Test
Esc restarts with new words. Backspace can go back into a word with a mistake.
Your result
What's a good typing speed?
Most adults type around 40 words per minute. Here is roughly how speeds compare on a 60-second test:
| WPM | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 30 | Still learning; looking at the keys |
| 30–49 | Average |
| 50–69 | Above average; comfortable for office work |
| 70–89 | Fast; enough for most typing-heavy jobs |
| 90–119 | Very fast |
| 120+ | Competitive typist |
Accuracy matters as much as speed. Below about 95%, the time spent fixing mistakes cancels out the extra speed, so slow down until mistakes are rare.
How the score is worked out
- WPM counts the characters of words you typed correctly, plus the space after each, divided by five (the standard length of a "word") and by the minutes taken. A word with a mistake in it adds nothing.
- Raw WPM counts every character you typed, mistakes included. A big gap between raw and WPM means mistakes are costing you speed.
- Accuracy is correct keystrokes out of all keystrokes. A mistake you fix with Backspace still counts, because the wrong key was pressed.
- Consistency shows how steady your speed was from second to second. 100% is perfectly even.
- Most-missed keys are the letters you typed wrong most often: the ones worth practising.
How to type faster
- Keep your fingers on the home row (ASDF and JKL;) and return to it after each key.
- Look at the screen, not the keyboard. It's slower for a week or two, then much faster.
- Aim for accuracy first. Speed follows once the movements are automatic.
- Read a word or two ahead, so your fingers never wait for your eyes.
- Practise little and often: ten minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
Gaming mouse with a side keypad? The MMO mouse trainer · Typing speed test teaches its 12 side buttons the same way: by feel, against the clock.
Questions
Which test length should I use?
60 seconds is the usual standard and the best number to compare with other people. 15 and 30 seconds show your burst speed; 120 seconds shows the speed you can keep up.
Does it work on a phone?
Yes, but phone keyboards are much slower than physical ones, so phone scores aren't comparable with keyboard scores.
How does "Challenge a friend" work?
It makes a link with your WPM in it. Whoever opens it sees the score to beat. The link carries only that number: no name and no account.
Is anything I type sent anywhere?
No. The test runs in your browser. Only your best score for each length is kept, in your browser's storage.