Typing Speed Test: Check Your WPM and Accuracy

How to use it: pick a length (1 min is the default), click the text box and type the highlighted word. Press SPACE or Enter after each word. The timer starts with your first letter, and ESC or Restart gives you a fresh set of words.

This typing speed test measures how many words per minute (WPM) you type and how accurate your keystrokes are. Pick 15 seconds, 30 seconds, 1, 2 or 5 minutes, type the random words shown, and when the timer hits zero you get your WPM, accuracy, correct words and mistakes.

The words come from a list of 434 common English words, all in lower case with no punctuation, so each test is different and there is no passage to memorise. Your best WPM for each length is saved in your browser, which makes it easy to see whether practice is paying off. It works as a keyboard speed checker for any physical keyboard and also with the on-screen keyboard of a phone or tablet.

How to take the typing speed test

Choose a length with the buttons above the text: 15 s, 30 s, 1 min, 2 min or 5 min. The page opens on 1 minute.
Click or tap the box that says “Start typing here”. The first word is underlined.
Type that word. The timer starts with your first letter, not when the page loads, so take your time getting ready.
Press SPACE (or Enter) to submit the word and move to the next one. Pressing space on an empty box does nothing, so you cannot skip words.
Keep going until the clock reaches zero. The result card then shows your final score.
Press Try again, Restart or ESC for a new set of words. Choosing another length also restarts the test.

While you type, the counters above the text show your live WPM, accuracy, the time left and your best score for this length. If the current word turns red underneath, you have typed a wrong letter; backspace fixes it before you press space.

How the test scores WPM and accuracy

Typing speed is measured in standard words of 5 characters, spaces included, so a test full of short words is not easier than one with long words. Accuracy is a separate number that looks at every key you pressed, including the ones you later deleted.

How WPM is calculated

The test adds up the characters of every word you typed correctly, plus one for the space after each, divides that by 5 and then by the test length in minutes. Words with any mistake add nothing. For example, if your correct words come to 300 characters in a 1 minute test, 300 ÷ 5 = 60 WPM. In a 30 second test, 150 correct characters also give 60 WPM, because 30 standard words ÷ 0.5 minutes = 60.

Because only correct words count, this score is closer to what other sites call net WPM than to raw or gross WPM, which counts everything you typed. A word you are halfway through when time runs out is not counted, so a strong finish matters a little.

How accuracy is calculated

Accuracy is the share of your letter keystrokes that kept the box matching the start of the word. Backspace presses are not counted either way. Say the word is “hello” and you type h, w, then backspace and e, l, l, o: that is 6 letter keys, 5 of them correct, so 83% for that word. The word itself still counts as correct for WPM, because you fixed it before pressing space.

If you leave the mistake and keep typing (“hwllo”), every letter after the wrong one also counts as an error, because the box no longer matches the word. That gives 1 correct key out of 5 for that word. Fixing an error straight away costs far less accuracy than carrying on.

What the result screen shows

On screen	What it means
Big number, for example 62 WPM	Final words per minute for the full test length
Accuracy 96%	Correct letter keys ÷ all letter keys typed
58 correct words	Words that matched exactly when you pressed space
3 mistakes	Words submitted with at least one wrong, missing or extra letter
New best for this duration!	You beat the best score saved in this browser for this length
Best WPM	Your saved best for the selected length, or a dash if you have none yet

Correct words turn lime green and mistakes turn red with a line through them, so you can see exactly where errors happen after the test.

Which test length should you choose?

If you are wondering how to test keyboard speed fairly, pick one length and stick with it. Short tests show your top speed, longer ones show the speed you can hold. It is easier to stay at full speed for 15 seconds than for 5 minutes, so short tests tend to give higher scores. Compare results of the same length.

Length	Best for
15 s	A quick warm up or a check of your peak burst speed
30 s	Short drills when you are working on one habit, such as reading ahead
1 min	The usual benchmark length and the default on this page
2 min	A steadier score that smooths out a lucky or unlucky start
5 min	Stamina and consistency, closer to real writing work

Want a page that opens with one fixed timer? Try the 1 minute typing test, the 2 minute typing test, the 3 minute typing test or the 5 minute typing test. For long stamina runs there is a 10 minute typing test and a 15 minute typing test.

How your WPM compares with other typists

A large online study of 168,000 volunteers found an average of 51.56 WPM, with a standard deviation of 20.2 WPM. The fastest 10% typed above about 78 WPM, the slowest 10% below about 26 WPM, and the quickest people in the data reached 120 WPM or more (Dhakal et al., CHI 2018).

Your WPM	Where it sits in that study
Under 26	Slowest 10% of participants
Around 52	The average participant
Over 78	Fastest 10% of participants
120 or more	The very top of the dataset

Keep two things in mind. Those volunteers chose to take a typing test, so they are not a random sample of everyone. They also typed short real sentences with simple punctuation, and their WPM counted everything typed, while this test uses lower case words and counts only correct ones, so the numbers are a guide rather than an exact match. The same study measured an average uncorrected error rate of 1.167%, which is a useful target: if your accuracy here sits well below 95%, slow down slightly and your WPM will usually rise. For a deeper look at benchmarks by job and age, read our guide to average typing speed.

