2 Minute Typing Test

How to use it: click the text box and type the underlined word, then press SPACE or Enter. The 2:00 clock starts with your first letter. Press ESC or Restart for a fresh set of words.

This 2 minute typing test gives you 120 seconds to type random common English words, then shows your words per minute (WPM), accuracy, correct words and mistakes. Only words typed exactly right count. Your WPM is your correct characters, spaces included, divided by 5 and then by 2, so a slow word or one slip costs half as much as it would in a one minute test.

The clock waits for your first key, and every attempt draws new words, so you cannot learn a passage. Your best two minute score is saved in this browser.

How to take the 2 minute typing test

  1. Click or tap the box that says “Start typing here”. The first word is underlined.
  2. Type that word. The clock above the text shows 2:00 and starts counting down with your first letter, not when the page loads.
  3. Press SPACE or Enter to submit the word. A space on an empty box does nothing, so you cannot skip ahead.
  4. If the underline turns red, a letter is wrong. Press backspace and fix it before you submit, or the whole word scores nothing.
  5. Keep typing until the clock reaches 0:00. The result card then shows your WPM, accuracy, correct words and mistakes.
  6. Press Try again, Restart or ESC to start a new 120 second test with new words.

The page is fixed at two minutes, so the length buttons from the main typing speed test are hidden. The bar above the text shows the time left in minutes and seconds, your live WPM, your accuracy and your best score for this length.

How the 2 minute WPM score is calculated

The tool adds up the characters of every word you type exactly right, plus one for the space after it. At 0:00 it divides that total by 5, because a standard typing “word” is 5 characters, and then divides by 2 for the two minutes.

  • 600 correct characters in two minutes = 120 standard words = 60 WPM.
  • 400 correct characters in two minutes = 80 standard words = 40 WPM.
  • A word with any wrong, missing or extra letter adds nothing.
  • A word you are halfway through when the clock runs out is not counted.

That last point matters more than people expect. If you stop a second early because you think you are done, the final word is lost. Keep typing until the result card appears.

How many words you need to type in 2 minutes

A common question is how many words a two minute test needs for a given speed. In this test, the word list has 434 different common words with an average of 4.8 letters. With the space added, a typical correct word is worth about 5.8 characters, or 1.16 standard words. Over two minutes, that gives these rough targets:

Target speedCorrect charactersCorrect words, roughly
30 WPM30052
40 WPM40069
50 WPM50086
60 WPM600103
70 WPM700121
80 WPM800138

These are typical values. A run that draws lots of short words such as “a”, “to” or “of” needs more words for the same score, and a run with long ones like “international” or “relationship” needs fewer. The “correct words” number on your result card tells you how many you managed.

Accuracy and mistakes

Accuracy is the share of your letter keys that matched the target word at the moment you pressed them. Backspace is not counted either way. So a wrong letter you fix still lowers accuracy, even though the word then counts for speed.

The mistakes figure is the number of words you submitted with an error. Each one costs the full word, about 5 or 6 characters. Over two minutes that is roughly half a WPM per mistake, so three mistakes take about 1.7 WPM off a score.

What is a good 2 minute typing test score?

For typing on a computer keyboard, about 52 WPM is average and 78 WPM or more is in the fastest 10%. That comes from a study of 168,000 volunteers who took an online typing test (Dhakal et al., CHI 2018). The same study found the slowest 10% typed under about 26 WPM.

Two minute WPMWhat it means
Under 26Slowest 10% of the study, common when you are learning
26 to 40Below average, still workable for short messages
40 to 52Around average, fine for most office work
52 to 78Above average
78 or moreFastest 10% of the study

The volunteers in that study typed sentences with capitals and punctuation, and their WPM counted everything they typed. This test uses lower case words and counts only correct ones, so treat the bands as a guide. TypingTest.com runs a standardized two minute benchmark and, when we looked in October 2026, showed an average of 34 WPM and 94% accuracy across its benchmark tests, while noting the data set was still limited (TypingTest.com benchmark).

Phone typing is slower. A study of 37,370 people typing on phones found an average of 36.17 WPM (Palin et al., MobileHCI 2019). Compare phone results only with other phone results. For age groups and job benchmarks, see the guide to average typing speed.

1 minute vs 2 minute typing test: which is more accurate?

A two minute test usually gives a more reliable figure than a one minute test, because it averages over twice as many words. A lucky run of short words or one long pause moves the score less. The trade-off is that you need to keep your focus for longer.

