Typing Speed Test
Measure your typing speed in WPM and your accuracy, in 15 seconds to 2 minutes.
How to use Typing Speed Test
- Choose a time. The timer starts with your first key press, not before.
- Type the text exactly as shown. Correct characters turn green, mistakes red; you can go back with Backspace.
- When time runs out you get your WPM, accuracy, raw speed and level. Press New text to try again; your best result is kept on this device.
How WPM is calculated
Typing speed is measured in words per minute (WPM), where by convention one “word” is 5 characters, including spaces. That makes results comparable whatever the words are. WPM here counts only correctly typed characters; raw WPM counts everything you typed; accuracy is the share of typed characters that match the text.
The text is drawn at random from the 200 most common English words, the standard for typing tests, so it measures speed rather than spelling. Hard mode adds capital letters and punctuation, which slows most people noticeably and is closer to real writing. Pasting is disabled.
For comparison: the largest public study of typing, 136 million keystrokes from 168,000 volunteers (Aalto University and the University of Cambridge, CHI 2018), found an average of about 52 WPM, with the fastest participants at around 120 WPM. Professionally trained typists of the 1970s and 1980s typically reached 60–90 WPM. Faster typists in that study also made fewer errors: accuracy and speed grow together.
Example
In 60 seconds you type 265 characters, 251 of them correct: WPM = 251 ÷ 5 ÷ 1 = 50, raw WPM = 53, accuracy = 94.7%.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good typing speed?
The average in a study of 168,000 people was about 52 WPM (Aalto University and University of Cambridge, 2018). Above 60 WPM is good for jobs with a lot of typing; 80–100 WPM is fast; the fastest people in that study reached about 120 WPM. Aim for 95% accuracy or better.
How is WPM calculated?
Correct characters ÷ 5 ÷ minutes. Five characters count as one word, so long and short words are treated fairly.
Which test length should I choose?
One minute is the standard. 15 and 30 seconds show your burst speed; 2 minutes is closer to sustained typing and usually a little slower.
How can I type faster?
Learn touch typing (fingers resting on A S D F and J K L ;, not looking at the keys), practise a few minutes daily, and keep accuracy high. Speed follows accuracy.
Is my typing saved?
Only your best WPM, on this device (browser storage), so you can track progress. Nothing you type is sent anywhere.
Limitations
- English words only for now.
- Mobile keyboards with autocorrect can change words; turn autocorrect off for a fair result.
- The level labels are rough bands around the published 52 WPM average, not formal benchmarks.
Guides for this tool
- What Is a Good Typing Speed? Average WPM by the NumbersThe average typist manages about 52 words per minute, according to a study of 168,000 people. How WPM is measured, what counts as fast, and how to improve.
Last reviewed November 9, 2026. How we build and test tools.