A typing word is five characters
Real words vary in length, so typing tests use a fixed word: five characters, with spaces and punctuation counted. "Hello there" is 11 characters, which is 2.2 typing words. This makes scores fair whatever text you are given.
The formulas
- Gross WPM = characters typed ÷ 5 ÷ minutes
- Accuracy = correct characters ÷ characters typed
- Net WPM = correct characters ÷ 5 ÷ minutes (the same as gross WPM × accuracy)
Tutype shows net WPM as your speed and keeps the same rules on every timed test, so this week's score compares fairly with last month's.
A worked example
In a 1-minute test you type 250 characters and 240 of them are correct.
| Measure | Working | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Gross WPM | 250 ÷ 5 ÷ 1 | 50 WPM |
| Accuracy | 240 ÷ 250 | 96% |
| Net WPM | 240 ÷ 5 ÷ 1 | 48 WPM |
The 48 WPM is what an employer or teacher would care about.
WPM, CPM and KPH
Some tests use characters per minute (CPM) or keystrokes per hour (KPH), especially for numeric data entry. Because a word is five characters:
| WPM | CPM | KPH (approx.) |
|---|---|---|
| 20 | 100 | 6,000 |
| 30 | 150 | 9,000 |
| 40 | 200 | 12,000 |
| 50 | 250 | 15,000 |
| 60 | 300 | 18,000 |
What is a good WPM?
| Net WPM | What it means |
|---|---|
| Under 20 | Still learning the keyboard |
| 20 to 35 | Comfortable for school work |
| 35 to 50 | Average to good adult; enough for most office jobs |
| 50 to 70 | Fast; suits secretarial and data entry work |
| 70 and up | Very fast; suits transcription |