You practise typing tests, try to type faster, and repeat the same exercises. But every time you check your results, your typing speed seems stuck between 30 and 40 words per minute (WPM).

If this sounds familiar, you are not alone. Many learners find it difficult to move beyond this range, especially when they focus on completing typing tests as quickly as possible instead of identifying the mistakes slowing them down.

The solution is not necessarily to type harder or practise for hours every day. Instead, you need to understand what is limiting your speed and make your practice more targeted.

In this guide, you will learn why your typing speed may have stopped improving, how to identify your biggest weaknesses, and how to follow a practical 14-day typing practice plan.

Quick answer: If your typing speed is stuck at 30–40 WPM, check your accuracy, finger placement, keyboard-looking habits, hesitation between words, and practice routine. Work on your weakest area first, then gradually increase your speed while maintaining control.

Why Is Your Typing Speed Stuck at 30–40 WPM?

There is no single reason everyone gets stuck at this speed. Your results depend on your current technique, the text you type, your accuracy, and how you practise.

Here are seven common issues worth checking.

1. You Are Trying to Type Too Fast

One of the most common mistakes is pushing for a higher WPM score before your fingers can comfortably handle the required movements.

You might type a few words quickly, make several mistakes, stop to correct them, and then rush again. These interruptions can reduce your overall speed.

What to do: Choose a pace at which you can type comfortably without constantly correcting errors. Increase your speed gradually as your movements become more consistent.

For example, if you usually type at 35 WPM with frequent mistakes, try a short practice session at a comfortable pace rather than forcing yourself to reach 50 WPM immediately.

Your first goal is controlled typing. Higher speed can come later.

2. Your Typing Accuracy Is Too Low

Typing speed and typing accuracy are closely related. If you repeatedly press the wrong keys, you may lose time correcting errors or slowing down to avoid more mistakes.

Imagine two people completing the same typing exercise. One types quickly but makes frequent errors. The other types slightly more slowly with fewer mistakes. Depending on how the test calculates its final score, the second person may achieve a better result.

How to improve your accuracy:

• Pay attention to the letters you repeatedly mistype.

• Slow down when a word contains a difficult combination of letters.

• Practise common words and short sentences before moving to longer paragraphs.

• Avoid rushing the next few words after making a mistake.

• Review your accuracy after each test, not just your WPM.

An accuracy target of around 95% can be a useful practice goal, although the ideal target depends on your current ability and the test you are using.

3. You Keep Looking at the Keyboard

If you look down every time you need to find a letter, you interrupt the rhythm of typing. You must repeatedly shift your attention between the keyboard and the screen.

This habit can make it harder to develop consistent finger movements.

What to do: Begin learning touch typing, which means typing by feel rather than looking at the keys.

Start with the home row:

• Left hand: A, S, D, F

• Right hand: J, K, L, ;

• Thumbs: Spacebar

Keep your fingers near their starting positions and practise reaching for other keys before returning to the home row.

Do not expect to master touch typing in one session. If you currently rely on looking at the keyboard, learning a new technique may initially feel slower. Give yourself time to adjust.

4. You Use the Same Fingers for Most Keys

Some people type primarily with their index fingers or use a small number of fingers for almost every letter.

This approach can work for certain typists, so using all ten fingers is not an absolute requirement for reaching a particular WPM. However, if your current finger movements cause frequent reaching, hesitation, or errors, learning a more consistent finger-placement technique may help.

How to improve:

1. Learn which fingers should reach each group of keys.

2. Practise short exercises that focus on the keys you find difficult.

3. Return your fingers to a comfortable starting position.

4. Prioritise accurate movements over speed.

5. Gradually apply the technique to complete sentences.

The aim is to find efficient, repeatable movements that reduce unnecessary hesitation.

5. You Hesitate Between Letters and Words

You may know where every key is but still pause before typing certain words.

This often happens with unfamiliar letter combinations, capital letters, punctuation, and longer words.

What to do: Identify the combinations that make you hesitate.

Practise words and short sentences containing those combinations. Repeat them at a controlled pace until you can type them more comfortably.

You can also practise:

• Common English words

• Longer words

• Capitalised sentences

• Commas and periods

• Numbers and symbols, once basic typing feels comfortable

Avoid repeating only the words you already type easily. Your weakest patterns deserve more attention.

6. You Only Take Typing Tests

Typing tests measure performance, but repeatedly taking tests does not automatically fix the technique behind your results.

If you make the same mistakes in every test, you may keep practising those mistakes rather than correcting them.

