What is a normal typing speed?

For the average person, 41 words per minute is a normal typing speed. People who type professionally should aim to type at speeds of 50 to 80 words per minute.

The fastest typing speed on record as of 2014 was 212 words per minute, set by Barbara Blackburn in 2005. However, her average speed was 150 words per minute, averaged over the course of 50 minutes.

Most people top out for handwritten speeds at 31 words per minute, so if someone is especially slow at typing, he or she may find it faster to write by hand. However, 22 words per minute is closer to the average for handwritten words when the material isn't memorized beforehand.