WPM (words per minute) measures typing or reading speed. In typing tests it deliberately does not count literal words; instead it uses a standardised "word" of five characters, spaces included, so that speed is comparable regardless of how long the actual words are. The standard formula is:
WPM = (correct characters / 5) / minutes
Worked example: you type 300 correct characters in 60 seconds. That is 300 / 5 = 60 standardised words in 1 minute, so 60 WPM. Two related variants exist: gross WPM uses all characters typed, while net WPM subtracts errors — commonly by deducting one full word (or one uncorrected error) per mistake — which is why accuracy matters as much as raw speed. A test can show a high gross WPM and a much lower net WPM if you race and make errors.
Typical benchmarks: the average adult types around 40 WPM; 60+ WPM is comfortable for office work; professional typists and transcriptionists reach 70–90+; competitive typists exceed 120. For reading (a separate use of WPM), silent adult reading averages roughly 200–250 WPM. WPM is the standard unit of typing speed, so the two terms are used almost interchangeably, though typing speed is the broader concept and WPM is the specific metric. Because the "divide by 5" convention is universal, scores are comparable across tests only when they share the net-vs-gross definition. Measure your own rate on our typing test.