Think of your practice in two parts:

Skill practice: Work on accuracy, finger placement, difficult keys, and troublesome word combinations.

Performance testing: Complete a timed typing test to measure how well you can apply those skills.

Use both. A test tells you where you stand; focused practice helps you work on what needs improvement.

7. Your Practice Routine Is Inconsistent

Typing is a motor skill. Becoming more comfortable with key positions and finger movements takes repetition.

A long session once in a while may be less useful than shorter, focused sessions that you can repeat regularly.

Try this routine:

• Practise for 10–20 minutes when you can concentrate.

• Spend part of the session on your weakest skill.

• Finish with a timed test.

• Record your WPM and accuracy.

• Review your results at regular intervals.

Consistency matters, but the quality of practice matters too.

How to Identify What Is Holding Back Your WPM

Before changing your routine, establish a baseline. Otherwise, you may spend time fixing a problem that is not responsible for your results.

Follow these steps.

Step 1: Take a baseline typing test.

Open MonkeyTyping and choose a timed test. Record your WPM and accuracy.

Step 2: Repeat the test.

Take another test using the same settings. This helps you see whether your first result was typical or unusually high or low.

Step 3: Review your mistakes.

Ask yourself:

• Do I frequently press the wrong letters?

• Do I look down at the keyboard?

• Do I pause on longer words?

• Do capital letters or punctuation slow me down?

• Do I type quickly at the beginning and slow down later?

Step 4: Choose one main weakness.

Do not attempt to change everything at once. If accuracy is your biggest problem, work on accuracy first. If you frequently look at the keyboard, prioritise touch-typing practice.

Step 5: Test again after focused practice.

Repeat the test using comparable settings. Compare both WPM and accuracy rather than judging your improvement from speed alone.

Try a Real Typing Test on MonkeyTyping

A practical way to investigate a typing plateau is to measure your current performance before changing your routine.

MonkeyTyping offers a free browser-based typing test with several options for measuring speed and practising under different conditions.

Step 1: Choose a 30-Second Test

Open the Monkey Typing Test and select Time mode, then choose 30 seconds.

The test also offers 15- and 60-second options. A 30-second test is a convenient starting point, while longer tests can help you assess whether you maintain your pace.

Step 2: Type at Your Normal Pace

Start typing when you are ready. Do not deliberately rush to achieve a higher score. Type as comfortably and accurately as you can.

Step 3: Review Your Results

After completing the test, review the measurements available on the results screen.

• WPM: Your typing speed in words per minute.

• Raw WPM: Your unadjusted typing speed, including mistakes according to the test's calculation.

• Accuracy: How accurately you typed the displayed text.

• Consistency: An indicator of how steady your typing performance was during the test.

These measurements help you look beyond a single speed score.

Step 4: Decide What to Practise Next

Use your results to choose your next exercise.

• If your accuracy is low, slow down and focus on typing the correct characters.

• If your accuracy is reasonable but your WPM is low, practise smoother finger movements and reduce hesitation.

• If your speed varies significantly, practise at a controlled pace and repeat the test under similar conditions.

For example, imagine your first test produces 34 WPM with 92% accuracy. Those figures would suggest that you should investigate your typing errors and work on controlled typing before chasing a much higher speed.

This is an illustrative example, not an actual test result collected from MonkeyTyping.net.

Step 5: Repeat the Test After Practising

Spend 10–15 minutes working on your main weakness, then take another test with the same settings.

Record both results and repeat the comparison over several practice sessions. One test cannot tell you everything about your ability, but comparable results can help you identify patterns in your performance.

Ready to find your baseline? Take a free typing test on MonkeyTyping and record your WPM and accuracy before starting your practice plan.

A Practical 14-Day Typing Practice Plan

This plan is designed for someone whose current typing speed is around 30–40 WPM. It is a practice framework, not a guarantee that you will reach a particular speed in two weeks.

Aim for approximately 15–20 minutes per session, adjusting the duration to your comfort and concentration.

Days 1–3: Build a Baseline and Improve Accuracy

Goal: Understand your current performance and reduce avoidable mistakes.

Each day:

1. Take one short typing test.

2. Record your WPM and accuracy.

3. Spend 8–10 minutes practising at a comfortable pace.

4. Review the mistakes that occur most often.

5. Finish with a short test.

Do not chase your highest score during these first sessions. Learn what slows you down.

Days 4–6: Improve Finger Control

Goal: Reduce unnecessary movement and hesitation.

