How to Take a Typing Speed Test and Improve Your WPM

How this test works

Press Start Test, then type the passage shown on the page into the input box. The timer counts down from 30 seconds, and a progress bar shows how far through the passage your typing has reached. Characters you type correctly appear in green, and characters that do not match appear in the accent colour, so you can see mistakes as you go.

The input is disabled until you press Start Test, and pressing Start Test again restarts the test with a fresh 30 seconds. The result appears when the timer reaches zero. The test does not save your result or compare it with other people; it reports only the result for that run.

How WPM and accuracy are calculated here

WPM is based on correct characters only, not on everything you typed. The tool counts correct characters, divides by 5 to estimate words, and divides by 0.5 minutes, because the test lasts 30 seconds. In symbols: WPM = correct characters ÷ 5 ÷ 0.5.

Accuracy is correct characters divided by all characters you typed, multiplied by 100 and rounded to a whole percent. For example, if you type 160 characters and 150 of them match the passage, accuracy is 150 ÷ 160 × 100 = 93.75%, shown as 94%, and WPM is 150 ÷ 5 ÷ 0.5 = 60.

Why the same person can get different scores

Scores depend on the passage, the duration, and whether you correct mistakes. A short, familiar passage, a longer test, or a test that allows backspacing and corrections will give a different result. That is why you should compare runs of the same test, with the same passage and the same 30 seconds, rather than comparing a result here directly with a result from a different website.

Typing extra characters beyond the passage, or skipping ahead, also affects the score. Characters typed past the end of the sample have no matching sample character, so they are not counted as correct, and they lower accuracy because they increase the total typed count.

Practise accuracy first, then speed

Speed built on errors is hard to use, because you spend time fixing mistakes. Practise at a pace where most characters are correct, even if that feels slow at first. Keep your hands relaxed, look at the passage rather than at your hands when you can, and aim for a steady rhythm instead of bursts followed by pauses.

Short, regular practice is more useful than one long session when you are tired. Take the 30-second test, note both WPM and accuracy, and practise the specific problem: if accuracy is low, slow down; if accuracy is high but WPM is low, increase pace gradually while keeping accuracy steady.

Common mistakes to avoid

Do not rush the first words and then stall, and do not ignore the colour feedback. If many characters are marked wrong, stop, restart, and type more slowly. Do not memorise one passage and treat that score as your general typing speed; the skill that transfers is accurate, rhythmic typing on new text, not recall of one paragraph.

Also avoid practising only on a phone keyboard if you need to type on a computer keyboard, or only in short bursts if you need to type longer documents. Match practice to the keyboard and the task you actually need.

Key takeaways

• WPM here is correct characters ÷ 5 ÷ 0.5 minutes, for a 30-second test.
• Accuracy is correct characters ÷ typed characters × 100.
• Compare runs of the same test, practise accuracy first, then increase speed gradually.

Frequently asked questions

Related tools

• Typing Speed Test
• Word Counter
• Stopwatch