What is the difference between net and gross WPM?

Gross WPM counts every character you typed, right or wrong, at five characters to a word: 300 characters in a minute is 60 gross. Net WPM takes that figure and subtracts one word for every error still standing when the clock stops, so the same run with two uncorrected mistakes is 58 net. Employment typing tests quote net, which is why it is the headline here, and gross sits beside it so you can see the gap on your own typing.

What counts as an error?

A character that does not match the passage in the position it landed in. Two counts are kept and they answer different questions. Errors made is every keystroke that was wrong at the moment you made it, whether or not you went back for it. Errors left standing is what was still wrong when time ran out, and only those cost you net speed. Backspacing is not counted as a keystroke, so fixing a mistake costs you the time it took and nothing else.

Why does the timer start on the first keystroke instead of on page load?

Because reading the passage, finding the home row or moving the mouse are not typing, and a clock that starts when the page appears charges you for them. Here the clock starts on the first character you type and runs for exactly the duration you picked, so the first second of typing is measured rather than lost.

What is the average typing speed, and what is a good one?

The figures usually quoted are around 40 words a minute for an average adult on a full keyboard and 65 or more for someone who types for a living. Accuracy matters as much as the number: 90 words a minute at 92% accuracy leaves more to fix afterwards than 70 at 99%, which is why this test reports accuracy and the split between corrected and uncorrected mistakes rather than a speed on its own.

How is consistency worked out?

Your speed is sampled once a second, and consistency is 100 minus the coefficient of variation of those samples, so an even pace scores near 100 and a run of bursts and pauses scores lower. Only whole seconds are sampled, because a run that ends part way through a second would show that stub as a slow second and drag the figure down for no reason.

Which passage is easiest, and which is hardest?

Common words is the gentlest start for a beginner: three hundred everyday lowercase words with no capitals or punctuation. Quotes and Stories add capitals, commas and full stops, which is where most people lose accuracy. Code is the hardest, with brackets, quotes and semicolons on every line, and Numbers drills the number row or a 10-key pad. Every passage is in English.

Can I practise for a job typing test?

Yes, as practice. Pre-employment typing tests for data entry, 911 dispatcher, medical scribe and office roles usually report net words per minute and accuracy over one to five minutes, which is what this page measures, and data entry tests often quote keystrokes per hour as well. It does not copy any employer's own test or passage and gives no certificate, so use it to find your level and to improve before the real one.

Does it show keystrokes per hour?

Yes. Every finished run lists keystrokes per hour among its results: net counts the characters you typed right, gross counts every character key you pressed, including ones you later backspaced (Backspace itself is not counted), and the space or Enter between entries counts as a keystroke the way 10-key tests count it. Set the Passage control to Numbers for a 10-key style run, where Enter moves you to the next number.

Does it work on a phone, tablet, Chromebook or Mac?

Yes, in any current browser on any of them, with nothing to download or install. Tap or click the passage to start. An on-screen keyboard works, but it is slower than a physical one, so for a speed you mean to quote, use a real keyboard.

Is my typing uploaded anywhere?

No. The passages ship with the page, the scoring runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent anywhere. The only things kept are the settings you pick, which are the duration, the passage type, the run type and whether the wpm arithmetic is shown, and your best run for each duration and for each of the untimed run types: its net speed, accuracy, passage type and date. They sit in this browser's local storage on this device, and clearing site data removes them.

Typing Test

Type a passage for 30 seconds, a minute, two or five, and get both speeds rather than the flattering one: net words per minute, the figure employment typing tests use, beside gross, with keystrokes per hour for 10-key and data entry. Mistakes you fixed and mistakes you left standing are counted separately, and the clock starts on your first keystroke.

60 scommon words1:00 left0 net wpm100% accclick anywhere here to start typingcaps lock is off

The clock starts on your first keystroke and runs for the duration shown. Backspace corrects. Press Escape to restart.

Run

Duration

Passage

Working

Show the wpm arithmetic

Net wpm

Accuracy

100%

Three hundred of the most common English words, in random order.

