions.
Incorporating it into your practice will help you, in addition to maintaining the cadence of the typing action, minimize errors and develop more tactful keyboard skills.
At a basic level, we suggest setting it to about 80 bpm; you don't have to buy it. It is available as an app and can be downloaded on Android and iOS.
7. Speed up the metronome as you become comfortable with it.
Remember, practice makes the difference in how to write faster; the metronome will help you practice more efficiently.
The metronome can be set up to 220 bpm.
8. Practice frequently
Once you have mastered the posture of your body and hands on the keyboard, the only way to type faster is to practice and practice.
Please spend some time every day, up to 15 minutes, but write without stopping; you will soon notice that you write more fluently and with fewer mistakes.
Vary the form of practice to make it enjoyable (and, if possible, fun); for example, you can listen to something, ask to be read or dictated, and have the option of e-books, online conferences and talk shows.
Writing has no end; the limit is your imagination. Use it and write content you like or inspire; the idea is to turn the practice time to write faster into an enjoyable experience.
Online tools to practice typing faster
As you know, there are fantastic online tools for everything. Below, below we describe several means to write faster.
1. Keybr
A free app to help you learn touch typing is Keybr; this means typing from memory without seeing the keys on the keyboard and, therefore, being faster and more accurate.
It works with intelligent algorithms to automatically create typing lessons according to your current skill level; the algorithm generates a list of words, you type them, and the system generates your stats.
Your typing statistics will change from red to green; red means the typing speed for a particular key is slow, and green means the opposite.
With persistence, all the letters on the keyboard will turn green, which means that you have succeeded in typing faster on a keyboard; you can continue practising as long as you want.
2. TypingAcademy
With TypingAcademy, you can practice and develop your skills and write faster; for this, it offers among other things, TypeLift, a free course that runs directly in the browser.
This tool makes it easy for you to define an exercise plan, generate statistics of time spent and, if you neglect the goal, it sends you emails for reminders.
You also have the option to purchase TypeLift Pro, with new and advanced features; additionally it helps others gain access to digital education.
3. TurtleDiary
TurtleDiary is a free website with an attractive catalogue of games; it was designed to facilitate the development of keyboarding skills in children, little by little and in the right way.
It has 3 levels: the beginner has 25 lessons for different keys; the intermediate level has a capital key and simple words and sentences; the last advanced level has practice goals from 26 to 60 words per minute.
One of the tips to write faster is to practice entertainingly; in this sense, this website is excellent.
As it is designed for children, you will have fun with the colours, exercises and programs incorporating games; mastering the QWERTY keyboard is enjoyable.
Conclusions
How to type faster on a keyboard depends on your body posture, developing a good typing technique and not looking at the keyboard.
Additionally, the metronome is a valuable resource, as are nifty web pages, and it will lead you to type faster with constant practice time; the minimum dedication should be 10 minutes a day.
And don't forget the most important thing: make your practice minutes fun; it will keep you focused, and you will write faster than your goal.
