Build a typing practice routine that sticks
Ten minutes, every day
Frequency is the variable that predicts progress, because typing skill consolidates between sessions as much as during them. A daily ten-minute block works better than a weekly hour, and it is far easier to protect in a calendar. Same time every day helps: after breakfast, before the first meeting, with the coffee. The routine has one non-negotiable rule: it happens even on days when it must shrink to four minutes.
The session shape
Split the block into three parts. Two minutes of warm-up on an easy passage: the goal is rhythm, not results. Six minutes of focused work on one thing (today's weak keys, or capitals, or numbers). Two minutes of a full test at honest pace. That structure works because it starts low-stakes, spends the fresh attention on the weakest link, and ends with a measurement that keeps you honest.
Drill your weak keys
Error data tells you exactly what to practice: the keys with the highest wrong-counts in your recent runs. Pick the worst three to five and drill them in short bursts: pairs and short words built around them, one minute each, eyes off the keyboard. Weak-key work is the highest-yield practice that exists, because it targets your personal error distribution instead of a generic syllabus.
Real text versus word lists
Random word lists train raw keystrokes: good for warm-ups and letter drills. Real sentences train what writing actually is: capitals as chords, punctuation hunting, rhythm across mixed word lengths. Spend most of the focused block in real text and keep word lists for targeted drills. If you only ever type random lowercase words, capitals and commas will stay your slowest characters forever.
Measure, then adjust
Run the same benchmark weekly: one fixed passage or one fixed 60-second test, always in the same conditions. Log adjusted WPM and accuracy. Between benchmarks, do not measure; daily numbers are noisy and they make people stop at week three. Expect 2 to 6 WPM gains per week at first, then slower. Plateaus that last two to three weeks are normal and are part of the process, not a verdict.
Plateaus and how to pass them
First move: slow down about 10 percent and rebuild accuracy to 98 percent for a few days. Second: switch material, because novel text re-exposes weaknesses that memorized passages hide. Third: take two or three days completely off; motor skills often consolidate visibly after a break. Only if a plateau outlasts a month should you rebuild your technique from the home row, which is rare but cheap to test.
Tools
Type Sprint is built around this routine: a passage library for varied real text, a weak-key panel for the drill list, and a history page with your trend line. Runs are one to two minutes, so the three-part session fits into any morning. No account, no subscription, and your numbers never leave your device.