typing speed test

How to use the typing speed test

  1. Pick a duration: 30 seconds, 1 minute, 2 minutes, or 5 minutes.
  2. Choose a text source: random words, common English sentences, code snippets, or a paste-your-own block.
  3. Click 'Start' and start typing. The current word is highlighted; mistyped characters turn red.
  4. When the timer ends, see your WPM, accuracy, and consistency score, plus per-word breakdown.
  5. Save your result locally to track improvement over time.

When to use it

Use it for personal benchmarking — typing speed plateaus quickly without practice, and many devs sit at 40-60 WPM for years without realizing 80+ is achievable. Useful for tracking the impact of switching keyboards, layouts (Dvorak/Colemak), or muscle-memory training. Alternative: monkeytype.com is the dominant typing-test app with deeper analytics; this tool keeps it simple — quick test, save the score, move on.

Frequently asked questions

What is a good typing speed?
Average computer user: 40 WPM. Professional typist: 65-75 WPM. Programmer: 50-80 (lots of symbols slow you down). Above 100 WPM is uncommon and usually indicates touch-typing training. Aim for steady improvement over hitting a specific number.
How is WPM calculated?
Words per minute — but a 'word' in typing tests is 5 characters (including spaces). So 60 WPM = 300 characters per minute = 5 characters per second. The conversion stays consistent across languages and content.
Why does my accuracy matter more than speed?
Backspacing to fix mistakes costs more time than typing slower in the first place. The typing test penalizes errors heavily — practice typing accurately at a comfortable pace and speed follows naturally.
Should I use a Dvorak or Colemak layout?
Maybe. Both are theoretically more efficient than QWERTY, but the switch costs 2-4 weeks of much-slower typing while you re-learn. Worth it only if you type all day and current layout is bottlenecking you.
Does the test work on mobile?
Touch-typing on a phone keyboard is fundamentally different from a physical keyboard — speed and accuracy scores aren't comparable. The test runs on mobile but the meaningful benchmarks are desktop-only.
Can I import my own text to type?
Yes — switch to 'Custom text' mode and paste a passage. Useful for practicing with code snippets, foreign-language text, or specific punctuation patterns you struggle with.

Related tools

  • Free Word Counter
  • Free Text Cleaner
  • Free Text Case Converter
  • Free Lorem Ipsum Generator

Last updated: 2026-04-27