The “standard word” is tiny
WPM uses a 5-character “standard word” (including spaces/punctuation). That’s why short texts can feel slower—spaces count!
WPM = (correct characters ÷ 5) ÷ minutes elapsed. Accuracy = correct keystrokes ÷ total keystrokes.
Any character that doesn’t match the target at the current position, or extra characters typed beyond a word’s length.
This privacy-first typing test measures your speed and consistency using the long-standing industry convention: WPM (words per minute) is calculated as correct characters ÷ 5 ÷ minutes. We count only characters that match the target text at the current position, so you can focus on clean, repeatable technique rather than “mashing” keys. Accuracy is correct keystrokes ÷ total keystrokes × 100%. A simple way to think about your overall performance is net WPM ≈ WPM × (accuracy% ÷ 100). Improving accuracy first usually lifts your net speed faster than chasing raw WPM.
For fair comparisons, type naturally (no copy/paste or autocorrect). Mobile and tablet users will generally see lower WPM than on a physical keyboard—that’s normal. Keyboard layout differences (UK ISO vs US ANSI) and spelling variants (UK/US English) do not change how WPM is computed, because the test evaluates exact character matches rather than dictionary words. Everything runs in your browser; no text or results are uploaded.
A rising accuracy line with stable WPM = durable skill. Spiky WPM with falling accuracy = outrunning technique—slow slightly, then re-accelerate.
WPM uses a 5-character “standard word” (including spaces/punctuation). That’s why short texts can feel slower—spaces count!
Alternative layouts (Dvorak, Colemak) reduce hand travel, but world-record speeds are still set on QWERTY—habit and training trump the layout debate.
Net WPM = WPM × accuracy%. A 70 WPM typer at 98% accuracy edges out an 80 WPM typer at 80% accuracy. Clean beats frantic.
Key heatmaps show most action on home-row neighbors (A,S,D,F,J,K,L,;). Real bottlenecks are usually awkward jumps like B/P/[ and punctuation.
Typing contests popularized the 1-minute sprint in the early 1900s on telegraph and typewriters—long enough to be meaningful, short enough to repeat.