Typing Speed vs Accuracy: Which Comes First?

Last updated: 2026-11-01

If you want to type faster, you may think the answer is to type faster. In practice the answer is the opposite: slow down, get the keys right, and let the speed come on its own. This guide explains why accuracy comes first, how to measure it, and a simple rule for balancing both.

Why accuracy comes first

Every mistake has a cost. You notice the error, stop, press Backspace, and type the letter again. That takes longer than typing the letter correctly in the first place, often two or three times longer. So a typist who makes many mistakes is much slower in finished work than their key speed suggests.

There is a second cost: practice makes habits, including bad ones. If you practise at a speed where you make many errors, you are teaching your fingers the wrong movements. Slow, correct practice teaches the right ones, and they become fast later.

How accuracy is measured

Accuracy is the share of your key presses that were correct. If you press 100 keys and 96 are right, your accuracy is 96 percent. Speed tests usually report both numbers. On TypeLemon your speed counts only the letters you typed correctly, so mistakes lower your speed as well as your accuracy.

The 95 percent rule

A useful rule for practice: keep your accuracy at 95 percent or better.

If you are above 95 percent, you can try to go a little faster.
If you are below 95 percent, slow down until you are above it again.
If you are above 98 percent for several sessions, you are probably going too slowly. Push the speed.

This keeps you in a zone where you are challenged but still building correct habits.

Typos and the way different games count them

Different tests treat mistakes differently. Some stop you until you correct the letter. Others let you keep going and count the error. On TypeLemon, typos are allowed in the typing test, and wrong letters show in red. A solo run ends at the last character even if typos remain, and those typos lower your net speed. In an online match you must type the text exactly to finish, because the first player to finish the whole text wins.

In Slime Stampede, every typo makes your runner stumble, so the game teaches the same lesson: steady and correct beats fast and sloppy.

Exercises to improve accuracy

Slow down by about 20 percent for five minutes and aim for no errors at all.
Find your most mistyped keys (the My progress page lists them) and practise words that use them.
Type a short sentence three times in a row, each time cleaner than the last.
Read ahead. Look at the next word while you type the current one, so your fingers are never surprised.
Do not press Backspace the moment you notice an error in a long sentence unless the rules ask for it; first finish the sentence and note which keys you missed.

Where mistakes come from

Mistakes are not random. They cluster in a few places, and once you know where, they are easier to fix.

Tiredness. After a long session your accuracy falls first. Stop and rest.
Rushing the start of a word. Many typos are in the first letter, when you are still reading the next word.
Awkward finger moves. Letter pairs typed by the same finger, such as "ed", "un" or "my", cause slips for most people. Practise them slowly in real words.
A new keyboard. A different size or key feel changes your muscle memory for a week or two.
Unfamiliar words. Names and technical terms slow everyone down; type them slowly and then repeat them.

When to push speed

Once your accuracy is steady at 95 percent or above for a few days, you can push your speed. Do it in short bursts: type a little faster than is comfortable for a minute, then return to your normal pace. Your normal pace will slowly rise. Both numbers then grow together, which is the real goal.

Try it on TypeLemon

Practise what you just read: type a sentence in the typing test, play Zombie Shooter or Slime Stampede, or press Match on the home page to play against other people. It is free, and you can play as a guest.