How to use:
- Choose a duration (30 seconds to 5 minutes), a word set, and whether mistakes are highlighted live
- Click Start Test — the words appear, but the clock only starts when you press your first key
- Type the highlighted word. Correctly typed letters turn white; mistakes turn red (if Error Highlighting is on)
- Press Space to commit the word and jump to the next one — even if the word is unfinished
- Backspace lets you fix mistakes within the current word (you cannot go back to a committed word)
- When the timer runs out, your results appear automatically
Word sets:
- Common Words: the most frequently used English words — the standard set for measuring raw speed
- Advanced Vocabulary: longer, less common words that test letter-pattern fluency
- Sentences: full sentences with capital letters, commas, and periods — closest to real-world typing, and typically 10–15% slower
How scoring works:
- Net WPM (your main score): correct keystrokes ÷ 5, divided by minutes. One "word" is standardized as 5 characters, so results are comparable across word sets
- Gross WPM: all keystrokes ÷ 5, per minute — your raw speed ignoring mistakes
- Accuracy: correct keystrokes ÷ total keystrokes. A key press counts as correct when it matches the expected character at that position. Fixing a mistake with Backspace does not erase the original error from your accuracy
- Correct Words: words committed with every letter typed correctly
Average typing speeds for reference:
| Net WPM | Level |
|---|
| Under 20 | Beginner |
| 20–34 | Below average |
| 35–44 | Average (most people type around 40 WPM) |
| 45–59 | Above average |
| 60–79 | Fast — typical of professional typists |
| 80–99 | Very fast |
| 100+ | Elite — top fraction of typists |
Tips for improvement:
- Accuracy first: errors cost more time than slow typing. Aim for 97%+ before pushing speed
- Use all ten fingers and keep your eyes on the screen, not the keyboard
- Short, frequent sessions (a few 1-minute tests daily) beat occasional long ones
- Retest with the same duration and word set to make your history comparable over time
- Once Common Words feels easy, move to Sentences — punctuation and capitals are where real-world speed is won
Note: a physical keyboard is strongly recommended. On-screen phone keyboards use autocorrect-style input that can interfere with per-letter measurement, so results on mobile may be less reliable.