Typing speed test: what is a good WPM?

Updated October 2026 · TapTest guides

Typing speed is measured in words per minute, or WPM. Here is what the number means, what counts as fast, and how to measure your own.

A typing speed test measures how fast you type, in words per minute (WPM), and usually how accurately too. It is a quick way to see where you stand, track your progress, or check how a new keyboard suits you. Here is what the numbers mean and how to measure your own.

How typing speed is measured

Speed is counted in words per minute, but a "word" is not a real word. The standard is that every five characters you type counts as one word, spaces included. This keeps the score fair, so a passage full of short words is not worth more than one full of long words. Multiply your characters typed by the length of the test and the maths gives you WPM.

You will also see two versions of the figure. Gross WPM counts everything you typed. Net WPM subtracts your mistakes, so it reflects how much correct text you actually produced. Net WPM is the more honest number, and it is what most tests, including ours, show.

What counts as a good typing speed?

As a rough guide to the commonly cited figures:

The average typing speed is often put at around 40 WPM.
A touch typist who does not look at the keys usually reaches 60 to 70 WPM.
Anything above roughly 80 WPM is genuinely fast, and competitive typists regularly pass 100 WPM.
The quickest recorded typists have sustained well over 150 WPM.

Do not worry too much about the headline number. Steady progress on your own score matters more than hitting someone else's benchmark.

Why accuracy matters as much as speed

Raw speed is only half the picture. Every mistake you make either costs you time to fix or lands as an error in your final text, and both drag your real speed down. That is why accuracy is shown as a percentage alongside WPM. A common piece of advice is to build accuracy first and let speed follow: typing cleanly at a steady pace beats racing ahead and correcting constantly.

How to test your typing speed

You can measure yours right here in a few seconds. Open the TapTest typing test, choose a length of 15, 30 or 60 seconds, and start typing the words shown. The clock begins on your first keystroke. Correct letters light up and mistakes turn red, and because the test is forgiving you can keep going rather than stopping to fix every slip. When the time runs out you get your net WPM, your accuracy, and how many characters you typed. Nothing is uploaded, so your results stay on your device.

How to type faster

A few habits make the biggest difference over time:

Learn touch typing. Keep your fingers on the home row and train yourself not to look down. This is the single biggest jump most people make.
Prioritise accuracy. Slow down until your mistakes drop, then let speed build naturally.
Practise little and often. Short, regular sessions beat occasional long ones for building muscle memory.
Sit comfortably. A relaxed posture and wrists, with the keyboard at a natural height, helps you keep going without strain.
Retest regularly. Checking your WPM every so often shows your progress and keeps you motivated.

Once you know your number, try a different keyboard or switch type and test again. It is a good way to see how much your gear affects your speed. If a key ever feels unreliable while you type, the keyboard tester on the same site will confirm whether it is registering every press.

Common habits that quietly slow you down

Most people who feel stuck at a certain speed are held back by a handful of habits rather than a lack of talent:

Looking at the keys. Every glance down breaks your rhythm and your place in the text. Training yourself to keep your eyes on the screen is the hardest and most rewarding change.
Using too few fingers. Hunt and peck typing caps out quickly no matter how fast your two fingers fly. Spreading the work across all ten, from a steady home position, is what unlocks real speed.
Racing ahead of your accuracy. Typing faster than you can type cleanly just creates corrections, and corrections are slower than careful typing ever was. Build accuracy first.
Tensing up. A tight grip and hunched shoulders tire you out and make fine movements harder. A relaxed posture lets you keep going longer and more evenly.

How your score compares to other people

Once you have a reliable number, it is natural to wonder how it stacks up against others your age or in your line of work. The short version is that around 40 WPM is the common adult average, 60 to 70 is quick, and beyond 80 is genuinely fast, but the fuller picture, broken down by age and profession, is in our guide to average typing speed. The most useful comparison, though, is always against your own past results, which the test tracks for you.

Common questions

What is a realistic speed to aim for? If you are below the 40 WPM average, learning to touch type can comfortably take you past 60. Beyond that, aim for small, steady gains rather than a fixed target.

Should I fix every mistake as I go? In a test, our forgiving mode highlights slips in red so you can keep moving, which better reflects real typing. In practice, aim to make fewer mistakes rather than to correct faster.

Does the keyboard affect my score? It can. A comfortable board with switches you like helps you type longer and more cleanly. Try testing on different keyboards to see the effect for yourself.