About LockedStep
Touch typing, refined.
LockedStep is a free touch typing trainer that runs in your browser. You type real passages, drawn from the categories you pick.
Questions and answers
Why LockedStep?
LockedStep trains you on real writing instead of random words or random characters. Like actual typing, it uses most of the keyboard. Capitals, punctuation, and Enter all count, because they are all part of real typing. Sessions can be timed, or endless, where you practice as long as you need and press Esc to finish. You also choose what a typo does: block you until you fix it, get marked while you keep going, or not register at all. That lets you train for accuracy, speed, or both. LockedStep runs in your browser, and your progress is stored locally.
Why real passages instead of random words?
Because nothing you type in real life looks like random words. Real sentences have capitals, commas, line breaks, and rhythm, and that is what your fingers need to learn. It also keeps practice worth reading. You might finish a session having typed a poem, a Go function, or a page of science writing.
What can I practice on?
The pool covers literature, programming in eight languages, AI, science, business, everyday email and messaging, and more. Pick the categories you like and each session deals you a passage from your pool.
Can I type in languages other than English?
Yes. LockedStep is built for more than one language, including right-to-left scripts. Today that means English and Persian, each with its own categories, and more languages are on the way. A session stays in one language.
What are error modes?
They decide what a wrong key does. "Fix first" blocks you until you correct the typo. This is the closest to real typing. "Keep going" marks it and moves on, like a classic typing test. "Correct only" ignores wrong keys entirely, which is a quiet way to drill accuracy. Switch anytime with Ctrl+Shift+E, or Cmd+Shift+E on a Mac.
What do the numbers mean?
WPM counts only your correct typing. Raw counts every keystroke, right or wrong. Accuracy is the share of keystrokes that were correct, and consistency measures how steady your pace stayed through the session. A smooth 60 is worth more than a spiky 70.
Why do the speed numbers start at zero?
The first moments of a session are a warm-up. LockedStep waits until there is enough typing to measure honestly, rather than flashing a wild number off your first few keys.
What is a good typing speed?
Around 40 WPM is a typical average. 60 to 80 is fluent, and past 100 is fast. Chase accuracy first, though. Speed built on sloppy accuracy falls apart as soon as errors start costing you time.
Can I use it on a phone or tablet?
LockedStep is made for a physical keyboard, so a desktop or laptop is where it shines. You can look around on a phone, but practice needs real keys.