How to calculate WPM
WPM stands for words per minute. To work it out, divide the number of characters you typed by five, and then divide that by the minutes you typed.
The formula
Gross WPM = (characters typed ÷ 5) ÷ minutes
A "word" is counted as five characters, spaces included. This way a long word does not count more than a short one, and the number does not depend on the text you typed.
A worked example
You type 300 characters in one minute. Divide by five: 60 words. In one minute, that is 60 WPM. If you typed 450 characters in 90 seconds (1.5 minutes), then 450 ÷ 5 = 90 words, and 90 ÷ 1.5 = 60 WPM.
Net WPM and mistakes
Gross WPM counts everything, right or wrong. Net WPM subtracts mistakes. A common way is: net WPM = gross WPM − (uncorrected errors ÷ minutes). If you type 60 gross WPM with 5 errors in one minute, your net speed is 55 WPM.
Our typing test counts only the characters in words you typed correctly, divided by five and by the minutes. That works like net WPM and is why your result is lower than your raw speed when you make mistakes.
Accuracy
Accuracy = correct characters ÷ all characters typed × 100. If you typed 300 characters and 15 were wrong, your accuracy is 95%.
Quick conversions
| From | To | Rule |
|---|---|---|
| WPM | Characters per minute (CPM) | multiply by 5 |
| WPM | Keystrokes per hour (KPH) | multiply by 300 |
| CPM | WPM | divide by 5 |
Use the WPM calculator to do it with your own numbers.
Questions
Why is a word five characters?
It is a standard that makes scores comparable. Average English words are shorter than five letters, but spaces and punctuation bring the average to about five.
What is net WPM?
Your speed after subtracting mistakes.
How is WPM different from CPM?
CPM counts characters, WPM counts words of five characters. WPM = CPM ÷ 5.