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Korean typing practice for learners

If you're learning Korean, typing practice pays twice: you get faster at the keyboard, and every word you type is a word you've read, spelled and (with audio) heard. Here's a simple plan that works in ten to fifteen minutes a day.

Before you start

Switch on the Korean keyboard on your device (how to type in Korean walks through every system) and keep the layout chart nearby for the first few days.

A four-stage plan

  1. Home row (days 1 to 3). ㅁ ㄴ ㅇ ㄹ ㅎ and ㅗ ㅓ ㅏ ㅣ. Type simple syllables like 나, 이, 하, 오, 어 until you stop looking at the chart.
  2. Whole keyboard (week 1). Add the top and bottom rows and the Shift letters. Short everyday words are ideal: 사람, 학교, 친구, 감사합니다.
  3. Sentences (weeks 2 to 3). Move to full sentences at your level. Accuracy first: slow, correct typing builds speed faster than fast, sloppy typing.
  4. Real content (ongoing). Type what you'd read anyway: song lyrics, drama lines, news, your textbook's dialogues. Words you type in context stick much better than lists.

How Korean typing speed is measured

Typing tests in English count words per minute (WPM). In Korea, speed is usually counted in 타수, the number of keystrokes (or letters) per minute, because Korean words vary a lot in length. KoreanAssist shows WPM, accuracy and keystrokes, so you can compare either way. Don't worry about the number at first: accuracy above 95% is the better early goal.

Type along with YouTube

A fun way to practise is to type along with a Korean video. On KoreanAssist you can import any YouTube video that has Korean subtitles and type each line as it's spoken, so listening, reading and typing all get practice at once. It works well with K-dramas, vlogs, and slow-paced learner channels.

Tips that make practice stick

  • Little and often. Ten minutes every day beats an hour once a week.
  • Say the word as you type it. Pronouncing it links spelling and sound.
  • Look up words as you go, rather than skipping them. KoreanAssist shows each word's meaning and reads it aloud when you finish it.
  • Keep your eyes on the screen. Use an on-screen keyboard guide instead of looking down at your hands.
  • Retype texts you've done before. Speed on familiar text shows how far your fingers have come.

Start typing on KoreanAssist Free, in your browser, nothing to install.