Free tool
Speaking vs typing: which is faster for you?
Type a short passage for 30 seconds, then read another one out loud with the timer running. You get your own typing and speaking speed side by side.
Step 1 · Type for 30 seconds
Words per minute
0
Accuracy
100%
Time left
30s
Open the spreadsheet, select the column with the dates, and sort it from oldest to newest. Then add a filter so you only see last month. It sounds simple, but every app hides these menus in a different place.
Step 2 · Read this out loud at a normal pace
I need the quarterly numbers by Thursday so I can send the board update on Friday morning. If the churn figure is still being checked, send me the rest first and flag that one. Thanks for pulling this together so quickly.
No microphone needed. Nothing is recorded; this only times you.
Your result
Typing
-
Speaking
-
Speaking is
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How it works
- Do the 30-second typing test first.
- Press Start reading, read the passage out loud at a normal pace, then press Done reading.
- Your speaking speed is the passage's word count divided by the time it took.
Questions people ask
Is speaking really faster than typing?
For most people, yes. In a Stanford study, English speech input ran at 153 words per minute against 52 on a keyboard. That study used phone keyboards, so desktop typists close some of the gap.
Does this test record my voice?
No. It only times you. There is no microphone access and nothing leaves your browser.
Why read aloud instead of talking freely?
A fixed passage gives an exact word count, so the speed is accurate. Free speech is usually a bit faster than reading.
Sources
Talk instead of typing, on any Mac app
Hold fn and talk: clean text at your cursor. Hold ⌥ ⌘ and ask: Lazur sees your screen and answers. Free for 3 days, no card.