Ask HN: How did you keep improving your typing speed after 100 WPM?
15 comments
I rank somewhat high on typeracer: http://www.seanwrona.com/typeracer/profile.php?username=kanz...
Maybe I can provide some advice. The most important thing is to type very quickly. Heated real-time chatroom activity (read: flamewars) are also helpful for honing this skill...
But chats might not be your thing. One other thing that might help is going to conferences and typing transcripts. Here's a few that I have done: http://diyhpl.us/wiki/transcripts/ For example, this recently included a Bitcoin event where my typing was originally meant to be a community resource for after the event... but during the event this "resource" became a supplement to and alternative to live translation into Chinese (someone decided to throw it up on a projector while I was typing- no pressure): http://diyhpl.us/wiki/transcripts/2016-july-bitcoin-develope...
A long time ago I thought of myself as a keyboard snob, but the truth was that I hadn't tried that many keyboards. After experimenting with some expensive keyboards, I have found that for me the actual keyboard doesn't make too much of a difference, unless it's an exceptionally bad keyboard. I would recommend looking for keyboards that support n-key rollover, which would allow you to experiment with plover if you ever wanted to go in that direction for typing.
I use the default qwerty keyboard layout. It might be more productive to experiment with building alternative keyboards rather than changing keyboard layouts. Chording might be an interesting direction to pursue. Skip to using lots of MEMS accelerometer sensors and gyroscope sensors on a glove and get real-time motion capture of tiny finger motions. Use a few accelerometers per finger. You could spend a few hours making weird (easy) motions with your fingers, and then those state transitions could then be mapped to different symbols. You could also use a 3d model of the human hand, forearm and shoulder to compute the exact range of feasible and repeatable motions based on muscle anatomy, then sample from that range and assign symbols to different transitions.
Typing quickly isn't everything. It doesn't help you figure out what to say.
Maybe I can provide some advice. The most important thing is to type very quickly. Heated real-time chatroom activity (read: flamewars) are also helpful for honing this skill...
But chats might not be your thing. One other thing that might help is going to conferences and typing transcripts. Here's a few that I have done: http://diyhpl.us/wiki/transcripts/ For example, this recently included a Bitcoin event where my typing was originally meant to be a community resource for after the event... but during the event this "resource" became a supplement to and alternative to live translation into Chinese (someone decided to throw it up on a projector while I was typing- no pressure): http://diyhpl.us/wiki/transcripts/2016-july-bitcoin-develope...
A long time ago I thought of myself as a keyboard snob, but the truth was that I hadn't tried that many keyboards. After experimenting with some expensive keyboards, I have found that for me the actual keyboard doesn't make too much of a difference, unless it's an exceptionally bad keyboard. I would recommend looking for keyboards that support n-key rollover, which would allow you to experiment with plover if you ever wanted to go in that direction for typing.
I use the default qwerty keyboard layout. It might be more productive to experiment with building alternative keyboards rather than changing keyboard layouts. Chording might be an interesting direction to pursue. Skip to using lots of MEMS accelerometer sensors and gyroscope sensors on a glove and get real-time motion capture of tiny finger motions. Use a few accelerometers per finger. You could spend a few hours making weird (easy) motions with your fingers, and then those state transitions could then be mapped to different symbols. You could also use a 3d model of the human hand, forearm and shoulder to compute the exact range of feasible and repeatable motions based on muscle anatomy, then sample from that range and assign symbols to different transitions.
Typing quickly isn't everything. It doesn't help you figure out what to say.
That's certainly a lot of words you've typed. Thanks for the detailed insights. I need to Google things like "n-key rollover", so I'll definitely spend some quality time with your reply.
https://typing.io/lessons let you type through code, which exercises the right pinky more than prose. The site also requires backspacing to correct typos. This adds realistic overhead not normally captured in wpm measurements.
After looking for something similar some time ago, and also not finding anything suitable, I wrote a simple script that would let you repeat given phrases from a text file.
I gave it two modes: 1) show a new phrase to type and time the wpm. 2) of all already timed phrases, show the slowest one to be typed and timed again.
My observations were that you could in fact increase typing speed for certain areas of input, weak fingers or weak letter combinations.
Just showing the slowest phrase is very simplistic, but it does a surprisingly good job. You will only get to see a different phrase if you improved on the current one significantly and learned a new 'skill'. It also automatically does a form of spaced repetition as you normally only increase speed in small steps and will see slow phrases again and again.
