Detailed Answer
40 WPM is considered average to slightly below average for adults. According to studies, the average adult types 35–45 WPM. 40 WPM is sufficient for basic office work (e.g., email, word processing) but may be slow for data entry, transcription, or coding. At 40 WPM, you can type a 500-word report in about 12.5 minutes. For many jobs (customer service, admin), 40–50 WPM is acceptable. However, improving to 55–65 WPM would save roughly 100 hours per year. If you’re at 40 WPM, focus on accuracy and finger memory to break the plateau.