How the calculator works
It works out how long the same words take to type and to say, then subtracts one from the other. The typing speeds are averages from two large online studies by researchers at Aalto University and the University of Cambridge.
- Typing minutes = words / typing speed
- Speaking minutes = words / speaking pace
- Saved per entry = typing minutes minus speaking minutes
- Saved per week = saved per entry x entries a week
- Saved per year = saved per week x 52
- If you enter minutes of talking, words = minutes x speaking pace
Where the typing speeds come from
Both studies asked volunteers to copy short sentences in a web browser as quickly and accurately as they could. The calculator rounds each average to a whole number.
- Phone: 36 words a minute. Palin and colleagues (2019) measured an average of 36.17 among 37,370 volunteers typing on their own phones.
- Computer keyboard: 52 words a minute. Dhakal and colleagues (2018) measured an average of 51.56 among 168,000 volunteers.
- Both studies count a word as any five characters, the usual convention in typing research.
- The spread was wide, with standard deviations of about 13 words a minute on phones and 20 on keyboards.
Time saved for common entry lengths
These are the calculator's results for one entry a day, spoken at 130 words a minute.
| Entry length | Phone, per entry | Phone, per year | Keyboard, per entry | Keyboard, per year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 100 words | 2 min 1 sec | 12 hours | 1 min 9 sec | 7 hours |
| 200 words | 4 min 1 sec | 24 hours | 2 min 18 sec | 14 hours |
| 300 words | 6 min 2 sec | 37 hours | 3 min 28 sec | 21 hours |
| 500 words | 10 min 3 sec | 61 hours | 5 min 46 sec | 35 hours |
| 750 words | 15 min 4 sec | 91 hours | 8 min 39 sec | 53 hours |
| 1,000 words | 20 min 5 sec | 122 hours | 11 min 32 sec | 70 hours |
Why the real gap may be bigger
The studies measured copying, where the words are already in front of you. In a journal you also decide what to say as you go, so expect your own typing to run slower than these averages. The speaking pace already allows for pauses to think, which is why the calculator starts at 130 rather than a conversational 150.
Edge cases
A few things change the result for some people.
- Handwriting is left out. We could not find a large, recent study of adult handwriting speed to cite.
- The fastest typists in the keyboard study passed 120 words a minute, close to a slow speaking pace.
- A typing word is five characters, while a spoken word is a real word, so the comparison is approximate.
- Speech transcripts can mishear names and rare words, and fixing them takes a little time.
- Switching between words and minutes converts the number at your speaking pace, so the entry stays the same size.
Questions about talking and typing
Is talking faster than typing on a phone?
For most people, by a wide margin. The average phone typist in a study of 37,370 volunteers managed about 36 words a minute, while relaxed speech runs from about 110 to 150 words a minute.
How fast does the average person type on a computer?
About 52 words a minute, according to a 2018 study of 168,000 volunteers copying sentences. People with touch typing training were only about 5 words a minute faster on average.
Is speaking or writing better for a journal?
Each has its strengths. Speaking is quicker and can feel more natural, while writing slows you down in a way some people like.
Sources
Talk your journal entries
In Dawn Light you tap the sun and talk, and your iPhone writes down every word as you speak. The transcript stays exactly as you said it.
Get Dawn Light freeUnlimited entries, transcripts, search and iCloud sync. For iPhone, iPad and Apple Watch. Works with iOS 26, iPadOS 26 and watchOS 26 or later.