It didn't bother me much to type in lots of phrases I was already fast at to single out the slow ones. But: after some playing around with it I saw that for many inputs it's mostly a concentration problem, less a finger-mechanical one.
How much C code can you type at 100 wpm before running out of things to type?
How much C code written by others can you read/parse at > 100 wpm before making a concentration lapse?
I haven't used the script in a while and went on to try to single out the slow patterns in every-day typing (mostly the error rate being to high) and then try to figure out why my fingers don't know where to go reliably. I then make an effort to train these patterns a little, maybe correcting an actual mistakes or lazyness in placement.
I gave it two modes: 1) show a new phrase to type and time the wpm. 2) of all already timed phrases, show the slowest one to be typed and timed again.
My observations were that you could in fact increase typing speed for certain areas of input, weak fingers or weak letter combinations.
Just showing the slowest phrase is very simplistic, but it does a surprisingly good job. You will only get to see a different phrase if you improved on the current one significantly and learned a new 'skill'. It also automatically does a form of spaced repetition as you normally only increase speed in small steps and will see slow phrases again and again.
It didn't bother me much to type in lots of phrases I was already fast at to single out the slow ones. But: after some playing around with it I saw that for many inputs it's mostly a concentration problem, less a finger-mechanical one.
How much C code can you type at 100 wpm before running out of things to type?
How much C code written by others can you read/parse at > 100 wpm before making a concentration lapse?
I haven't used the script in a while and went on to try to single out the slow patterns in every-day typing (mostly the error rate being to high) and then try to figure out why my fingers don't know where to go reliably. I then make an effort to train these patterns a little, maybe correcting an actual mistakes or lazyness in placement.
What length of phrase did you find most effective for this kind of deliberate practice? How'd you pick them?
Court reporters are required to type at 240WPM with zero mistakes, or they lose their court reporting license.
You can teach yourself to use a stenography machine. You can build your own steno machine with some open-source software and a fancy gaming keyboard. See this video by Mirabai Knight and the Plover project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpv-Qb-dB6g
I wanted to try this but I couldn't stick with it.
You can teach yourself to use a stenography machine. You can build your own steno machine with some open-source software and a fancy gaming keyboard. See this video by Mirabai Knight and the Plover project: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wpv-Qb-dB6g
I wanted to try this but I couldn't stick with it.
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Disclaimer: I type slower than you (~80 wpm) and I have no idea whether this will help you, but it's helped me get to where I am without any formal training in typing. And I never went through a hunt-and-peck phase...it always felt natural to use all 10 of my fingers.
That said, have you thought about taking up the piano? I feel like the dexterity that I develop playing the piano, particularly the ability to very quickly play repeated and alternating notes, has helped me to type faster. It should also help with rhythm, since piano keys need to be correct in both location and time to sound correct. If you're only interested in the effect on typing, you can avoid music with lots of chords and focus mostly on songs that have a quick tempo.
That said, have you thought about taking up the piano? I feel like the dexterity that I develop playing the piano, particularly the ability to very quickly play repeated and alternating notes, has helped me to type faster. It should also help with rhythm, since piano keys need to be correct in both location and time to sound correct. If you're only interested in the effect on typing, you can avoid music with lots of chords and focus mostly on songs that have a quick tempo.
Typing ability is mostly neurological. After learning proper technique, you aren't going to improve much more. Sleeping well if you don't already is probably the only thing you can do.
Epistory (http://store.steampowered.com/app/398850) might be of interest.
Sounds like you're talking about stenography. Have a look here: http://www.openstenoproject.org
No, I'm looking at pushing the limits a bit further on a standard keyboard with no specialized software.
Most advice is to start correctly with proper touch typing, and then focus on accuracy and rhythm.
If you got to 100 wpm by that route all you can do is keep practising, maybe with a metronome. (Although that's going to be a horrible noise at that speed).
If you ever look at the keys that's going to slow you down, so use a cloth over your hands to hide the keys.
The other problem is that typing tests require you to read. Try typing some spoken word - try typing a podcast or radio show. You may find you type that faster.
If you got to 100 wpm by that route all you can do is keep practising, maybe with a metronome. (Although that's going to be a horrible noise at that speed).
