How is typing speed (WPM) calculated?
Typing speed is measured in words per minute, where one word is counted as 5 characters including spaces. Gross WPM is all characters typed divided by 5, divided by the minutes taken. Net WPM subtracts one word per minute for every mistake left in the text. FixDoks's Typing Speed Test shows both live, together with your accuracy.
Typing Speed Test at a glance
| Test lengths | 1, 2, 5 and 10 minutes |
|---|---|
| Shows | Gross WPM, net WPM, accuracy, errors, result card |
| Passages | 34 original English passages, shuffled each test |
| Processing | In your browser; your files are not uploaded |
| Price | Free |
| Works on | Chrome, Edge, Safari and Firefox on Windows, Mac, Android and iPhone |
How to use Typing Speed Test
- Pick a test length: 1, 2, 5 or 10 minutes.
- Click in the typing box and start typing the passage. The timer starts with your first key.
- Watch the passage as you go: correct letters turn green and mistakes turn red. Use Backspace to fix them.
- When the time is up, read your result card with net speed, gross speed and accuracy. Press Restart or New passage to try again.
How this typing test measures your speed
The test follows the usual convention for typing speed: one "word" is any 5 characters, including spaces and punctuation. That keeps the score fair, because a passage full of long words is not harder to score well on than one full of short words.
- Gross WPM is everything you typed, divided by 5, divided by the minutes taken.
- Net WPM is gross WPM minus one word per minute for each mistake still in the text when the time ends. This is the main number on the result card, because speed with mistakes is not much use in real work.
- Accuracy is the share of characters you typed that match the passage.
- Errors counts the characters that are still wrong. If you go back and fix a mistake, it no longer counts.
Worked example
In a 2 minute test you type 450 characters and leave 6 mistakes. Gross speed is 450 ÷ 5 ÷ 2 = 45 WPM. Net speed is 45 minus 6 ÷ 2 = 42 WPM. Accuracy is 444 ÷ 450 = 98.7%.
Which test length should I pick?
| Length | Good for |
|---|---|
| 1 minute | A quick check, or a warm up before work |
| 2 minutes | A steadier score that a single slip does not spoil |
| 5 minutes | Building stamina and a realistic working speed |
| 10 minutes | Practice for job and exam typing tests, which often run for 10 minutes or more |
Short tests usually give higher scores, because it is easy to stay focused for one minute. Your 5 or 10 minute speed is closer to how fast you type on a normal day.
The practice passages
Every passage on this page was written for FixDoks: everyday topics such as travel, cooking, money and work, in plain English with ordinary punctuation. Passages are shuffled each time, and longer tests join several together, so you do not end up memorising one text. Capitals and punctuation count, just as they would in a real document.
Tips to type faster
- Accuracy first. Fixing a mistake costs more time than typing slowly. Aim for 97% accuracy or better, and speed follows.
- Keep your fingers on the home row (ASDF and JKL;) and return to it after each key.
- Look at the screen, not the keyboard. It feels slow at first, but it is the only way to get past about 40 WPM.
- Practise little and often. Ten minutes a day beats an hour once a week.
- Read a word ahead. Your eyes should already be on the next word while your fingers finish the current one.
Typing on a phone
The test works on phones and tablets too. Autocorrect and smart punctuation can change what you type, so the test treats curly apostrophes and quotes as the plain ones. Phone speeds are usually lower than keyboard speeds, so compare your phone results with each other rather than with a desktop score.