Typing Speed Test
Measure your typing speed in words per minute. Start typing to begin the timer. Accuracy counts.
Typing speed is measured in words per minute, commonly abbreviated as WPM. A word is conventionally defined as five characters, including spaces. The average typist achieves around 40 WPM, while professional typists can reach 80 WPM or more. Touch typists who never look at the keyboard consistently outperform hunt-and-peck typists over long sessions.
Click the text above and start typing to begin.
How the Typing Speed Test Works
Choose Short, Medium, or Long, then start typing — the timer starts on your first keystroke. Correct characters turn green, errors turn red.
When you finish the passage, results are locked in: WPM, Accuracy, and Time. WPM uses the standard formula: characters typed ÷ 5 ÷ minutes elapsed.
Understanding Typing Speed
- 40–45 WPM — casual typist: Average for someone who types regularly but has never formally practised.
- 60–75 WPM — proficient typist: Most office and developer roles. At this speed, typing rarely slows down your thinking.
- 80–100+ WPM — professional typist: Achievable with dedicated touch-typing practice over several months.
- Touch typing vs. hunt-and-peck: Touch typists consistently reach roughly double the speed of hunt-and-peck typists over long sessions, with lower fatigue and error rates.
Tips to Improve Your Typing Speed
- Prioritise accuracy over speed. Reinforcing sloppy habits at high speed is harder to undo than building clean habits from the start. Hit zero errors at a comfortable pace, then raise the target.
- Do not look at the keyboard. Cover the keys with a cloth if necessary. The discomfort is temporary; the speed gains are permanent once the habit forms.
- Use all 10 fingers, including pinkies. Pinkies handle Shift, Enter, Backspace, and outermost letters — neglecting them forces hand contortions that cap your ceiling.
- Practice 15–20 minutes daily. Motor skills consolidate during sleep. Short daily sessions beat long occasional ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a good typing speed?
Does accuracy matter as much as speed?
How is WPM calculated?
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