Speed Of Manual Spelling


In reply to a question "What is the number of words a good hand speaker

can make or say in one minute?" A deaf mute says, "Take the average

number of letters per word of the English language as five; this is the

number decided upon by the Postal Telegraph department. The average of

the Bible is about 4-1/8."



A good hand speaker can go through the alphabet ten times in one minute.

I have proved this by per
onally testing several deaf mutes.



The pauses between words occupy the space of one letter each, so we must

deduct one sixth of the whole thus:--



Letters in alphabet 26

Number of times spelt 10



Total letters per minute 260

Deduct about one sixth for pauses 45



Average letters per minute 215/5

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Result 43 words per minute.



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