Typing speed test

Check your WPM and accuracy.

60 s 0 WPM 100% accuracy

Start typing the text above. The timer starts on your first letter.

Esc restarts. Backspace on an empty word goes back to fix the last one if it was wrong.

Your best score for each test length is saved on this device.

Runs in your browser. Nothing uploaded.

How to take the typing test

  1. Pick a length: 15 or 30 seconds, 1, 2, 3 or 5 minutes, or a set of 25, 50 or 100 words. Untick Punctuation or Capitals for plain text, tick Numbers for a harder test, or Stop on errors to fix each mistake before moving on.
  2. Click the words or just start typing. The timer starts on your first letter. Press space after each word.
  3. At the end you get your speed in WPM, your accuracy and a graph of your speed. Keys you press after the end are ignored, so you can read your result. Press Esc or Restart for a new set of words.

Getting a fair result

Take the test a few times and look at your typical score rather than your best one. The first run is often slow while you get used to the layout. Sit as you normally would and keep your eyes on the words, not the keyboard.

You type real sentences in a different order every time, written in everyday English so the test measures typing rather than spelling. With Punctuation and Capitals on, as they are at first, it feels like typing a real message, shift key included. Turn them off for plain lowercase words, which most people type faster. Numbers mixes in sentences with times, prices and counts from the top row. Stop on errors won’t accept a wrong letter: the box flashes red and you type the right one to carry on, which is a good way to train accuracy.

How to type faster

  • Accuracy first. Every mistake costs a backspace and breaks your rhythm. Slow down until you rarely make errors, and speed follows.
  • Use all your fingers. Rest them on the home row (ASDF and JKL;) and let each finger cover its own keys.
  • Don’t look down. Looking at the keys means looking away from the text. It feels slower at first and becomes much faster.
  • Practise little and often. A few minutes a day builds muscle memory better than one long session.
  • Read ahead. Good typists read the next word while finishing the current one.

What the graph shows

The line shows your speed second by second across the test. A dip usually marks a hard word or a mistake you went back to fix. A steady line means an even rhythm, which is what fast typists have in common.