40 WPM is the point where typing stops feeling like work. It is also at or above the requirement for several clerical typing tests. Here is how to get there from a 20–25 WPM baseline.
Before you start
Take one two-minute test and record WPM and accuracy. That is your baseline. Do not test again for a week.
Weeks 1–2: build the pattern
Your only goal is correct fingering with no looking down. Speed will fall first — expect it.
- 5 minutes home-row and weak-key warm-up
- 10 minutes slow passage typing at roughly 70% effort
- Accuracy target: 97%+ (speed is irrelevant here)
Weeks 3–4: introduce rhythm
Now aim for a steady cadence rather than bursts. Type continuously for five minutes without stopping, even if you feel an error.
- Target: 30–33 WPM at 95% accuracy
- Add a two-minute timed test once per week only
Weeks 5–6: controlled speed work
Push pace in short intervals: 30 seconds fast, 90 seconds comfortable, repeated. Interval work raises your ceiling without wrecking accuracy.
- Target: 36–38 WPM at 95% accuracy
Weeks 7–8: consolidate
Move to five- and ten-minute passages so 40 WPM becomes your sustainable pace, not your peak.
- Target: 40 WPM at 96% accuracy over five minutes
Drills that specifically help at this level
- Common-word drill. The 200 most frequent English words make up around half of ordinary text. Fluency on them alone is worth several WPM.
- Bigram drill. th, he, in, er, an, re, on, at, en — practise these pairs inside real words.
- Capital and punctuation drill. Many people lose 3–4 WPM purely on shift and full stops.
If you get stuck
A plateau at 34–36 WPM almost always comes from one of three things: still glancing at the keyboard, uneven rhythm, or one hand lagging the other. Record which fingers produce your errors for three sessions and the culprit usually becomes obvious.