Or skip the maths: the typing speed test measures all of this for you, live.
The formula
Typing tests count a "word" as five characters, whatever words you actually typed. That keeps scores comparable: typing "a" twenty times is not twenty words of effort, and "approximately" is more than one. Spaces count as characters, because pressing Space is a keystroke like any other.
| Figure | How it is worked out |
|---|---|
| Gross WPM | (characters ÷ 5) ÷ minutes |
| Net WPM | gross WPM − (uncorrected errors ÷ minutes) |
| Accuracy | (characters − errors) ÷ characters × 100 |
| CPM | characters ÷ minutes |
| KPH | characters ÷ minutes × 60 |
Some tests, Presspace included, go one step further and only count characters in words you finished correctly. That is stricter than subtracting a word per error, and it is why a run with many small slips can score well under its raw speed. Our guide to how WPM is calculated walks through the differences between tests.
Worked examples
Say you type 1,250 characters in five minutes and leave 8 mistakes. That is 250 words of five characters, so 50 gross WPM. Eight errors over five minutes is 1.6 a minute, which leaves 48.4 net WPM, or 48 rounded.
A one-minute test is simpler: every 5 characters is a word, and every error left in costs a word. Type 300 characters with 3 mistakes and you score 57 net WPM.
WPM, CPM and KPH side by side
| WPM | Characters per minute | Keystrokes per hour |
|---|---|---|
| 30 | 150 | 9,000 |
| 40 | 200 | 12,000 |
| 50 | 250 | 15,000 |
| 60 | 300 | 18,000 |
| 80 | 400 | 24,000 |
| 100 | 500 | 30,000 |
Job adverts mix these units. Office roles usually ask for WPM, transcription for WPM with very high accuracy, and data entry often for KPH on the number pad. See typing tests for jobs for what each kind of test expects, and what a good typing speed is for where your number sits.
Questions people ask
How is WPM calculated?
Every five characters count as one word, spaces included. Gross WPM is characters divided by five, divided by the minutes taken. Net WPM then takes off one word per minute for every uncorrected error.
What is the difference between gross and net WPM?
Gross WPM is raw speed, mistakes and all. Net WPM is the number employers and most typing tests quote: it subtracts the errors you left in, so a fast but sloppy run scores lower.
How do I convert WPM to KPH?
Multiply WPM by 5 to get characters per minute, then by 60 to get keystrokes per hour. 40 WPM is about 12,000 KPH. Data entry jobs often ask for 8,000 to 12,000 KPH on the number pad.