What does WPM mean?
Words per minute (WPM) estimates how many words you type in one minute. For online typing tests, a word is almost always counted as five characters, including spaces and punctuation. That way, “hello” (5 characters) and “hi you” (6 characters including the space) are scored consistently.
WPM formula
On TypingTest Lab:
- Count the characters you typed correctly.
- Divide by 5 to get “words.”
- Divide by the time in minutes (for a 60-second test, divide by 1).
Example: 225 correct characters in 60 seconds → 225 ÷ 5 = 45 WPM.
WPM vs accuracy
Speed without accuracy is misleading. We also show accuracy as the percentage of keystrokes that matched the passage. Use both numbers together — then compare yourself on our good WPM chart.
Check your WPM now
Take our free typing speed test: 60 seconds, Easy/Medium/Hard modes, no signup. When you want to improve, follow the tips in How to type faster.
Measure your words per minute in one minute flat.
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