WPM Test

How to take the WPM test

1. Choose a length. 60 seconds gives the most stable WPM; 15 seconds is a sprint that usually reads 5-10 WPM higher.
2. Click the text and type the words shown, with a space after each. The clock starts on your first key.
3. Watch the live WPM in the top bar; it settles after the first ten seconds or so.
4. When the clock stops, read your WPM, raw WPM, accuracy and errors.
5. Press Tab or Restart for a new set of words. Your best WPM for each length is saved in this browser.

What the results mean

Words per minute does not count actual words, because "a" and "extraordinary" would then be worth the same. The convention, used by every serious typing test, is that one word is five characters, spaces included:

WPM = (correct characters / 5) / minutes

So 300 correct characters in one minute is 60 WPM, whatever the word lengths. The space after a correctly typed word counts as a correct character; a wrong word loses its letters and its space.

• Raw WPM = all characters typed / 5 / minutes, including mistakes. It is the speed of your fingers before accuracy is taken into account.
• Net WPM (shown as WPM here) is the figure to quote. Some tests calculate it as raw WPM minus errors per minute; this test counts correct characters directly, which gives almost the same number without punishing a single typo twice.
• Accuracy = correct characters / typed characters. 95% or better is expected in most job tests.
• CPM (characters per minute), used by some tests and most non-English ones, is simply WPM multiplied by 5.

Why WPM differs between typing tests

Two tests can give the same typist scores 20 WPM apart. The text matters most: common lowercase words (as here) are fastest; sentences with punctuation and capitals cost 5-10 WPM; random letters or code cost far more. The length matters: a 15 second sprint reads higher than a 5 minute passage. The error rule matters: some tests stop you until a wrong letter is corrected, some subtract errors from raw speed, some ignore errors and show only raw WPM, which is why social media screenshots of 150 WPM often come from tests that do not count mistakes. Finally, whether the space counts as a character changes the result by a few percent. When comparing scores, compare on the same test; the typing speed test here uses the same formula on the same word list with longer options, and the English typing test uses sentences.

Average WPM by age and group

Surveys of typing tests put the adult average at 40 WPM with an accuracy of about 92%. Children learning to type reach 20-30 WPM by age 10 and 35-45 by the mid-teens if they are taught touch typing. Office workers who type daily average around 50; professional typists and transcriptionists 70-90; programmers are spread widely because code typing is different from prose. The fastest recorded typists exceed 200 WPM on short tests. Speed declines a little with age after 60, mostly from reduced practice rather than physical limits. These are typical ranges, not norms; a score above 50 with 97% accuracy is good enough for nearly any job that lists typing as a requirement.

Common problems and fixes

My WPM is lower than on another site

Different tests use different text and error rules. This test counts net WPM with the five-character convention; a test showing raw WPM or ignoring errors will read higher.

The live WPM jumps around at the start

In the first few seconds a single word swings the average a lot. It settles after about ten seconds; the final figure is what counts.

The clock does not start

Click on the text first so the hidden input has focus. On a phone, tap the box under the words.

Words keep getting marked wrong

Check Caps Lock and the keyboard layout. If a specific key never registers, test it with the keyboard tester.