If you ever look at the keys that's going to slow you down, so use a cloth over your hands to hide the keys.
The other problem is that typing tests require you to read. Try typing some spoken word - try typing a podcast or radio show. You may find you type that faster.
The marginal benefit of exceeding 100wpm is quite small. Your time would be better spent learning other things, or just relaxing and enjoying your life.
I normally type around 110 WPM and have found I can hit 150+ sprints of a few seconds if I have real-time feedback on how quickly I'm typing without relying on how quickly it feels like I'm typing.
Unfortunately I don't know of any tools that go much further than that in providing useful feedback.
Unfortunately I don't know of any tools that go much further than that in providing useful feedback.
For me the best training is vim. I have 80+WPM, peak 105. If you have keyboard that suits you, the only thing you can do is type more.
Switch to Dvorak.
After I switched to Dvorak and achieving 80WPM, I switched back and my QWERTY had gone from 80WPM to 100WPM.
The point was that with life-long auto-didact QWERTY skills, I don't use all my fingers, and my dominant hand actually covers slightly more area. Learning Dvorak from scratch bought me some discipline. Takeaway: Besides playing speed typing games, perhaps learn a new layout simply for the dexterity exercise.
The point was that with life-long auto-didact QWERTY skills, I don't use all my fingers, and my dominant hand actually covers slightly more area. Learning Dvorak from scratch bought me some discipline. Takeaway: Besides playing speed typing games, perhaps learn a new layout simply for the dexterity exercise.
real men use Colemak, right? /sarc
I tried Dvorak for a couple of weeks and got to OK speeds, but in the end it wasn't worth throwing out the countless hours of experience with qwerty, or the slight discomfort of using other computers and having to switch mentally.
I tried Dvorak for a couple of weeks and got to OK speeds, but in the end it wasn't worth throwing out the countless hours of experience with qwerty, or the slight discomfort of using other computers and having to switch mentally.
I've been using Colemak for the past 10 years now and couldn't be happier with it. I have abandoned the German QWERTZ layout, mainly because writing code with QWERTZ is a real pain (curly braces, brackets and many other special chars can only be reached with the ALT modifier). Also, the layout for special characters on QWERTZ is different for Mac and Windows and I'm using both.
Colemak is way easier to learn than Dvorak if you come from QWERTY. With Colemak, all special chars and some common shortcuts (undo, cut, copy, paste) are on the same key as on QWERTY.
I don't know if I'm faster with Colemak than I would be with QWERTY now for normal text, but it certainly feels smoother and more natural, if that makes sense.
Unrelated to Colemak: I wrote a typing game a few years ago. It's more "playful" than Typeracer and targeted at beginners. I don't think it will improve your typing speed past a certain level, but it should still be fun:
http://zty.pe
Colemak is way easier to learn than Dvorak if you come from QWERTY. With Colemak, all special chars and some common shortcuts (undo, cut, copy, paste) are on the same key as on QWERTY.
I don't know if I'm faster with Colemak than I would be with QWERTY now for normal text, but it certainly feels smoother and more natural, if that makes sense.
Unrelated to Colemak: I wrote a typing game a few years ago. It's more "playful" than Typeracer and targeted at beginners. I don't think it will improve your typing speed past a certain level, but it should still be fun:
http://zty.pe
That's because of keyboard-layout colonialism: most programming languages in common use were developed in English-speaking countries, particularly the USA, and make use of symbols that are not hard to type on the US keyboard layout.
nice three letter domain ;) Will give it a try!
edit: wow -- really impressed. Very satisfying explosion animations and sounds.
edit: wow -- really impressed. Very satisfying explosion animations and sounds.
That's great game!
I switched to Dvorak years ago. Did it while working a programming job, it took me 3 days to type at the speed where I could keep up on IRC without the slowness being insufferable, 3 weeks for "this is ok but slow", and 3 months to fully transition.
So you might have abandoned it too soon.
So you might have abandoned it too soon.
This is my main reservation with doing things like mapping number keys to be symbols by default. With great customization comes great configuration burden.
Most of the layouts seem to have a lot less finger travel distance vs QWERTY.
http://patorjk.com/keyboard-layout-analyzer/#/load/VPDHWn6k
Over a lifetime that's a lot less wear on the hands and fingers.
http://patorjk.com/keyboard-layout-analyzer/#/load/VPDHWn6k
Over a lifetime that's a lot less wear on the hands and fingers.
