Typing speed test
Measure your typing speed in WPM and accuracy with a timed test. Choose from 1, 3, or 5-minute durations and multiple difficulty levels.
What is the Typing Speed Test?
Test your typing speed in words per minute (WPM) and accuracy. The timer starts on your first keystroke — no countdown, no pressure. Correctly typed characters turn green, errors are highlighted in red. Your WPM and accuracy update in real time as you type, so you can see your speed improving with each sentence.
Three difficulty levels adjust the complexity of the text passages. Easy uses common words and short sentences. Medium introduces longer words and varied punctuation. Hard includes technical terminology, numbers, and special characters. Each attempt uses a random passage, so you can retake the test for fair comparison. WPM is calculated using the standard formula: every 5 characters (including spaces) counts as one word.
How to improve your typing speed
Focus on accuracy first — speed comes naturally when you stop making mistakes. Keep your eyes on the screen, not the keyboard. Use all ten fingers with proper home row positioning (ASDF for left hand, JKL; for right). Practise for 10-15 minutes daily rather than one long session. Start with Easy passages until you consistently hit 95%+ accuracy, then move to Medium. Most people type 40-60 WPM; professional typists reach 80-100+ WPM.
Common Uses
- Job application preparation: Many data entry, administrative, and transcription roles specify a minimum WPM — test and practise to meet the requirement.
- Personal productivity baseline: Measure your current typing speed to quantify how much time is spent on keyboard input and track improvement over weeks.
- Touch typing progress tracking: Students learning touch typing use regular speed tests to track WPM and accuracy improvements as they move through lessons.
- Ergonomic keyboard evaluation: Compare WPM and accuracy before and after switching to a split, ergonomic, or mechanical keyboard to measure the improvement.
- Competitive typing preparation: Practise before entering typing competitions or speed leaderboards, targeting a specific WPM goal with accuracy benchmarks.
- Remote worker onboarding: Companies use typing speed tests as part of remote hiring to validate productivity-relevant keyboard fluency.
- Classroom keyboarding assessment: Teachers use standardised typing tests to assess student keyboard proficiency for school technology curricula.
FAQ
What is a good typing speed?
Average is 40-50 WPM. 60+ WPM is above average. 80+ WPM is fast. Professional typists and programmers often reach 100+ WPM. Focus on accuracy over speed — fast typing with many errors is slower than moderate typing with high accuracy.
How is WPM calculated?
Every 5 characters (including spaces) counts as one word. Only correctly typed characters count toward your WPM. This is the standard formula used by typing certification organisations worldwide.
Can I practise in different languages?
Yes, this test supports typing in all 8 languages. Each language has its own set of passages written natively, so the text reflects natural sentence structures and vocabulary for that language.
Does the typing test store my results?
No. Test results exist only in the browser tab's memory for the duration of your session. Nothing is sent to a server or saved after you close the tab.
How is WPM calculated?
WPM is calculated as the number of correctly typed characters divided by 5 (the standard word length), then divided by the elapsed time in minutes. Only correctly typed words count toward your WPM score.
By the Numbers
- Average typing speed is 40 WPM for general computer users; professional typists average 65–75 WPM
- The world record for typing speed is 216 WPM, set by Barbara Blackburn on a Dvorak keyboard in 2005 (Guinness World Records)
- The QWERTY keyboard layout was designed in 1874 by Christopher Latham Sholes to reduce mechanical jamming on early typewriters
- Remote and hybrid work post-2020 increased daily typing volume for knowledge workers by an estimated 40–50%