I Thought I Was “Fast”… Until I Actually Tested My Speed
Source: Dev.to
The Assumption I Never Questioned
I always thought:
“Yeah, I type pretty fast.”
I read a lot.
So obviously… I must be fast, right?
Out of curiosity, I tried a speed test. The result? Not as fast as I thought. Not terrible, but definitely not “fast”.
We assume things like:
- “I’m a fast typer”
- “I read quickly”
- “I speak clearly”
but we never measure them.
The Tool I Built
I created a simple tool that lets you test all three skills in one place, without any login:
- ⌨️ Typing speed
- 📖 Reading speed
- 🎤 Speaking speed
How it works: Start → Test → Know your speed.
Eye‑Opening Averages
When I dug into the data, the averages were:
- Typing speed: ~40 WPM for most people (Count Character)
- Reading speed: ~200–250 WPM on average (Count Character)
- Speaking speed: ~130–160 WPM in normal conversation (Count Character)
That means:
- You probably read 5–6× faster than you type.
- You speak ≈3× faster than you type.
Your biggest bottleneck is usually typing speed, not thinking.
Why It Matters
If you:
- Write content
- Code
- Chat
- Work with text daily
even small improvements in typing speed can save hours over time.
Most people:
- Never test their speed
- Never track improvement
- Just assume they’re “fine”
But “fine” often equals wasted potential.
Design Philosophy
I didn’t want another “complex test tool”, so I made it:
- Simple
- Instant
- Free of distractions
- Providing real feedback
You shouldn’t need effort just to measure effort.
Community Response
After launching:
- People tested typing more than anything else.
- Many were shocked by their actual speed.
- Some returned just to improve their score.
The tool became less of a utility and more of a self‑check.
Takeaway
If you can’t measure it, you can’t improve it. You don’t get faster by guessing; you get faster by knowing where you stand.
Be honest — have you ever tested your typing speed?
- Yes (what’s your WPM?)
- Never tried