Dvorak doesn't improve speed. It does improve comfort though.
I peak around ~160 wpm, just practice. Work on 0 mistake and then after that speed.
What is this, humblebrag? Advert for typeracer?
You type at 100WPM. Unless you're transcribing can you really think at 100WPM?
I haven't measured it, but I think I type around 40 wpm (although adjusted much slower, I have poor typing accuracy) and I certainly don't feel like my typing slows me down, my typing more than keeps up with the speed of thought.
Maybe I just think really slowly.
But honestly, "Oh no I only type at <ludicrously fast speed>, what can I do to improve?" sounds a bit silly.
You type at 100WPM. Unless you're transcribing can you really think at 100WPM?
I haven't measured it, but I think I type around 40 wpm (although adjusted much slower, I have poor typing accuracy) and I certainly don't feel like my typing slows me down, my typing more than keeps up with the speed of thought.
Maybe I just think really slowly.
But honestly, "Oh no I only type at <ludicrously fast speed>, what can I do to improve?" sounds a bit silly.
I didn't say 'only'. But no, I'm not bragging -- I Googled quite a bit, and found a few forums where people were asking similar questions, and no good solution, so I thought it would be interesting to get HN's input. No, I have no relation to typeracer -- I was merely mentioning what I'd tried so that other people didn't need to point me to it.
I hesitated before posting this question because I thought many people might take it like you did. I'm happy to see that it's only 'throwawayReply', while others are being friendly and constructive :)
As I mentioned, I have no direct need to improve my typing speed. I find the fact that billions of humans sit in front of keyboards for many hours every day quite interesting. We've seen huge changes and improvements in text-entry over the last century, and it's one of history's little quirks that most of us still use a keyboard that was invented for typewriters. I'm interested in hearing other people's experiences, so I posted here to ask. If you're not interested in the topic, why did you take the time to click on the title (which is pretty self explanatory) and leave the disparaging comment? If you don't like this kind of content on HN (and think it "sounds a bit silly", downvote and move along :)
I have occasionally found that after having a sudden idea, sometimes in the heat of debate, that my fingers can't keep up with my brain. But yes, of course most of the time is still spent with my fingers poised while my brain works out what to type, and my primary motivation here is curiosity rather than desire for further efficiency.
I hesitated before posting this question because I thought many people might take it like you did. I'm happy to see that it's only 'throwawayReply', while others are being friendly and constructive :)
As I mentioned, I have no direct need to improve my typing speed. I find the fact that billions of humans sit in front of keyboards for many hours every day quite interesting. We've seen huge changes and improvements in text-entry over the last century, and it's one of history's little quirks that most of us still use a keyboard that was invented for typewriters. I'm interested in hearing other people's experiences, so I posted here to ask. If you're not interested in the topic, why did you take the time to click on the title (which is pretty self explanatory) and leave the disparaging comment? If you don't like this kind of content on HN (and think it "sounds a bit silly", downvote and move along :)
I have occasionally found that after having a sudden idea, sometimes in the heat of debate, that my fingers can't keep up with my brain. But yes, of course most of the time is still spent with my fingers poised while my brain works out what to type, and my primary motivation here is curiosity rather than desire for further efficiency.
Don't worry about justifying your interests to people who don't get it.
He explicitly says that he has no need to type this fast. He simply wants to. It's okay for different people to want to do different things in life.
The average talking speed is above 100 wpm. Why not learn to transcribe your thoughts (internal speech) in real time?
Well at that point, typing faster on a regular keyboard won't help you very much. You need to learn stenography system, such as Plover which is a much more involved task.
Really? That seems very high. I think I shoot for 10-15...
Ideally, I can measure my speech in wph.
Ideally, I can measure my speech in wph.
I'm not sure I understand. 15 words per minute means you say one word every 4 seconds.
On reconsideration, I think I'm still estimating too high on the average. I might be a little laconic.
honestly i'm a little surprised to hear this sentiment on hn, of all places. i and nearly everyone i know in this industry that started typing as children type 100+, some closer to 150.
maybe your brain just works slower, throwawayReply?
maybe your brain just works slower, throwawayReply?
I have no need to type faster than 100 words per minute, but I'm interested in how one would keep improving when all the learning resources are targeted at beginners.