How can I improve my typing?

There are different techniques you can do to improve your typing skills. Below is a short list of different ideas and recommendations you can do to help improve your typing. Keep in mind that most people are not going to be able to improve their typing speed overnight.

Proper placement

Learn to type the proper way (no typing with one or two fingers). This means your fingers should be on the home row keys A, S, D, and F with the left hand and J, K, L, and ; with the right hand. Of course if you're on a non-English keyboard or a non-QWERTY keyboard, this may change.

Type more and practice

Starting off with the most obvious, practicing typing more will obviously help you improve your typing skills. The more you type, the more familiar you are going to become with the computer keyboard, position of the keys, and how your hands should be positioned.

When practicing, keep some of the below things in mind:

1. Try not to look at the keyboard while typing. This is usually the hardest for most people, but is definitely a skill that should be learned. Not having to look at where the keys are on a keyboard can dramatically improve the speed of your typing. If you need help learning to not look at your hands, try putting a large piece of paper over the keyboard that allows your hands to fit under it without you being able to see the keys, or put stickers on each of the keys.
2. Make sure your posture at the computer is good. For example, sit in the upright position with both feet flat on the floor and relax.

Chat

Online chat can be a great place to learn to type and is also usually fun at the same time. If you're really wanting to learn to type more efficiently while chatting, make sure to use proper capitalization, punctuation, and do not use chat slang.

E-mail, online bulletin boards and forums

Sending friends and family frequent e-mail letters can be another great way to learn to type and keep in touch with all your friends and family. In addition to sending e-mail messages, there are millions of online forums with every topic of conversation imaginable. Becoming a member of one of these forums and participating in talking about something you enjoy can also be fun and another great way to learn to type.

Run through online typing tests several times

Run through each of the online typing tests several times to improve your typing, catch errors, and review your progress.

Type pages of a book, letter, or any other page with lots of text

Although not an option that is as fun as some of the other suggestions listed in this document, taking any letter, page of a book, or document and typing everything on that page is a great way to help improve your typing. Not only will this help improve your typing of unfamiliar words, it is also a skill sometimes required for some jobs.

Create your own web page, blog, or online journal

Creating your own web page, blog, or online journal that you frequently update is another great way to practice your typing, while also doing something productive at the same time.

Typing games and programs

Typing games and programs are a great way to learn the position of all the keys on the keyboard and also help you practice your typing. Below is one game and one online typing tutorial that can help with your typing.

TypingWeb

A free online typing tutor program, TypingWeb allows users to learn how to type on their keyboard better and faster. The free tutorial teaches people how to place their hands on the keyboard, learn where keys are and how to type words more quickly. The typing tutorial is available for people of all ages and offers training for people at any level of typing skills.

How long does it take to become proficient at typing?

As with anything, the more you stick with it and practice good habits, the better you'll become. Best-selling author Malcolm Gladwell popularized the idea that 10,000 hours of appropriately guided practice was "the magic number of greatness." With enough practice, he claimed in his book "Outliers", anyone could achieve a level of proficiency that would rival that of a professional. It was just a matter of putting in the time.