A good typing speed for everyday work is roughly 40 words per minute (WPM) or more with at least 95% accuracy. Many casual typists score around 35 to 45 WPM on a typing test of common words, 60 WPM or more is well above average, and practised touch typists often reach 70 to 100 WPM or higher. In typing tests, one "word" means five characters, including spaces, and the number that counts is net WPM, which leaves out your mistakes.
- WPM uses a standard word of 5 characters, so a long word and a short word are not counted the same.
- Gross (raw) WPM counts every character you typed; net WPM counts only correct characters, and net WPM is the figure to quote.
- There is no official scale or reliable global average. The ranges on this page are rough guides, not statistics.
- Job requirements vary; many office and data entry roles ask for something in the region of 40 to 60 WPM, often with an accuracy minimum.
- Accuracy comes first. Touch typing with short daily practice is the most reliable way to get faster.
How is typing speed (WPM) calculated?
Typing tests do not count the real words you type. If they did, "a" and "responsibility" would be worth the same, and results would depend on the text. Instead, every 5 characters count as one word. Spaces and punctuation are characters too, so the space after a word is part of the count. This convention has been used in typing tests for a long time and makes scores comparable between different texts.
- Gross WPM (also called raw WPM) = all characters typed ÷ 5 ÷ minutes. It shows how fast your fingers move, mistakes included.
- Net WPM = correct characters ÷ 5 ÷ minutes. Some tests calculate it differently, as gross WPM minus uncorrected errors per minute. Both methods penalise mistakes, but they can give slightly different numbers for the same attempt.
- Accuracy = correct keystrokes ÷ all keystrokes, as a percentage. In many tests, including ours, a mistake you correct still lowers accuracy, because it cost you a keystroke.
- CPM (characters per minute) is the same measurement without dividing by 5, so 60 WPM equals 300 CPM.
Worked example: in a 1-minute test you type 250 characters and 240 of them are correct. Gross WPM is 250 ÷ 5 = 50, net WPM is 240 ÷ 5 = 48 and accuracy is 96%. In a 2-minute test you would divide by 2 as well.
Data entry tests sometimes use keystrokes per hour (KPH) instead, often on numbers typed with the numeric keypad. Mathematically, 60 WPM is 300 characters a minute, or 18,000 characters an hour, but number entry and text typing are different skills, so a KPH score cannot be converted directly into a WPM score.
What is a good typing speed? Typical ranges
There is no official grading scale and no dependable worldwide average, because results depend heavily on who takes the test and how it is set up. The bands below are widely used rules of thumb for net WPM on a test of common English words with good accuracy. Treat them as rough guides:
| Net WPM | Rough level | What it usually means |
|---|---|---|
| Under 30 | Beginner | Often looking at the keyboard or typing with a few fingers. |
| 30–50 | Average | Typical everyday typing; many casual typists land around 35–45. |
| 50–70 | Above average | Comfortable for most office work; 60 or more is well above average. |
| 70–100 | Fast | Usually a practised touch typist. |
| Over 100 | Very fast | People who type all day, practise regularly or compete. |
Several things move your score up or down, so compare like with like:
- Text: lists of common words are easier than real prose with capitals and punctuation, and code or numbers are slower still.
- Test length: 15- or 30-second tests let you sprint and give higher numbers; 2- to 5-minute tests are closer to sustained typing.
- Device: typing on a phone or tablet screen is usually slower than on a physical keyboard, and an unfamiliar keyboard costs speed for a while.
- Language and layout: a test in your second language, or on a layout you rarely use, will be slower.
Accuracy matters as much as speed. A score of 70 WPM at 88% accuracy usually means a lot of time spent fixing errors in real work; most typing tutors suggest aiming for 95% or better before chasing speed. Take the typing speed test a few times and use the average, not your single best run.
Typing speed requirements for jobs
Employers that test typing usually do it for roles where typing is a large part of the day. Requirements are set by each employer and differ between countries, sectors and test providers, so the figures below are rough patterns seen in job adverts, not standards:
| Type of role | What adverts commonly ask for |
|---|---|
| General office and administrative roles | Often around 40 WPM or more, sometimes simply "good keyboard skills". |
| Data entry | Many ask for roughly 40–60 WPM, or a keystrokes-per-hour figure for number entry, usually with a high accuracy requirement. |
| Transcription, typist, legal or medical secretary | Usually higher speeds than general office roles, with strong emphasis on accuracy, spelling and formatting. |
| Customer support by chat or email | Speed requirements vary; clear, accurate writing tends to matter more than raw speed. |
| Programming and most professional roles | Rarely a formal requirement; thinking, not typing, is usually the bottleneck. |
If a job specifies a number, find out three things: whether it means net or gross WPM, how long the test lasts, and whether it uses prose, common words or numbers. Then practise under the same conditions. Our typing test offers 15-second to 5-minute tests and optional punctuation and numbers, so you can match the format.