A clock counts down from the duration you pick and the score appears when it reaches zero.

Net and gross are both real, and they differ. Gross counts every character you typed at five characters a word, mistakes included. Net takes off one word for every mistake still standing when the run ends, which is the convention employment typing tests use. Both are shown here, so a number from this page will not surprise you when somebody else tests you.

Common questions

What is the difference between net and gross WPM?: Gross WPM counts every character you typed, right or wrong, at five characters to a word: 300 characters in a minute is 60 gross. Net WPM takes that figure and subtracts one word for every error still standing when the clock stops, so the same run with two uncorrected mistakes is 58 net. Employment typing tests quote net, which is why it is the headline here, and gross sits beside it so you can see the gap on your own typing.
What counts as an error?: A character that does not match the passage in the position it landed in. Two counts are kept and they answer different questions. Errors made is every keystroke that was wrong at the moment you made it, whether or not you went back for it. Errors left standing is what was still wrong when time ran out, and only those cost you net speed. Backspacing is not counted as a keystroke, so fixing a mistake costs you the time it took and nothing else.
Why does the timer start on the first keystroke instead of on page load?: Because reading the passage, finding the home row or moving the mouse are not typing, and a clock that starts when the page appears charges you for them. Here the clock starts on the first character you type and runs for exactly the duration you picked, so the first second of typing is measured rather than lost.
What is the average typing speed, and what is a good one?: The figures usually quoted are around 40 words a minute for an average adult on a full keyboard and 65 or more for someone who types for a living. Accuracy matters as much as the number: 90 words a minute at 92% accuracy leaves more to fix afterwards than 70 at 99%, which is why this test reports accuracy and the split between corrected and uncorrected mistakes rather than a speed on its own.
How is consistency worked out?: Your speed is sampled once a second, and consistency is 100 minus the coefficient of variation of those samples, so an even pace scores near 100 and a run of bursts and pauses scores lower. Only whole seconds are sampled, because a run that ends part way through a second would show that stub as a slow second and drag the figure down for no reason.
Which passage is easiest, and which is hardest?: Common words is the gentlest start for a beginner: three hundred everyday lowercase words with no capitals or punctuation. Quotes and Stories add capitals, commas and full stops, which is where most people lose accuracy. Code is the hardest, with brackets, quotes and semicolons on every line, and Numbers drills the number row or a 10-key pad. Every passage is in English.
Can I practise for a job typing test?: Yes, as practice. Pre-employment typing tests for data entry, 911 dispatcher, medical scribe and office roles usually report net words per minute and accuracy over one to five minutes, which is what this page measures, and data entry tests often quote keystrokes per hour as well. It does not copy any employer's own test or passage and gives no certificate, so use it to find your level and to improve before the real one.
Does it show keystrokes per hour?: Yes. Every finished run lists keystrokes per hour among its results: net counts the characters you typed right, gross counts every character key you pressed, including ones you later backspaced (Backspace itself is not counted), and the space or Enter between entries counts as a keystroke the way 10-key tests count it. Set the Passage control to Numbers for a 10-key style run, where Enter moves you to the next number.
Does it work on a phone, tablet, Chromebook or Mac?: Yes, in any current browser on any of them, with nothing to download or install. Tap or click the passage to start. An on-screen keyboard works, but it is slower than a physical one, so for a speed you mean to quote, use a real keyboard.
Is my typing uploaded anywhere?: No. The passages ship with the page, the scoring runs in your browser, and nothing you type is sent anywhere. The only things kept are the settings you pick, which are the duration, the passage type, the run type and whether the wpm arithmetic is shown, and your best run for each duration and for each of the untimed run types: its net speed, accuracy, passage type and date. They sit in this browser's local storage on this device, and clearing site data removes them.

Net WPM subtracts one word for every uncorrected error, the convention used by employer tests; gross WPM counts everything typed at five characters a word. Keystrokes per hour counts every character, and the space or Enter between entries, scaled from the scored time to an hour. Timing uses the browser clock and starts on your first keystroke, so the first second is never lost.