WPM, CPM and typing CPS

WPM is the standard unit, but some tools show characters per minute (CPM) or characters per second, which people sometimes call typing CPS. The conversion is fixed: 1 WPM is 5 characters per minute, so CPM = WPM × 5 and characters per second = WPM × 5 ÷ 60.

WPM	Characters per minute	Characters per second
30	150	2.5
40	200	3.3
60	300	5
80	400	6.7
100	500	8.3

If you searched for a CPS typing test, this page gives you the WPM figure, and the table turns it into characters per second. Clicks per second on a mouse is a different skill; the CPS test on our homepage measures that. If what you really want to count is raw key presses on one key, the spacebar counter counts every press in a set time, and the spacebar clicker turns it into a game.

Typing delay: why letters appear late

If your typing is delayed and letters show up a moment after you press the keys, the cause is usually a setting, a weak wireless connection or a busy computer, not your typing. A delay makes any typing test feel sluggish and drags your score down, so fix it first.

Common causes of a delay when typing on a computer or laptop:

Filter Keys on Windows. This accessibility feature sets the keyboard to ignore brief or repeated keystrokes, which feels exactly like typing lag. In Windows 11 go to Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn off Filter keys; in Windows 10 it is under Settings > Ease of Access > Keyboard (Microsoft Support). Holding Right Shift for eight seconds turns it on and off, which is how many people switch it on by accident (Microsoft shortcut list).
Slow Keys on a Mac. Slow Keys adds a delay between pressing a key and the Mac accepting it. Check Apple menu > System Settings > Accessibility > Keyboard and turn it off, or lower its acceptance delay (Apple Support).
Wireless problems. A low battery, a receiver far from the keyboard or a crowded Bluetooth connection can delay key presses. Charge or replace the batteries, move the receiver to a front USB port or use a short extension, or re-pair the keyboard.
A busy system. When the processor or memory is maxed out, key presses can queue up. Close heavy apps and browser tabs, then try again.
The program you type in. If the delay only happens in one app or website, the problem is that software, not the keyboard. Typing into this test makes a quick typing delay test: if words appear instantly here, the keyboard is fine.

Work through the list from the top; the settings are the most common cause and the quickest way to fix typing lag.

One honest limit: this page measures your typing speed, not keyboard latency in milliseconds. A web page cannot see when a key switch actually closes, only when the browser receives the key. To test how quickly you react in milliseconds, use the reaction time test.

Practice tips for a higher WPM

Most people gain speed fastest by fixing accuracy and technique, not by forcing their fingers to move faster.

Touch type from the home row. Rest your fingers on ASDF and JKL; and type without looking down. It feels slower at first, but it removes the time spent looking for keys.
Aim for 95% accuracy or better. In this test a mistyped word adds nothing to your WPM, so every error costs you the whole word.
Read one word ahead. While your fingers type the current word, your eyes should already be on the next one.
Keep a steady rhythm. Even keystrokes beat fast bursts followed by pauses over a full minute.
Practise little and often. A few short tests every day are easier to keep up than one long session a week, and you can watch your best score per length climb.

Our guide on how to type faster goes through drills, posture and a weekly practice plan in detail.

Related keyboard and speed tests

APM test: actions per minute with mouse and keyboard, as used in strategy games
Reaction time test: how fast you respond to a colour change, in milliseconds
Spacebar counter: count spacebar presses over a set time
Syllable counter: count the syllables in any text you paste in
Average typing speed: what WPM is normal for students, office work and professionals

Frequently asked questions

What is a good typing speed?

Around 50 WPM is about average for people who take typing tests, and about 78 WPM or more puts you in the fastest 10%. Those figures come from a large study of 168,000 volunteers, where the average was 51.56 WPM. Accuracy matters as much as speed, so aim for 95% or better.

How is WPM calculated in this typing test?

The test counts the characters in every word you typed correctly, adds one for each space, divides by 5 and then by the test length in minutes. Words with mistakes do not count. So 300 correct characters in 1 minute is 60 WPM.

Does this typing test count capital letters or punctuation?

No. Every word is lower case with no punctuation, so the score reflects pure letter typing. Tests with capitals and symbols usually give lower scores, so compare like with like.

Why did a word turn red when I thought it was right?

A word turns red if any letter differs from the target, including a missing or extra letter. Once you press space the word is scored and you cannot go back to it. The underline turns red as soon as the box stops matching the word, which is your cue to backspace.

Can I take the typing test on a phone?

Yes. Tap the text box to open your keyboard and type as normal. Swipe typing and autocomplete also work, because the test scores each finished word. Phone scores are usually lower than keyboard scores, so track them separately.

Why is my typing delayed on my laptop?

The usual causes are Filter Keys on Windows or Slow Keys on a Mac, a wireless keyboard with a low battery or weak signal, or a computer that is overloaded. Turn off the accessibility setting first, then check the connection and close heavy programs. If the delay only appears in one app, that app is the cause.

Is my typing data saved or sent anywhere?

The test runs in your browser and does not send what you type anywhere. Only your best WPM for each test length is saved, in your browser’s local storage on your own device. Clearing your browser data removes it.