Touch typing: the technique behind high speeds
Touch typing means typing without looking at the keyboard, with each finger responsible for a fixed set of keys. It is the main difference between people stuck around 30 to 40 WPM and people who keep improving. The basics:
- Home row: rest your left fingers on A S D F and your right fingers on J K L ;. The small bumps on F and J let you find the position without looking.
- One finger per column: each finger reaches up and down from its home key and returns to it.
- Thumbs press the space bar.
- Opposite-hand Shift: for a capital typed with the left hand, hold the right Shift, and the other way round.
| Finger | Left hand | Right hand |
|---|---|---|
| Index | R F V and T G B (plus 4 and 5) | Y H N and U J M (plus 6 and 7) |
| Middle | E D C (plus 3) | I K , (plus 8) |
| Ring | W S X (plus 2) | O L . (plus 9) |
| Little | Q A Z (plus 1), Tab, Caps Lock, left Shift | P ; / (plus 0 and the keys to the right), Enter, Backspace, right Shift |
This map is for the common QWERTY layout; the same finger zones apply to QWERTZ and AZERTY with different letters. Alternative layouts such as Dvorak and Colemak reduce finger travel, but switching means relearning from a low speed, and there is no guarantee you will end up faster than with well-practised QWERTY.
How to improve your typing speed: a simple practice plan
Short, regular sessions build the automatic finger movements that speed depends on. A reasonable plan:
- Measure a baseline. Take three 1-minute tests on the typing test and note your average net WPM, accuracy and most missed keys.
- Learn the finger positions slowly. For the first week or two, type at whatever speed lets you use the correct fingers without looking, even if it is slower than before. A temporary drop is normal when you change technique.
- Practise 10 to 15 minutes a day. Daily short sessions tend to work better than one long weekly session.
- Hold accuracy at 95% or more. If accuracy drops, slow down. Speed built on errors does not last.
- Target weak keys. Drill the letters in your most-missed list and awkward pairs such as those typed with the same finger.
- Add punctuation and numbers once letters feel automatic, because real writing needs them.
- Push in short bursts. When you plateau, do a few 15- or 30-second tests slightly above your comfortable speed, then return to accurate 1-minute tests.
- Re-test weekly under the same settings and compare averages, not single results.
How quickly you improve varies a lot from person to person. Learning the key positions typically takes a few weeks of daily practice; reaching a high, steady speed takes longer.
Posture and ergonomics
Comfort affects both speed and how long you can type without strain:
- Keep your forearms roughly level, elbows close to your body and wrists straight rather than bent up or sideways.
- Place the keyboard at about elbow height, close enough that you do not reach forward.
- Let your hands hover while typing and rest the heel of your palms only during pauses.
- Press keys lightly; you do not need to bottom out every key.
- Put the top of your screen at or slightly below eye level and take short breaks to move and stretch.
Pain, numbness or tingling that keeps coming back is a reason to see a health professional rather than to practise more.
When the keyboard is the problem
Sometimes a low score is not your fault. A key that registers twice (chatter), a key that misses presses, a sticky Shift or a keyboard that drops keys when you type fast all show up as errors. Check every key with the keyboard tester, which flags dead, stuck and double-typing keys and shows how many keys can be held at once. On Windows, also check that Filter Keys and Sticky Keys are off under Settings › Accessibility › Keyboard, since both change how key presses are accepted. On phones, autocorrect and predictive text can change words during a test, so turn them off while testing.
Typing speed is one of several input skills you can measure in the browser. The CPS test measures clicks per second with a mouse, and the device tests page collects tools for keyboards, mice, screens, microphones and controllers.
Frequently asked questions
Is 40 WPM a good typing speed?
Yes, for everyday use. Around 40 WPM with high accuracy is in the average-to-good range for adults on a test of common words and meets the level many general office jobs mention. Roles built around typing, such as transcription, usually expect more.
Is 60 WPM fast?
Yes. 60 WPM net with good accuracy is well above typical casual typing and is comfortable for almost any office job. Moving beyond it usually requires solid touch typing technique.
What is the average typing speed?
There is no reliable official average. On typing tests of common words, many casual typists score roughly 35 to 45 WPM, but results vary with the test, its length, the device and the typist's experience.
Does WPM count spaces and punctuation?
Yes. A word in typing tests is a fixed 5 characters, and spaces and punctuation marks count as characters, so typing the space after each word is part of your score.
How long does it take to learn touch typing?
It varies by person and practice time. With 10 to 15 minutes a day, many people learn the key positions within a few weeks, though it usually takes longer to get back to, and then beyond, their old speed.
Should I quote gross or net WPM on a CV?
Quote net WPM and your accuracy, and mention the test length if you can, for example "65 WPM net, 97% accuracy, 5-minute test". Net WPM is what employers usually mean, and stating the conditions makes the figure credible.