What is the fastest typing speed ever recorded?
The short answer
The most widely cited record is Stella Pajunas, who typed 216 WPM on an IBM electric typewriter in 1946 — a record that was never officially surpassed on mechanical hardware. In the digital era, Barbara Blackburn reached 212 WPM (peak) and sustained 150 WPM over 50 minutes on a Dvorak keyboard.
The data
| Record | Name | WPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Typewriter peak | Stella Pajunas | 216 | IBM electric, 1946, 1-minute test |
| Sustained digital record | Barbara Blackburn | 150 sustained / 212 peak | Dvorak layout, Guinness-verified |
| Online platform record | Various (TypeRacer, Monkeytype) | ~300 | Short bursts, unverified hardware |
| Online test top 1% | ~120–140 WPM | Unverified hardware | |
| Average online typist | ~41 WPM | Across public typing-test datasets |
What it means for you
Online claims of 300+ WPM are generally not independently verified. The practical physiological ceiling is set by finger movement speed and neural signal timing — most researchers put the hard limit around 200–220 WPM for sustained text input. Take the Typing Speed test and see how you compare to the elite 120+ WPM tier.
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Quick Answer
Stella Pajunas typed 216 WPM on an IBM electric typewriter in 1946. In digital competition, Barbara Blackburn sustained 150 WPM with a peak of 212 WPM. The current online record is ~300 WPM in short bursts.
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