What is WPM speed and what is a good score?
WPM stands for words per minute, which is calculated by dividing your keystrokes per minute (KPM) by five, because an average word is considered to have five characters. You can choose your preferred unit in Settings.
Guidelines
| Level | WPM | Equivalent to |
|---|---|---|
| Starting out | less than 25 | less than 125 keystrokes per minute |
| Getting by | 25–50 | 125–250 keystrokes per minute |
| Good level | 50–80 | 250–400 keystrokes per minute |
| Very fast | more than 80 | more than 400 keystrokes per minute |
Specific Kluppy references: level 30 is called “The 50 Wall” because it requires 250 KPM (50 WPM); level 35 is the certification level, with 325 KPM (65 WPM); and level 40, the last one of the course, requires 400 KPM (80 WPM). For comfortable professional use, you are more than fine with 50–60 WPM and good accuracy.
The important thing is not the isolated number, but the number with high accuracy. Typing at 80 WPM with 85% accuracy is slower in practice than typing at 60 WPM with 98% accuracy, because you waste your time correcting.