WPM and characters per minute: what the numbers mean and what employers expect

A job listing asks for at least 40 WPM, and your last typing test reported 200 characters per minute. Both numbers describe the same speed. Comparisons get harder when one test reports gross speed and the other net, or when the tests differ in length. Here is how the numbers work and what office job listings usually ask for.

Five characters make a word

WPM stands for words per minute, but it does not count real words, which vary in length. Instead, one word is defined as five characters, spaces included. That is why 1 WPM equals 5 characters per minute.

In other words, the unit measures characters. To convert, multiply WPM by five; to go the other way, divide by five.

When you compare two figures, convert them to the same unit first. Otherwise the bigger number looks more impressive, even when both describe the same speed.

Gross and net speed

Just as important as the unit is what gets counted. Gross speed includes everything you typed, wrong characters too. Net speed subtracts errors. The standard formula deducts one whole word for every wrong character left in the finished text. A typo you catch with Backspace costs no word. It still costs time.

Say you type 300 characters in one minute and leave no errors behind. That is 60 WPM, gross and net alike. Each error left in the text lowers only the net figure, by one word.

At typando, exercises, the diploma, and certificates always count net speed. A lesson counts as passed at 97% accuracy. Our typing test works differently: it shows your gross speed first and tells you how much of it counts as net. It is meant as a starting point, not an exam.

Before you put two results side by side, check that both are net figures. Only net speed tells you how much usable text you produce per minute.

Test length changes the result

One minute is easier than five. For a single minute, you can hold full concentration and give it everything. Over five minutes, staying steady and accurate gets harder. A short test tends to show your peak speed, a long one the speed you can sustain.

Our typing test lasts one minute because it is meant to give you a quick first number. The diploma and certificates run for five minutes, so they reflect the speed you can hold.

If you need a number for a job application, use your net speed from a five-minute test. It is more honest than your best one-minute run.

Typical speeds

Hunt-and-peck typists, who use two fingers and look for each key, usually reach 20 to 30 WPM, or 100 to 150 characters per minute. A large analysis of an online typing test found an average of about 52 WPM among its participants. They chose to take the test, though, so the figure is not an average for everyone who types. Practiced touch typists typically reach 60 to 80 WPM.

Treat these figures as rough guides. What office job listings ask for sits between the two-finger range and practiced touch typing. For how to rate your own speed, see What is a good typing speed?

What job listings ask for

Listings for office and data entry jobs often ask for 40 to 60 WPM, or 200 to 300 characters per minute. In German-speaking countries, speed is often given in characters per minute instead (Anschläge pro Minute in German). A listing does not always say whether it means gross or net speed. Plan with your net figure: if you meet a requirement net, you meet it gross as well.

On an application, state the method along with the number, for example “60 net WPM in a five-minute test.” That way, nobody has to guess.

If you want proof of your speed, typando offers two documents. You earn the diploma by completing all lessons in phases 1 to 3 and passing the final test: five minutes with at least 40 net WPM at 97% accuracy. Certificates come in four levels: Bronze requires 40 WPM at 96% accuracy, Silver 50 WPM at 98%, Gold 60 WPM at 99%, and Platinum 70 WPM at 99.5%. They always count net speed over five minutes, and you can retake the test at any time. Both are free; all you need is an account.

That puts the diploma and Bronze at the lower end of the range in job listings, Gold at the upper end, and Platinum above it. The one-minute typing test gives you a starting point, and the lessons lead the way to the diploma.