How long does it take to learn touch typing?
It varies from person to person, but most people can learn where every key is within a few weeks of short daily practice. Getting back to your old speed, and then past it, takes longer and depends on how often you practise.
2 min read · Updated · By whytyping
There is no single honest number, because it depends on how often you practise and how strong your current habits are. What is predictable is the order things happen in. Knowing the stages makes it easier to judge your own progress.
The stages
Stage 1: learning positions
You learn which finger presses which key, starting with the middle row and adding keys in pairs. On whytyping this is 30 short lessons, each passed at 92% accuracy. With one or two lessons a day, the letters take a couple of weeks and capitals, punctuation and numbers follow.
Stage 2: the dip
You know the positions but have to think about them. Typing feels slower than your old method, and it is tempting to go back. This is the stage where most people give up, and it is also the shortest if you keep practising daily.
Stage 3: catching up
Common words start to come out as single movements. Your speed returns to what it was before, now with your eyes on the screen and fewer errors.
Stage 4: beyond
From here, progress is gradual and open-ended. Speed rises a little at a time for as long as you keep typing with attention.
What makes it faster
- Daily sessions. A few minutes every day beats a long session once a week. See the typing practice routine.
- Accuracy targets. Moving on only when a key is reliable prevents relearning.
- Committing. Using the new method for everyday typing, not only in lessons, shortens the dip.
- Targeted drills. Practising the keys you miss most is quicker than repeating everything.
What makes it slower
- Switching back to your old method whenever you are in a hurry.
- Looking at the keys “just to check”.
- Practising when tired, which builds errors into the movement.
- Skipping the little fingers and patching it later.
Starting points differ
Someone new to keyboards has no habits to undo and often moves through the lessons smoothly. Someone who has typed with a few fingers for years has to overwrite a well-worn pattern, so the dip feels sharper. The trade-offs for that second group are laid out in hunt and peck vs touch typing.
How to track it
Take a test before you begin and keep the number. Then retest weekly at the same settings. You should see accuracy recover first and speed follow. If you want a gentle place to start, typing practice for beginners uses easy words, and the full lesson path is at learn to touch type.
Questions
How long is the whytyping course?
There are 30 lessons of two to five minutes each, grouped into 10 levels. The typing time is short, and most of the learning happens across the days between sessions.
Can I learn touch typing as an adult?
Yes. Adults learn it routinely. The main obstacle is the pull of old habits when you are in a hurry.
Will I be slower at first?
Usually, yes. Expect a dip for the first days or weeks while the new movements replace the old ones.