How fast do you type? The average person types 40 WPM. Professional typists reach 75 WPM. Top competitive typists exceed 150 WPM. Knowing your typing speed matters more than ever — remote work, online exams, coding, content writing all depend on how fast and accurately you can type. Our free typing speed test measures your exact WPM in 60 seconds.
What is WPM and How is it Measured?
WPM stands for Words Per Minute. In typing tests, one "word" is defined as exactly 5 characters including spaces. So typing "Hello" counts as 1 word. Typing "I am happy today!" (18 characters including spaces) counts as 3.6 words.
Most typing tests measure gross WPM (total characters typed divided by 5, divided by time) and net WPM (gross WPM minus error penalty). Accuracy percentage is the ratio of correctly typed characters to total characters.
What is a Good Typing Speed?
| Skill Level | WPM Range | Who This Is |
|---|---|---|
| Beginner | Under 30 WPM | First-time typists, hunt-and-peck method |
| Average | 40–55 WPM | Most regular computer users |
| Above average | 55–80 WPM | Regular office workers, students |
| Fast | 80–100 WPM | Experienced professionals, writers |
| Professional | 100+ WPM | Transcriptionists, coders, power users |
| Elite | 120–150+ WPM | Competitive typists, stenographers |
Test where you fall right now with our free typing speed test — takes exactly 60 seconds.
How to Take the Typing Speed Test
- Click Start on the typing test
- A paragraph of text appears — start typing it immediately
- Type as fast and accurately as you can for 60 seconds
- Do not use autocorrect or copy-paste — type every word yourself
- Your WPM, accuracy, and error count appear at the end
How to Improve Your Typing Speed — Practical Tips
- Practice daily for 15 minutes — Consistency beats long sessions. 15 minutes every day improves WPM faster than 2 hours once a week
- Focus on accuracy first — Speed comes naturally once accuracy is consistent. Rushing and correcting mistakes is slower than typing accurately at a steady pace
- Learn home row position — ASDF for left hand, JKL; for right hand. This is the foundation of touch typing
- Use all 10 fingers — Each finger has assigned keys. Using the wrong finger for a key slows you down significantly
- Do not look at the keyboard — Even glancing down resets your mental flow and costs 5-10 WPM
- Use an online timer — Practice in timed sessions using our free online timer
What is Touch Typing and Why Should You Learn It?
Touch typing means typing without looking at the keyboard, using muscle memory. Every key has a designated finger. Once learned, touch typists type significantly faster than hunt-and-peck typists because they never break visual focus from the screen.
Learning touch typing takes approximately 20 to 40 hours of deliberate practice to reach your previous speed, and another 20 hours to surpass it. The payoff is enormous — most touch typists gain 30 to 50 WPM over their previous speed within 3 months.
Typing Speed Requirements for Different Jobs
| Job Role | Minimum WPM | Preferred WPM |
|---|---|---|
| Data entry operator | 40 WPM | 60+ WPM |
| Customer support agent | 40 WPM | 55+ WPM |
| Transcriptionist | 60 WPM | 80+ WPM |
| Legal secretary | 65 WPM | 80+ WPM |
| Software developer | No minimum | 60+ WPM recommended |
| Content writer | No minimum | 70+ WPM recommended |
Many government and corporate job applications in India require a typing test. Check your speed now with our free WPM test and practice before your exam.