Each day:

1. Spend five minutes practising the keys or finger movements you find difficult.

2. Practise common words and short sentences for five minutes.

3. Complete a short typing test.

4. Note whether you are looking at the keyboard or hesitating on particular words.

If you already touch-type comfortably, focus on your weakest letter combinations instead of starting from basic finger placement.

Day 7: Review Your First Week

Goal: Identify whether your technique is improving.

Take two comparable typing tests and calculate your average WPM. Review your accuracy as well.

Ask yourself:

• Are you making fewer errors?

• Are you looking at the keyboard less often?

• Are you hesitating less?

• Is your speed more consistent between tests?

Your WPM may not increase immediately. Improvements in control and accuracy are still useful signs that your practice is addressing the right problem.

Days 8–10: Practise at a Controlled Speed

Goal: Develop a smoother typing rhythm.

Each day:

1. Warm up with easy words for two minutes.

2. Practise complete sentences for five minutes.

3. Spend five minutes on difficult words or punctuation.

4. Complete one or two timed tests.

5. Record your results.

Once you can type comfortably with reasonable accuracy, gradually increase your pace. If your mistakes increase sharply, reduce your speed and regain control.

Days 11–13: Practise Realistic Text

Goal: Apply your technique to longer passages.

Practise paragraphs rather than only isolated words. Longer passages help you work on rhythm, transitions between words, punctuation, and maintaining concentration.

Try different text lengths, but keep your test settings consistent when measuring progress.

Day 14: Measure Your Progress

Goal: Compare your current performance with your baseline.

Take two or three tests under the same conditions as your initial tests. Compare the average results with your starting average.

You do not need to reach 50, 60, or 80 WPM within 14 days for the plan to be worthwhile. The purpose is to establish a more effective routine and identify your next improvement target.

How Fast Should You Try to Type?

Your next target should be challenging but manageable.

If your current average is 30–40 WPM, you do not need to jump straight to 80 or 100 WPM. Set smaller goals and evaluate your progress as you practise.

A possible progression is:

• First: Make your current speed more consistent.

• Next: Improve accuracy and reduce unnecessary pauses.

• Then: Aim for a small increase over your current average.

• Later: Work toward milestones such as 50 or 60 WPM.

• Eventually: Set higher targets when your technique supports them.

These are suggested milestones, not universal standards or deadlines. People improve at different rates depending on their starting technique, practice quality, and other factors.

A single high score does not necessarily mean your everyday typing speed has improved. Your average performance across comparable tests is a more useful measure of progress.

WPM vs. Accuracy: What Should You Improve First?

If you are stuck at 30–40 WPM, it can be tempting to focus only on the speed number. But speed without accuracy may not represent the typing performance you want.

Your ideal balance depends on your goals. Someone preparing for an accuracy-focused exam may prioritise different things from someone who needs to type quickly during everyday work.

How to Track Typing Progress Properly

A useful progress log should contain more than your best WPM score.

Record the date, test duration, WPM, accuracy, and the main mistake you noticed. If your typing platform provides additional metrics, such as raw speed or consistency, you can record those too.

For example:

These figures are an illustrative example, not actual MonkeyTyping.net test results or a promise of improvement.

Notice that the second session has a slightly lower speed but better accuracy. That can be a useful stage of learning if it reflects more controlled typing.

To compare results fairly, keep the test duration, language, difficulty, and other available settings as consistent as possible.

Common Mistakes to Avoid When Improving Typing Speed

If you want to get past a typing plateau, avoid these habits:

• Chasing your personal best every session. Your best result is not necessarily your typical performance.

• Ignoring accuracy. Repeated mistakes can become part of your routine.

• Practising only easy text. Include the words and patterns that challenge you.

• Changing techniques too frequently. Give a reasonable practice routine time to work before deciding whether to change it.

• Comparing results from different test settings. A familiar one-minute test may not be directly comparable with a difficult five-minute test.

• Expecting a fixed timeline. Progress varies, so measure your own results rather than relying on someone else's schedule.

• Practising without reviewing mistakes. Every session should help you understand what to improve next.

Final Thoughts

If your typing speed is stuck at 30–40 WPM, the answer is not necessarily to take more tests or force yourself to type faster. Start by identifying what slows you down, practise that specific skill, and measure your progress using comparable tests.

Focus on three things: accuracy, controlled finger movements, and consistent practice. As those skills become more reliable, gradually challenge yourself to type faster.

Ready to check your current speed? Visit MonkeyTyping, take a typing test, record your WPM and accuracy, and use your results to decide what to practise next.

Your goal is not simply to achieve one impressive score. It is to become a more accurate, comfortable, and consistent typist over time.