What’s a good WPM?
- 30 WPM — beginner / hunt-and-peck
- 40 WPM — typical adult, mixed touch / look-down
- 60 WPM — comfortable office worker, full touch typing
- 80 WPM — developer-grade, comfortably ahead of your thinking
- 100 WPM — rare; usually requires deliberate practice
- 120+ WPM — competitive typist territory
- 216 WPM — world record (Stella Pajunas, 1946)
How WPM is calculated
Standard formula: (characters typed correctly ÷ 5) × (60 ÷ seconds). The ÷5 approximates the average English word length. Net WPM (what we show) penalizes errors. Gross WPM (which some sites show) doesn’t.
Accuracy is reported separately so you can see whether speed gains are coming from real improvement or from skipping accuracy-checks.
How to improve
For real progression, see our how to type faster guide. Short version: touch typing first, accuracy before speed, daily 10–15 minute drills, focus on slowest letter combinations.