Main evidence and numbers
| Group for the laboratory study | Average WPM | Important condition to remember |
|---|---|---|
| People wey learn touch typing | 57.83 | Na how dem describe their own training |
| People wey no attend typing class | 58.93 | Different ways wey dem teach demself |
| Random letters task, trained group | 27.43 | E no be the same task as copying normal text |
| Random letters task, self-taught group | 27.02 | E show why familiar text matter |
These numbers come from Table 2 of How We Type. The number of people for the study small, and dem no randomly choose who go learn each method. Say dem no find important difference no prove say formal teaching no dey help anybody. But e show why finger number by itself no fit fully explain the skill wey dem see. Feit et al., 2016
Wetin the movement recordings show?
The study check where people look, how their hands move, and how their fingers press keys. Better performance go with using the same fingers for the same keys, preparing the next movement ahead, and avoiding extra movement. These na descriptions of how skilled people behave; dem no be randomised test of lesson plan wey guarantee any particular WPM improvement. Feit et al., 2016
The much bigger study of desktop typing too find different typing patterns. People wey type faster differ for the timing of pairs of letters and keys wey dem press at the same time, among other things. Just counting fingers no show how people arrange their movements over time. Dhakal et al., 2018
Why familiar words matter
Both groups type random strings much slower than ordinary text. Typing involve recognizing and understanding the text wey dey front of you, plus pressing the keys. Old research describe how seeing, thinking and moving all join for the work; so if the test text change, score fit change plenty even when finger number no change. Feit et al., 2016 Salthouse, 1986
Wetin dey affect am?
This mean say you no suppose learn touch typing?
The evidence no support that kind conclusion too. The laboratory comparison ask how people wey already type behave; e no ask which training method best for one particular beginner. Research about how everyday typists practise support checking wetin people dey practise and how dem dey do am, but e leave the question of the best teaching method open. Keith et al., 2007
Typing for phone na another reminder say the useful method depend on the device. The big mobile study include different ways people use their fingers and different help features. You no fit use the results as direct test of desktop ten-finger training course. Palin et al., 2019 MacKenzie and Soukoreff, 2002
Wetin you suppose track as you dey learn?
Measure the text wey you enter correctly together with your speed, using passages wey you never see before but wey dey similar. Correcting mistakes dey use time even if the final text look correct; mistakes wey you leave inside na another cost. Research about how to measure text entry explain why final mistake rate, time spent correcting and speed each give different information. Soukoreff et al., 2003 Soukoreff et al., 2001
If you keep the keyboard, language, kind of passage and correction rules the same, e go easier to understand the comparison. No evidence here show say you must practise certain number of minutes every day, say you go become skilled within guaranteed time, or say everybody must change the technique wey dem don already sabi use. To answer those questions, dem need different kind of study wey test the training itself. Keith et al., 2007 MacKenzie and Soukoreff, 2002
The practical point be say skill pass just rule about finger number. Formal touch typing na one organised method; people wey teach demself and get experience fit become good too. The result wey matter na how correctly you perform the tasks wey you really dey use, no be whether your hands look like one prescribed example. Feit et al., 2016 Dhakal et al., 2018
Try the free test wey connect to this one
Test wey go measure how fast you dey type
Use the typing test to compare how you dey type when the conditions remain the same. If you change your method, write down the change and use passages wey you never see before. One temporary difference in score by itself no fit show which method go work best over time.
Common questions
People wey type with two fingers fit type fast?
Some people wey teach demself type well with fewer fingers, but the study no give guaranteed speed for any particular number of fingers. Feit et al., 2016
The study prove say touch typing no get use?
No. E compare groups wey already dey type, with small number of people; dem no randomly put beginners into different training methods. Feit et al., 2016
Make I focus only on WPM?
You suppose understand speed together with mistakes and the effort to correct dem. Higher raw speed fit hide output wey no too useful. Soukoreff et al., 2003
Sources
- Dhakal et al. (2018). Wetin we observe about typing from 136 million keystrokes.
- Palin et al. (2019). How people dey type for mobile devices.
- Feit et al. (2016). How we dey type.
- Soukoreff et al. (2003). Ways to measure text entry research.
- Soukoreff et al. (2001). How to measure mistakes for text entry tasks.
- MacKenzie and Soukoreff (2002). Text entry for mobile computing: models and methods, theory and practice.
- Salthouse (1986). The seeing, thinking and movement sides of typing from text.
- Keith et al. (2007). How deliberate practice explain typing skill for everyday typists.
Cite dis page: You need use all ten fingers to type fast?. Helibrain. 2026. https://helibrain.com/pcm/answers/do-you-need-ten-fingers-to-type-fast. CC BY 4.0.
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