Typing speed test
Type common English words for 60 seconds and see your words per minute, accuracy and consistency. The clock starts with your first key.
The timer starts with your first key.Tab or Esc restarts
How the test works
- Words per minute
- The characters you typed correctly, spaces included, divided by five (the standard length of a word), per minute of the test. A 15- or 30-second test is scaled up to a full minute the same way, and a 3- or 5-minute test is divided by its minutes.
- Raw speed
- Every character you typed, mistakes included, on the same five-character scale.
- Accuracy
- The share of keystrokes that hit the right key. A mistake you go back and fix still counts against it.
- Consistency
- How even your pace was from word to word. Steady typists score near 100%.
Space moves on to the next word, and any letters left unfinished count as misses. Backspace fixes the current word, or steps back into the previous one if it has a mistake. Press Tab or Esc to restart with new words.
One minute, three or five
Pick a length above the text, from 15 seconds to 5 minutes; each length keeps its own best. Short tests show your top speed, longer ones whether you keep it, and signed in, a 3- or 5-minute test can become a certificate that anyone can check. The 1-, 3- and 5-minute tests each have a page of their own, with what that length is good for:
- 1-minute typing test
The standard sprint: your speed on everyday words, and how it compares with 168,960 typists.
- 3-minute typing test
Speed and stamina: the pace you keep once the first minute is over.
- 5-minute typing test
The sample length of the US federal clerk-typist standard: 40 WPM with three or fewer errors.
Getting faster starts with your weak spots
Every test also feeds your habit profile: the keys you hesitate on, the moves between letters that slow you down, and the slips you repeat. Typing practice turns that profile into text aimed at those weak spots, so the next test goes better. See what it has found so far in your habits.
Our guides go further: what counts as a good typing speed, how to type faster and how to improve accuracy, each with the research behind it.
After your test
Where your number stands, and the habits that raise it, from where your fingers go to keeping your eyes on the screen.
What is a good typing speed? Average WPM and percentiles
The average typist types about 52 WPM. 60 WPM beats about 68% of typists, 80 WPM puts you in the top 10%, and federal typing jobs ask for 40 WPM.
How to type faster: a practical plan
Cut mistakes first, then practice your slowest keys and key pairs a few minutes a day, read ahead and let keystrokes overlap. A plan based on research.
Touch typing finger placement: home row keys and a finger chart
Rest your left fingers on A S D F and your right fingers on J K L ;, thumbs on the space bar. Each finger covers the keys above and below its home key.
How to stop looking at the keyboard when you type
Anchor on the F and J bumps, keep your eyes on the text even when it slows you down, and fade any on-screen keyboard as you improve. Expect a short dip.
Frequently asked questions
What is a good typing speed?
In a 2018 study of 168,960 people who took an online typing test, the average was 51.6 words per minute and the fastest typed about 120 (Aalto University and University of Cambridge).
Above 60 WPM is faster than most people, 80 WPM puts you in the top 10%, and 100 WPM or more is rare: fewer than 2 typists in 100 reach it. Our guide to what a good typing speed is has the full percentile table.
| Speed | Level |
|---|---|
| Under 30 WPM | Learning |
| 30–50 WPM | Typical |
| 50–80 WPM | Above average |
| 80–100 WPM | Fast (top 10%) |
| 100+ WPM | Very fast (top 2%) |
Sources: Aalto University: The traits of fast typists discovered by analysing 136 million keystrokes (2018); Dhakal, Feit, Kristensson and Oulasvirta: Observations on Typing from 136 Million Keystrokes (CHI 2018)
How is WPM calculated?
Every 5 characters count as one word, spaces included, so long and short words count fairly. WPM = correctly typed characters ÷ 5 ÷ minutes, timed from your first keystroke; a letter you fix counts once it is right. Raw speed counts every character you typed, including mistakes and letters you deleted.
What is the difference between accuracy and raw speed?
Accuracy is the share of your keystrokes that hit the right key. A mistake still counts against it after you fix it, and Backspace itself doesn’t count. Raw speed is how fast you pressed keys, right or wrong. The gap between raw speed and WPM shows how much your mistakes cost you.
How do I type faster?
The same study found that fast typists make fewer mistakes and overlap keystrokes, pressing the next key before releasing the last (“rollover”), in 40–70% of keystrokes.
So go for accuracy first, keep a steady rhythm, and practice the specific keys and key pairs that slow you down; our practice mode builds that text for you. For a step-by-step plan, see how to type faster.
Source: University of Cambridge: What makes a faster typist? (2018)
Is a one-minute test long enough?
A minute gives a stable estimate. 15- and 30-second tests vary more, so take a few and look at the average. A 3-minute or 5-minute test also shows whether you keep your speed, and the US federal standard for clerk-typist jobs measures speed on a 5-minute sample.