WPM (words per minute) measures how fast you type. Because words vary in length, typing tests use a standard definition: one word = five characters, including spaces and punctuation. This makes scores comparable across different texts and languages.
Gross WPM
Gross WPM counts everything you typed, mistakes included:
Gross WPM = (all characters typed ÷ 5) ÷ minutes
Net WPM
Net WPM subtracts a penalty for uncorrected errors, so it reflects usable output:
Net WPM = Gross WPM − (uncorrected errors ÷ minutes)
This is the number employers usually care about, and it's the main WPM shown on our results screen (based on correctly typed characters).
Raw WPM
On our results, raw WPM is the speed of every keystroke you made, including ones you later deleted. A big gap between raw and net speed means you're spending a lot of time correcting mistakes.
Accuracy
Accuracy is the percentage of keystrokes that were correct when you typed them. Even if you go back and fix errors, the original mistake still counts against accuracy.
Consistency
Consistency shows how steady your speed was across the test. Higher consistency usually means better technique and less fatigue.
WPM vs CPM vs KPH
- CPM (characters per minute) = WPM × 5. Common in some countries and for non-English languages.
- KPH / KDPH (keystrokes per hour) = roughly WPM × 300. Used for data entry and government exams. See KPH vs WPM.
Want to calculate it yourself? Use our WPM calculator.
Frequently asked questions
Why is a word counted as 5 characters?
It standardizes scores. Average English words are about 4.7 letters plus a space, so 5 is a convenient, fair unit.
Does a space count as a character?
Yes. Spaces and punctuation all count toward the five characters in a standard word.