How to Type Faster: Keyboard Tips vs Voice Dictation (Which Wins?)

"How can I type faster?" is one of the most searched questions online. The average person types 40 WPM. Professional typists hit 70–90 WPM. But here's the thing: even the best typists can't match voice dictation. The best dictation apps reach 120–150+ words per minute with high accuracy. So the real question might be: should you learn to type faster, or switch to voice?

How to Type Faster: Classic Tips

If you stick with a keyboard, these tips help: touch typing (use all fingers, don't look at the keys), proper QWERTY keyboard posture, and practice. The best keyboards for typing include mechanical options that reduce fatigue. Aim for 70+ WPM as a professional benchmark. But improving typing speed takes months of practice.

Voice Dictation: Skip the Keyboard

Voice dictation lets you speak at 150+ WPM without touching a keyboard. No carpal tunnel, no typing fatigue, no learning curve. Tools like Mellon process speech locally on your Mac—so you get speed, privacy, and accuracy in one. For heavy writers, emails, and docs, voice dictation often beats even the fastest typists.

Typing Speed vs Dictation Speed

At 60 WPM typing, 3,000 words takes 50 minutes. At 150 WPM with dictation, it takes 20 minutes. That's 30 minutes saved per day—over 6 hours per week. The best dictation apps aren't just faster; they're dramatically faster.

Best of Both Worlds

Many people use both: keyboard for quick edits and short messages, voice dictation for long-form writing. The best dictation software works in every app, so you can switch seamlessly. Mellon is free and runs entirely on your Mac—no subscription, no cloud.