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WPM (words per minute) is the standard measure of typing speed. Use the calculator below to work out a WPM figure from your own numbers, or take the live test to measure it as you type.
WPM stands for words per minute. Because real words vary in length, typing tests define one "word" as five characters, including spaces and punctuation. That makes scores comparable across different texts.
The formula is: WPM = (correctly typed characters ÷ 5) ÷ minutes elapsed. TypeMaster counts only correct characters, so mistakes lower your speed instead of being ignored.
Example: 300 correct characters in 1 minute is 300 ÷ 5 = 60 WPM. The same 300 characters in 2 minutes is 30 WPM.
CPM is characters per minute — the same measurement without dividing by five. TypeMaster reports both. WPM = CPM ÷ 5.
These are rough guides, not official standards — your own trend over weeks matters more than any single number.
Yes. TypeMaster only counts correctly typed characters toward WPM, so errors reduce your score.
It is a convention that standardises scores. Averaging real word lengths would make results differ between texts.