FREE ONLINE TEST
Typing speed test
Take a typing speed test online in one, three or five minutes. You get your words per minute, your accuracy and the three transitions between keys that cost you the most time — and a way to train exactly those.
Free · No account needed · Needs a physical keyboard
Preparing the text…
The clock starts with your first key. Esc starts over.
How words per minute are counted
Speed is shown in words per minute (WPM). By convention a word is five characters, spaces included, so a text of long words and a text of short ones are counted the same way. Only correctly typed characters count, and they are divided by the whole length of the test: one, three or five minutes. A pause to think counts against you, just as it does when you write for real.
Characters per minute is the same figure multiplied by five. Some sites quote that one, so the result shows both.
How accuracy is counted
Accuracy is the share of your keystrokes that produced the expected character. A wrong key does not move the cursor: the test waits until you press the right one, as the trainer does. Each wrong press still counts, so 95% accuracy means one key in twenty went astray. Errors therefore cost you twice — in accuracy, and in the time spent fixing them.
Why the test shows transitions between keys
Your time is not spread evenly over the keyboard. Most of it goes into the gaps between two keys, and a few of those gaps are far longer than the rest: a reach across the keyboard, the same finger twice in a row, a pair you seldom type. Every word that contains such a pair pays for it.
The test times every gap between two correct keys and names the three pairs that took you longest. Pairs seen only once are left out, and so are gaps around the space bar, which mostly go to reading the next word. The usual advice — just type more — spends most of the practice on moves that are already fast. Typing Improver measures every transition while you practise, builds each lesson from words that contain your slow ones, and checks whether they got faster.
What is a good typing speed?
There is no single norm: it depends on the text, the language and the keyboard. These are typical ranges for ordinary text in your own language.
| Speed | Level | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| < 25 WPM< 125 characters per minute | Learning | Usually still looking at the keys or typing with a few fingers. Touch typing practice pays off fastest here. |
| 25–39 WPM125–195 characters per minute | Everyday | Enough for messages and email. Many people who never learned touch typing settle here. |
| 40–59 WPM200–295 characters per minute | Fluent | Comfortable for most office work and common among people who type every day. |
| 60–79 WPM300–395 characters per minute | Fast | Typing rarely holds you back. Further gains come from smoothing out specific slow moves. |
| 80+ WPM400+ characters per minute | Very fast | Typical of people who type for a living or practise deliberately. Each extra word per minute takes targeted work. |
Typical ranges, not measured statistics. The same person can vary by ten words per minute with the text, the keyboard and the time of day.
Questions about the typing test
How long should a typing test be?
One minute gives a quick number. Three or five minutes give a steadier one: a lucky or clumsy stretch matters less, and tiredness starts to show. To follow your progress over weeks, always use the same length.
Why is my result different on other sites?
Sites count differently. Some count only finished words, some subtract errors from the speed, many use only the shortest common words. Here a word is five correct characters over the full time, drawn from common words of the language. Compare results from the same test, not across sites.
Do I need an account to take the test?
No. The test and the full result work without signing up. Without an account the result stays in this browser and nothing you type is sent to our server.
Which keyboard layout does the test use?
The one you type on. If you already practise here, the test uses your training profile. Otherwise it asks the browser where the browser can tell and lets you pick the layout. If your keystrokes look like another layout, the result says so.
Can I take the test on a phone?
The test needs a physical keyboard: an on-screen keyboard cannot produce the timings it measures. A tablet or phone with a connected keyboard works.
How can I improve my typing speed?
Accuracy first, then rhythm. Practise in short sessions most days, keep your eyes on the text, and work on the transitions that actually slow you down rather than on random text. The button under your result starts exactly that.