Do You Need to Touch Type to Type Fast?

Touch typing means using all ten fingers without looking at the keyboard, with each finger assigned to particular keys. It’s the method most typing courses teach. But do you actually need it to type fast?

What the research says

Perhaps not. Researchers at Aalto University used motion capture to study 30 people across a broad range of ages and skill levels. They found that self-taught typists can be as fast as touch typists, even when using fewer fingers.

A later study of 168,000 volunteers also noted that self-taught typists using fewer than ten fingers can be as fast as touch typists.

According to the Aalto researchers, the number of fingers wasn’t what predicted speed. What set the fast typists apart was steady hands and a regular finger for each letter.

That doesn’t mean touch typing is pointless

The researchers didn’t conclude that touch typing is worse. They said that it can have some benefits over self-taught methods, and they also found that untrained typists spent about twice as much time looking at their fingers as at the screen. Looking at the screen makes it easier to catch mistakes as you make them.

The first study was also small, with 30 people, so it can’t settle the question for everyone.

Which should you do?

If you already type with your own style and you’re happy with your speed, you probably don’t need to start again. Work on the habits that the research points to: keep your hands still, use consistent fingers, and watch the screen. Our guide on how to type faster covers these.

If you look at the keyboard most of the time, or your speed has stopped improving, learning touch typing could help, since it gives you a consistent system and removes the need to look down. Expect to be slower for a while as you make the switch.

If you’re starting from scratch, touch typing is a sensible choice, because you won’t have any old habits to unlearn.

How to tell if it’s working

Whichever route you take, measure instead of guessing. Take a 1 minute test before you start, then repeat it each week. Your stats page will keep your personal bests in this browser.