Having the ability to type quickly, as measured by a word per minute (WPM) typing test, has a big impact on your job prospects and career advancement.
Mastering touch typing—using all your fingers to type without looking at the keyboard—is crucial. It improves team efficiency, reduces errors, and enhances written communication and overall productivity. That’s why employers place such great importance on this capability.
To showcase the importance of rapid typing, we will explore the fastest current and historical typists worldwide. This will give you a glimpse of what’s achievable with practice, dedication, and a bit of luck.
Want to see how you measure up? You can test your typing speed for free with our Speedy Keys WPM typing test. Compare your results to our leaderboard and the accomplished typists featured below to see where you stand in the world of lightning-fast typing!
Typer vs. Typist, Which is Correct?
Before we explore the world of typing, we must discuss something important: Which word, typer or typist, is correct?
Typing is a newer practice than speaking, so it makes sense that language is evolving. While “typist” is technically correct, “typer” is also commonly used in conversation. Many people now use the word “typer” in conversation to describe someone typing. This is because as we speak, we can change our words to express ourselves better.
Take the word “whom,” for example. It’s technically more correct than “who” when the answer involves an objective pronoun like him, her, or them. For instance, “Whom did he tell?” is grammatically correct, compared to “Who did he tell?” However, we still tend to use “who” because it’s simpler in everyday conversation.
Another example is using the term “DM.” DM—short for “direct message”—began gaining popularity in the early 2000s as social media platforms like X, which launched in 2006, introduced the DM feature. However, it wasn’t until the early 2010s that the abbreviation became widely used across multiple platforms and by the mainstream. So, after more than 14 years, the term “DM” is now a common term we all use today!
Seeing as how our language is constantly evolving, maybe one day “typer” will earn its place in the dictionary as an official term.
Who Is the Fastest Typist in the World?
In 2024, the competitive typing world was shocked by a teenager known online as “MythicalRocket.”
This young champion set a new official world record with an incredible typing speed of 305 WPM, far surpassing the average person’s pace of 40 WPM—over seven times faster! This blazing speed allowed the high school student to type the entirety of The Hobbit in under six hours.
This achievement is even more remarkable because it was done on a standard QWERTY keyboard layout. This arrangement, named after its first six letters on the keyboard (left to right is Q-W-E-R-T-Y), has been the dominant design since the creation of mechanical typewriters in the 1870s. Despite numerous attempts to create more efficient layouts, QWERTY has remained the standard for English-language typing.
MythicalRocket’s path to typing excellence began three years ago when he realized that his gaming hobby had made him a fast typist. He recognized his developing speed and turned to free online typing platforms like Monkeytype and Typeracer, spending 15 to 30 minutes a day practicing this skill. Through dedicated practice, his pace rapidly increased from 140 WPM to over 300 WPM.
So why not challenge yourself? Compare your results with professional typists by using a WPM typing speed test, which accurately measures your typing ability.
Was Barbara Blackburn Really the World’s Fastest Typist? Uncovering the Controversy
Barbara Blackburn was once known as the “world’s fastest typist.” In 1938, she started using the Dvorak keyboard layout, which was slightly different from the older QWERTY layout.
She then made many media appearances to showcase her typing speed and its benefits. One notable appearance was on a 1985 episode of Late Night with David Letterman, and she was also featured in a commercial for the Apple IIc, a compact version of the Apple lle computer.
Blackburn achieved impressive typing speeds throughout her career:
- She reportedly reached 138 WPM on a Royal Standard typewriter during World War II.
- Then, she increased that speed to 150 WPM in 1955.
- By 1972, her speed was said to be between 150 and 160 WPM.
- In 1984, the Chicago Tribune reported her typing at 180 WPM.
- Blackburn claimed to have reached 194 WPM in October 1984 using the MasterType typing game.
- She then said she reached 196 WPM in January 1985.
Starting in 1976, she was included in the Guinness Book of World Records as the world’s fastest typist. At the time, the official Guinness record said she could maintain 150 WPM for 50 minutes and reach 170 WPM using a Dvorak keyboard.
However, Blackburn’s records were accepted without an official test, with its only support from Glen Key Dalessandro, a promoter of the Dvorak keyboard layout.
During her 1985 Late Night appearance, Letterman had Blackburn compete against his assistant, Barbara Gaines, to see who could type the copy from a baseball rulebook faster for one minute on a typewriter.
After the challenge, Letterman showed that Blackburn’s work was filled with mistakes. It was then declared that Gaines was the new fastest typist on record. When Letterman asked Blackburn what went wrong, she said the typewriter had been messed with, even though it had worked fine the day before.
A few days later, Letterman brought in a panel to investigate, suggesting that Blackburn might have cheated. A repairman checked the typewriter and confirmed it was in good shape.
A former Secretary of the New York State Polygraph Association noticed that Blackburn looked stressed during the contest, and a Navy officer later explained her mistakes, showing that while her left hand typed correctly, her right hand had shifted one key to the right. A replay of the footage confirmed her hand movements were incorrect.
