Why Typing Accuracy Matters More Than Speed

Ever taken a typing exam, glanced at the grade and been frustrated? You were typing very quickly, but there were lots of red errors on the screen! It's a common thing to have experienced. Of course, if you're reading text at 80 words per minute (WPM) and 50% of them are incorrect, that's not much. Actually, error correction is REALLY inefficient when compared to typing with care.

When it comes to improving typing skills, it's about a shift in perspective. Accuracy is a product of the acceleration. As your fingers play the right keys each time, speed will be a side-benefit. This guide will help you discover 7 effective fixes that will turn your typing into a more efficient, error-free and easier-to-understand way.

7 Proven Ways to Improve Typing Accuracy

1. Master the Home Row Position

Everything starts with the home row. Here you will type from. Your muscle memory will always be a little off since if your fingers aren't on the correct keys, A, S, D, F for the left, J, K, L, ; for the right, your muscle memory will be slightly off. Press F and J to feel the small bumps on them, they are there so that you can locate the F and J keys without looking.

If your fingers have a "home" in mind, they will confidently find any other key and will return home without hesitation. This is the one habit that is the basis of high accuracy. If you are interested in doing this? This is where our 30 structured typing lessons start so that your fingers will not move!

2. Slow Down to Speed Up

To get faster and more accurate at typing quickest you can slow it down! The majority of errors are made when one tries to type faster than one can think the words. You read ahead through the text, you try to keep with the fingers and the end result is a mass of typos.

To do this, work out what pace you can work at without making any mistakes. May appear to be very slow at first. When your brain and fingers are now in sync and you're moving at a slower pace, it is easy to increase your speed. It's better for someone to type 40 words a minute accurately than to type 70 words a minute inaccurately.

3. Fix Your Posture and Hand Placement

The precision is related to your setup. Hunched posture or wrists on edge of desk causes loss of finger mobility and causes key presses. Maintain an upright posture, place feet flat on the floor and allow wrists to rest just above the keyboard.

Fingers should gently bend, not the flats, but the tips of your fingers should be used to strike the keys. This enables you to make each keystroke with precision, and prevents the "double-tap" error that occurs when hitting a key twice by mistake.

4. Stop Looking at the Keyboard

If you're glancing down at your hands, you're breaking eye contact with the text on screen. Every time you look down, you lose your position in the sentence, which leads to missing words, letters and punctuation. This is the most difficult habit to give up, but the most rewarding.

If you must cover your hands do so lightly, otherwise just try to focus on the screen. The first couple of days will be full of mistakes but after 1 week or so, there will be a tremendous improvement in accuracy, but also confidence as well.

5. Practice Commonly Misspelled Words

Errors are of various types. Some words are nearly universally misunderstood, like "necessary," "accommodation," "separate," and "definitely." They're what typically make up most of the errors and are the most likely to cause second guessing or accidental typing.

Make a list of the problem words that you use and practise them on purpose. Write them 20 times in a row, practicing perfect form. Our free online typing test "Words" mode provides you with targeted practice of difficult words.

6. Test Yourself Daily (And Track Progress)

What you can't manage you cannot measure. Taking a typing test every day will give you two valuable things: practice that is focused on typing and facts about your accuracy – in percentages. Without monitoring you won't know whether you are improving.

Work towards 97% or more accuracy. If you're achieving that goal on a regular basis you'll begin to look for ways to increase your speed. Don't rush, if less than 95% correct, refocus and slow down. Try a free test now to find out where you are now.

7. Be Patient with Muscle Memory

Your brain can start a new habit easily, your muscles can't. To learn to touch type takes weeks, not days, to develop because it requires the development of touch typing reflexes. It takes weeks to develop touch typing reflexes (without thinking about the fingers), not days. Don't give up if you are not getting any immediate results!

It is better to practice 15 minutes a day than 2 hours per week. You'll get accuracy by doing things over and over. Don't give up and you will see results.

Typing Accuracy vs. Speed: Which Should You Focus On?

There is often a trade-off between accuracy and speed, but there is no question that accuracy is always the highest priority. Here's why:

• It costs more to correct an error: It's 2-3 times as long to correct an error as it is to type the word correctly the first time.
• There is a rhythm to flow: Errors disrupt the flow and cause a rewind to the start and a restart. This kills momentum.
• Precision is called for by professionals: Data entry positions, coding, and transcription are 97%+ accurate. In real work, speed has no value if it is not accompanied by accuracy.

The best road to take is straightforward: keep accuracy above 97%, which leads to a gradual increase in speed. The same technique is used by professional typists and competitive speed typers to type at 100+ WPM with almost 100% accuracy!

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a good typing accuracy? ▼

Getting a typing accuracy of 97% or more is a good typing accuracy. The accuracy rate of a professional typist is usually 98–99%. If you have less than 95% accuracy then you are probably typing too fast for your ability.

How long does it take to improve typing accuracy? ▼

Most will experience significant improvement in 2-4 weeks with 15-20 minutes of focused practice each day. If the starting point is below 97%, it can take 1 - 2 months of regular, sustained work to reach the high level of accuracy.

Should I use autocorrect or spell check while practicing? ▼

No. Discontinue the auto correct and spell check function while practicing. These tools cover up your errors rather than correct them. To train the fingers to avoid errors, it is essential to see the errors.

Start Improving Your Accuracy Today

There is no magic to increasing typing accuracy; it's a matter of learning a new method and practicing it regularly. Practice the home row, take it slow, maintain good posture, and monitor progress. Millions of typists have gone from errors to precision-fast typing with these 7 strategies.

Ready to use these tips? Use our free typing test to check your accuracy and then take advantage of our 30 structured lessons to learn to have perfect typing done automatically through muscle memory. You'll feel it in your fingers.