How to take the typing test
- Choose 30 s, 60 s or 120 s.
- Click the box and start typing the text shown above it. The timer starts with your first key.
- When time runs out you see your WPM, accuracy and errors. Press New text to try again with the passages in a new order.
How WPM is calculated
WPM means words per minute, but typing tests don’t count actual words, because “a” and “understanding” are very different amounts of work. The standard convention is that one word = five characters, spaces and punctuation included.
This test counts only the characters you typed correctly, in the right position, divides by five, and divides by the minutes you typed. So 1,000 correct characters in 60 seconds is 200 ÷ 1 = 200 WPM, and 250 correct characters is 50 WPM. Wrong characters don’t add to your speed, so mashing keys won’t raise your score. Accuracy is correct characters divided by everything you typed.
If you finish all the text before the timer, the speed uses the time you actually took.
Getting faster
- Keep your eyes on the text, not on your hands. Looking down is the single biggest thing that slows people down.
- Rest your index fingers on F and J (the keys with small bumps) and return there after each word.
- Aim for 95% accuracy or better before pushing speed. Fixing mistakes costs more time than typing slowly.
- Practise little and often: five minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
About the texts
The passages are short everyday paragraphs written for this page, about bakeries, travel, plants and team meetings, rather than random word lists. Real sentences include capitals, commas and full stops, so your result reflects how you type emails and documents. Each new round shuffles the order.
Pasting is turned off in the box, so the score always reflects typing. Your best result is kept only in this browser.
Related tools
To count words and reading time of your own writing, use Word & Character Counter. To compare two versions of a text, try Text & Code Diff Checker.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good typing speed?
It depends on what you need. The useful habit is to compare your own results over time, at an accuracy you are happy with, rather than chase a single number.
Does Backspace count against me?
No. Only what is in the box when time runs out is scored. Correcting a mistake fixes it, but it takes time, which lowers your speed a little.
Why is my accuracy lower than I expected?
Every character after a skipped or extra letter is shifted out of position and counts as wrong. If you notice an early slip, fix it before going on.
Is my result saved?
Only your best score, in this browser’s local storage. Nothing is sent to a server.