About the Common English Words lesson
The two hundred most common English words make up roughly half of everything written, so drilling them has an outsized effect. Words like the, and, that and with should become single movements rather than sequences of separate keystrokes. Each of the 3 drills is built from real words, so you start typing in chunks rather than letter by letter — the shift that takes most people from around 30 WPM to 50 WPM and beyond. Once you can finish all 3 drills above 95% accuracy, move on to Word Pairs and Phrases.
How to practise common english words
- Read one word ahead of the one you are typing. Your hands can only flow if your eyes are already there.
- Let common words like the, and, that become single movements rather than three or four separate presses.
- Keep an even rhythm. A steady pace with no pauses beats fast bursts broken by corrections.
- Do not look down. If you lose your place, the on-screen keyboard below shows the next key.
Where this fits
This is lesson 29 of 41 in the free FastFingers touch typing course. The next lesson is Word Pairs and Phrases. When you want to measure your speed on real text instead of drills, take a free typing test.
Frequently Asked Questions
Because fluent typing is muscle memory for common letter combinations, not for individual keys. Drilling real words builds the patterns you actually use when writing.
Around 35 to 45 WPM at 95% accuracy is a solid target once whole words feel comfortable. Take a full typing test to check where you are.