Typing Speed Test
Test your WPM with real-time stats, error analysis, and session history
Typing Tips
Don't look at your fingers
Train yourself to look at the screen while typing. This builds muscle memory and speeds up your rate.
Use home row position
Rest your fingers on ASDF and JKL; keys. All other keys are a reach from this position.
Practice consistently
15–20 minutes of daily practice is more effective than occasional long sessions.
Accuracy over speed
Focus on hitting the right keys before you try to go fast. Speed follows accuracy naturally.
What is Typing Speed Test?
Typing speed is measured in WPM — words per minute — where each "word" is standardised as 5 keystrokes, including spaces. The average adult types 40 WPM; professional typists average 65-75 WPM; competitive typists can exceed 120 WPM. For knowledge workers who spend most of their day at a keyboard, typing speed directly affects productivity — every 10 WPM improvement represents meaningful time savings over a career.
Typing speed tests measure two things: raw speed (how many words per minute with any errors) and net speed (raw speed minus error penalty). Accuracy is equally important — typing 80 WPM with 95% accuracy is more useful than 100 WPM with 80% accuracy, because correcting errors breaks flow and costs time.
Altairys's Typing Speed Test presents a randomised passage of commonly used English words and measures your WPM and accuracy as you type. The test highlights incorrect characters in red in real time, so you know immediately when you've made an error. After each test, you receive a full report: WPM, accuracy percentage, error count, time taken, and a comparison to global averages. Regular practice using the same tool lets you track improvement over sessions.
How to Use Typing Speed Test
- Start the test
Click Start or begin typing — the timer starts automatically when you type the first character.
- Type the passage
Type the displayed text as quickly and accurately as possible. Errors are highlighted in real time.
- See your results
When the test ends, your WPM, accuracy, and error count are displayed.
- Practise again
Click Retry for a new passage to improve your speed over multiple sessions.
Key Benefits
Incorrect characters are highlighted immediately — you see errors as they happen.
Both speed and accuracy are measured and displayed — not just raw speed.
Each test uses a different randomised passage to prevent memorisation.
See how your speed compares to global averages for different professions.
Frequently Asked Questions
The average adult types 40 WPM. 60-80 WPM is considered above average. 80-100 WPM is fast, suitable for professional transcription. 100+ WPM is exceptional. Developers and writers often target 60+ WPM.
WPM = (Total characters typed / 5) / minutes elapsed. The /5 standardises characters into "words." This is net WPM — gross WPM minus error penalty.
Practise regularly using the home row method (fingers rest on ASDF JKL;). Focus on accuracy first — speed follows naturally. Touch typing (not looking at the keyboard) is the most important technique to develop.
Focus on accuracy first. Consistently accurate typing at 50 WPM is more productive than erratic 80 WPM typing that requires constant corrections. Speed increases naturally with practice.