1 minute test2 minute test
Words for 50 WPMabout 43about 86
Cost of one wrong wordabout 1.2 WPMabout 0.6 WPM
Effect of a slow startlargersmaller
Shows if you slow downbarelya little

It is normal for your two minute score to be a little below your 1 minute typing test score, because holding a fast pace is easier for 60 seconds than for 120. A small gap is nothing to worry about. A large one usually means you sprint the start and then tense up or make a run of errors.

If you need a figure that reflects longer work, the 3 minute typing test and the 5 minute typing test test stamina more. Two minutes sits in the middle: long enough to be fair, short enough to repeat three times in a short practice break.

Two minute typing tests for jobs

Some hiring tests use exactly two minutes. TestGorilla, a company that sells pre-employment tests, describes its typing test with punctuation as one where candidates “have two minutes to complete the test”, using paragraphs with capitals and punctuation, and it reports an accuracy score next to WPM (TestGorilla).

Many job adverts state a speed without a length. A US Department of the Air Force clerk advert asks for “a minimum of 40 WPM proficiency” (USAJOBS). A Bureau of Indian Affairs clerk standard measures 40 WPM on a five minute test with no more than three errors (BIA qualification standard).

A few tips if a test like this is part of an application:

  • Practise with punctuation too. This tool uses lower case words only. Real hiring tests often include capitals, commas and full stops, which slow most people down.
  • Aim for a margin. If the job asks for 40 WPM, practise until your two minute score is steady at 45 or more, since nerves usually cost a few words.
  • Watch accuracy. Employers often report errors or a net speed. Getting to 95% accuracy or better here is a sensible target.

How to keep your speed for the full 2 minutes

Most people lose speed in the second minute, not the first. These habits help you finish as fast as you start:

  • Start at a pace you can hold. A rushed first 20 seconds tends to end in a run of red words later. Pick a rhythm you could keep for three minutes.
  • Check the clock once, at 1:00. If your live WPM is near your target, keep going at the same pace. Watching the timer more often costs time.
  • Read one word ahead. While your fingers finish one word, your eyes should already be on the next. This removes the small pause between words.
  • Loosen your hands at the halfway mark. Tension builds slowly. Relaxed shoulders and light key presses keep you faster in the last 30 seconds.
  • Do not chase a mistake. If a word goes red and you have already moved on, forget it. One lost word costs about 0.6 WPM; panic costs more.
  • Look at the screen, not the keys. Touch typing from the home row (ASDF and JKL;) takes a few weeks to feel natural but pays off on every word.

For drills, posture and a weekly plan, read the guide on how to type faster.

Tips for reading your result

  • The live WPM is jumpy at first. For the first second it is based on very few words. Only the final number at 0:00 counts.
  • Take three tests and use the middle score. A single test is noisy. The middle of three moves less from day to day.
  • Your best score is shared. The 2 min option on the main typing speed test uses the same saved best as this page, so a record set on either shows on both.
  • Device matters. A laptop keyboard, an external keyboard and a phone can give quite different results. Keep notes per device.

Other typing test lengths

If you also play games, the APM test counts your actions per minute and the reaction time test measures how quickly you respond.

Frequently asked questions

How many words should you type in 2 minutes?

At an average speed of about 52 WPM you would type roughly 90 correct words in this test, because each word in the list is worth about 1.16 standard words. At 40 WPM it is about 69 words, and at 60 WPM about 103. Your result card shows the exact number of correct words.

Is a 2 minute typing test more accurate than a 1 minute test?

Usually, yes. It averages over twice as many words, so a slow start or one mistake changes the result less. It also starts to show whether you slow down as you tire, which a one minute test hardly does.

Why is my 2 minute WPM lower than my 1 minute WPM?

That is normal. Focus and finger speed drop a little over time, so most people score slightly lower over two minutes. A much bigger gap usually means you are starting too fast and making mistakes later.

When does the timer start?

The 2:00 clock starts with your first letter, not when the page loads. You can read the opening words and place your hands first. Once it is running, pauses count against your score.

Do mistakes count against my score?

Yes. Any word with a wrong, missing or extra letter adds nothing to your WPM. A wrong letter you fix with backspace before pressing space keeps the word, but the wrong key still lowers your accuracy.

Is 40 WPM good on a 2 minute typing test?

40 WPM is below the computer average of about 52 WPM, but it is a usable everyday speed and the minimum many clerk jobs ask for. With 95% accuracy or better, steady practice usually takes you past 50 WPM.

Can I take the 2 minute typing test on a phone?

Yes. Tap the box to open your keyboard and type as usual. Swipe typing and autocomplete work, because each finished word is scored when a space appears. Phone scores are usually lower, so compare them with other phone results only.

Sources