The fastest typist in the world was a woman named Barbara Blackburn. In 2005, using a Simplified Dvorak keyboard, she was able to sustain 150 words per minute for 50 minutes, and 170 words per minute for shorter amounts of time. She was even clocked at a peak speed of 212 words per minute. This is well above what a professional typist, using a QWERTY keyboard, will usually manage. 50 to 80 words per minute is around the average for professional typists, and should be what most people strive for if they type for a living.