After the controversy, her records were removed from the 1986 Guinness Book of World Records edition due to questions about the accuracy of electric and computer-driven typewriters. Blackburn felt the Late Night incident damaged her reputation, and her family said she was very troubled and never watched the episode.
So, why was she known as the ‘world’s fastest typist’ all those years?
Many think the controversy started with her typing layout.
We now know that Blackburn’s reputation originated from a paper published in 1986 by Dalessandro about the Dvorak keyboard. This unverified paper simply mentioned that Blackburn was the world’s fastest typist, typing at 212 WPM using the Dvorak keyboard on her Apple IIc.
The Dvorak layout, created in 1932, was designed to be more efficient than the standard QWERTY layout. While some typists have reached high speeds with Dvorak, it hasn’t been proven to be faster than QWERTY for most people. This means that for her Late Night appearance, she used a different typing layout than she normally used.
However, it should also be noted that the original paper by Dalessandro and many of her following claims were simply taken as truth without official testing, so even those rulings are still in question.
The debunking of Blackburn’s claim shows the importance of verified tests for typing speed records.
Who Are the Fastest Typists in History? A Look at the Record Holders
Rose Luisa Fritz
Rose Luisa Fritz was just 17 years old in 1906 when she won the title of the world’s fastest typist. Using her custom-built Underwood typewriter, she reached speeds of between 80 and 100 words per minute. Fritz travelled across the globe, demonstrating her typing skills. Later in life, she became a private school teacher.
Word of her typing skills even reached George, the Prince of Wales and son of King Edward the VII, who stopped by to see Fritz’s skills in person. She typed a 113-word sheet in front of him in just 60 seconds. Plus, there were no mistakes, and the document had perfect punctuation.
Albert Tangora
In 1923, Albert Tangora achieved a speed of 141 words per minute and a record for endurance typing—147 WPM over a one-hour period. He used an Underwood Standard manual typewriter with a QWERTY keyboard.
No typist has ever managed to beat Albert’s typing record using a manual typewriter. Albert won the typing competition set by the International Commercial Schools Association a total of seven times.
Stella Pajunas-Garnand
Before computers, the most modern typing method was using an electric typewriter. Stella Pajunas-Garnand from Chicago, using this machine, recorded the highest typing speed of 216 WPM in 1946. She became the world’s fastest typist using an IBM electric typewriter with the QWERTY keyboard layout.
Michael Shestov
Another speedy typist is Michael Shestov, a Russian army clerk fluent in 27 languages. Shestov set a numerical record in 1996 by typing 801 words in five minutes—averaging an amazing 160 words per minute!
Mohammed Khursheed Hussain and SK Ashraf
Mohammed Khursheed Hussain is the official fastest typist of the alphabet (with spaces between each letter). In 2012, Hussain set the Guinness World Record for the challenge, recording an official time of 3.43 seconds.
However, a new record was made in 2017 by SK Ashraf, who later broke the previous Guinness record with a time of 3.37 seconds. Not only that, but in 2024, Ashraf set a new record for typing the alphabet backwards (from Z to A) in 2.88 seconds!
How Modern Typists Are Breaking Speed Records: The Rise of Typing Competitions
In recent years, we’ve seen the rise of extremely fast typists who have pushed the boundaries of what was thought possible. One such typist is Sean Wrona, who has greatly impacted the world of competitive typing.
Sean “Arenasnow” Wrona set an unofficial record at the Ultimate Typing Championship with a speed of 256 WPM. Although not officially recognized by the Guinness Book of World Records, Wrona was also able to reach a higher speed than previous endurance typing records. He achieved a speed of 174 WPM over a 50-minute duration.
Wrona’s achievements inspired a new generation of typists to push their limits and strive for even higher speeds. His success has also brought attention to the competitive typing scene, leading to more tournaments and online platforms where typists can test their skills against others worldwide.
In the 2020 edition of the competition, the final was a best-of-three format. In this competition, Wrona faced a new challenger Anthony “Chak” Ermolin.
- In the first race, Ermolin defeated Wrona by scoring 175.2 to 182.6 WPM.
- In the second race, Ermolin won again with a speed of 210.4 WPM compared to Wrona’s 183.8 WPM.
- Finally, in the third race, Ermolin secured the championship by defeating Wrona 180.7 to 172.3 WPM, becoming the champion of the 2020 edition.
Where Can I Test My Typing Speed for Free?
Do you think you have what it takes to be the next typing champion? We challenge you to test your typing skills!
With Speedy Keys, our WPM typing speed test, we’re searching for the fastest touch typist in Canada! Take our free test for typing speed and submit as many attempts as you’d like. Who knows? You might even set a new record!
Understanding your current typing speed is the first step towards improvement. By regularly testing yourself, you can track your progress and set personal goals. Remember, becoming a fast typist isn’t just about breaking records – it’s about improving your efficiency in daily tasks with minimal to no errors.
And if you’re feeling inspired to improve your typing, consider taking a touch typing course at Academy of Learning Career College to boost your skills and speed.
You might be surprised at how quickly you can improve with practice and dedication. Who knows? Maybe someday your name will be added to the list of typing legends!